This paper was presented at the joint Skills Australia and Industry Skills Councils 2011 conference, , at the Crown Conference Centre, Melbourne. It addresses the challenge of measurement in workforce development planning, and discusses the role of the various players in labour markets and the information they need to make optimal decisions.
This report examines the linkages between innovation and skills development in vocational education and training (VET) across three industry sectors: mining, solar energy and computer gaming. Using a case study approach, the research finds that each of the industry sectors differs in their relationship between innovation and the education and training system. However, the formal VET system is seen as being very important in teaching the underlying skills and knowledge of a vocation. In contrast, informal on-the-job learning imparts the actual skills for innovation, but based on what was learnt formally. The VET system is seen as being slow in responding to new skills needs; however, whether this represents a bad thing is debatable.
This at a glance looks at developments in employability skills since 2002. It finds that most research has focused around teaching, assessing and reporting on employability skills, where consistency remains a key challenge. There also continues to be a lack of understanding of employability skills among some teachers. Until these issues are addressed, the sector could fall short in providing learners with the skills they need to succeed in their vocations.
Experiencing financial hardship is detrimental to both individuals and the community. For some, trying to break out of this situation can be extremely difficult as they may not have access to, or be lacking, the skills or resources that could help. However, education can help with research showing increasing the level of education and training is an effective means of reducing the likelihood of experiencing financial disadvantage. Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey this study looks at how having post-school qualifications may protect someone from falling into, and help get out of, financial disadvantage. Using four measures of financial disadvantage, the study finds that post-school qualifications to reduce the risk of experiencing financial disadvantage but to varying degrees.
The main impetus for the interest in innovation is that it is seen to improve productivity at the firm level and therefore improved economic prosperity and living standards. This edited volume was commissioned by the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations. The authors contribute a variety of views on innovation from different perspectives. Some of the main themes running throughout the book are reasons for firms innovating, the skills required for innovation and how innovation and skills development is supported by the training system, the firm and government. Innovation is seen as moving beyond research and development, to include new products, services and operational/organisational processes.
This paper was originally developed to help the Training and Skills Commission in South Australia consider the pathways between elements of the vocational education and training (VET) system, how they are working and what improvements can be made. It has been revised to make it national in scope. The authors reveal that quite substantial numbers of VET graduates go on to university level study or further study within VET itself. Significant numbers of university graduates also go on to study in VET. However, not all VET graduates choose to study at a higher level; a substantial proportion of students going on to further study do so at the same or lower level. This suggests that entitlement models need to consider horizontal (skills broadening) as well as vertical (only qualifications at a higher level) in their funding mix.
This scoping paper explores the extent and consequences of labour market movement and the characteristics of people who change jobs.
The paper provides an overview of the implications and causes of labour mobility and job tenure using data from major statistical sources and the research literature.
The importance of adult language, literacy and numeracy for greater workforce participation, productivity and social inclusion are well recognised, with both national and international research demonstrating the benefits of increasing proficiency for both individuals and communities. But there are still more questions to be answered, such as what is the extent of adult language, literacy and numeracy provision in Australia, and whose responsibility is it to fund such provision in the workplace? In September 2010, NCVER hosted a forum on behalf of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to explore these questions and what needs to be done to find the answers. This paper presents a summary of those discussions and recommendations for future action.
Research messages 2010 is a collection of summaries of research projects published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). The summaries are clustered under five broad themes used by NCVER to organise its research and analysis: Industry and employers; Students and individuals; Teaching and learning: VET system; and VET in context. Research messages 2010 also has an overview essay that captures the themes and highlights from the research for the year.
This paper looks at recent economic downturns and finds that there is little convincing evidence of persistent skill shortages in the trades. There is no evidence of persistent skill shortages across downturns in the construction, automotive and engineering trades. Declining numbers of apprenticeship completions led to persistent shortages in the electrical trades during the 1990s and 2000s but apprenticeship completions for this trade have now recovered to pre-1992 levels. Very high job churn creates the perception of persistent skill shortages in the food trades and in hairdressing. Many food tradespersons and hairdressers swap employers but remain in their occupation.
This study investigates the extent of over-education among younger workers.
This paper was prepared for the Australian Government's National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce, which was created to investigate the extent to which skill shortages might impact on the development of the resources sector. It applies historical apprenticeship commencement rates to population projections to provide an estimate of the number of tradespeople likely to be working in the resources sector between 2010 20 at a detailed level and by region.
This paper examines initial VET teacher training from the late 1979s to the present, based on the literature and the author's personal experiences. While much has changed, many of the issues and approaches that are apparent in the early literature remain the same today. There is cause for optimism and the author proposes a number of approaches to improve the quality and relevance of initial teacher training. Such training is only a first step, however, and access to further formal training and professional development is vital to maintain and build teachers' skills.
This report looks at whether vocational education and training (VET) is equipped to meet the changing needs of the modern workplace.
Apprentices with a learning disability can face significant barriers to completing their training. This paper explores what these apprentices, their lecturers and disability support staff see as the most effective strategies for helping them to overcome these difficulties. Instructional approaches which accommodate students' learning styles, individual tutoring and supportive relationships were endorsed by all groups as effective. This research was undertaken by a novice researcher in the Community of Practice scholarship program, which is funded through NCVER's Building Researcher Capacity initiative.
This paper was presented at the Professional Historians Association (NSW) Islands of History conference held on Norfolk Island in July 2010. It argues that the reliance on overseas workers to address skills shortages has been present ever since the first white settlement of Australia and suggests some areas for primary historical research.
One of the distinctive characteristics of the VET sector is that many students wish to learn specific skills and have no intention of completing a full qualification. This paper estimates the completion rate of VET course enrolments with a mathematical modelling approach in order to fill a gap in performance measures for the sector.
To gain insights into the labour market for tradespeople, this report investigates changes in supply, demand and how adjustment occurred through the varied economic conditions of the past 20 years.
In this interview, Steve Davis talks with researcher Tanya Bretherton about her report 'Developing the child care workforce: Understanding 'fight' or 'flight' amongst workers'. The early childhood education and care sector in Australia has long been characterised by low-skill/low-pay jobs. The current policy environment, however, may offer scope for the sector to move towards a path of skill growth. This report, based on case studies of four early childhood education and care providers, investigates how innovative employers are overcoming challenges in the sector to improve workforce development.