Using both the 1995 and 1998 cohorts of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, this study investigates the motivations for and the education and employment outcomes from working while studying for both VET and higher education students.
There are many factors which might cause a student to drop out of a course of study; some of these are preventable. This paper describes the piloting of a survey tool designed to identify students at risk of not completing. Attendance was found to be the strongest predictor of module completion; low or declining scores on the survey were also predictive of students dropping out. The research for this paper was undertaken by a novice researcher in the Community of Practice Scholarship Program, which is funded through NCVER's Building Researcher Capacity initiative.
This report explores the beliefs and experiences of new graduates of the certificate IV, with a focus on the graduates' sense of preparedness and confidence in planning, delivering and assessing training, as well as their views on the benefits and limitations of the certificate IV.
This briefing paper assesses the effect VET in Schools programs have on school retention, post-school vocational education and training (VET) and employment, and on young people's school and post-school aspirations. VET in Schools programs are seen as a way to increase Year 12 retention through broadening subject choices in the school curriculum. Research based on the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth suggest that, while participation in these programs has positive effects on attitudes to and satisfaction with school, it does not necessarily lead to increased Year 12 retention. However, participation in VET in Schools can influence a small group of students, who are intent on getting a job straight after school, to change their post-school plans to include further VET study or an apprenticeship or traineeship.
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 briefing paper draws together findings from two LSAY (Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth) research reports: 'Participation in and progress through New Apprenticeships'; and the 'VET pathways taken by school leavers'. These two reports use data obtained from young people who were in Year 9 at school in 1995 and whose educational and occupational activities were traced each year thereafter. Student characteristics, fields of training, commencement and completion rates, and reasons for discontinuing are all explored. This paper, published by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), is part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth research program.
This briefing paper draws on findings from several LSAY Research Reports (5, 27, 31, 33 and 41) which report on how student attitudes and engagement in the formative school years influence subsequent participation in post-compulsory education and training. Data is used from two LSAY cohorts: students who were in Year 9 in 1995, and students who were in Year 9 in 1998. Attitudes to school in the LSAY program are based on student responses to a set of 30 items, and intentions to further study are recorded in Year 9. This paper, published by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), is part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) research program.
The link between academic achievement and labour market outcomes is well established. But how well does a student's achievement in a test predict their later success in life? This study examines this question, with 'success' considered to encompass satisfaction with life together with the extent to which young people are fully occupied with education, employment or a combination of these. Low performers in mathematics in the 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment were the focus. The study found that 'low performing' status has little impact on future success. Further, students who saw the value of mathematics for their future success were more likely to achieve this success.
Student intentions and outcomes in regard to studying the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment at NSW community colleges is the subject of this paper. Gaining employment and acquiring presentation skills were the most common reasons given for undertaking the course, but for many students the course did not deliver this. Those students who accessed pre-course information and thus had more realistic expectations of what the course would entail were more likely to report that the course met their expectations. The research was funded through the NCVER's Building Researcher Capacity initiative and was undertaken by a novice researcher in the Community of Practice scholarship program.
This guide is intended for students, career counsellors and others assisting vocational education and training (VET) students in the credit transfer process. It is based on research that set out to identify the core elements required to negotiate successful pathways from VET to higher education. Credit transfer structures between Deakin University and three Victorian TAFE institutes, as well as the experience of enterprise registered training organisations, were used as case studies. The guide offers some strategies and guidance from the research which may assist students who seek recognition for their VET learning.
Education is generally seen as enhancing people's lives. However, previous research has reported an inverse relationship between education and happiness or satisfaction with life: as education level goes up, happiness goes down. Using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), this report examines the relationship between education and happiness. The impact of factors such as family circumstances and personality traits are also considered. The report finds that undertaking vocational qualifications such as an apprenticeship has a positive impact on happiness both during the training period and after completion. For university graduates, however, happiness declines following completion of their study.
Rubrics are a tool that can be used to provide graded assessment for articulation from vocational education and training (VET) into higher education. By mentoring teachers to use rubrics and interviewing them to determine their experiences in using them, the author explored the potential of rubrics as an assessment tool. Overall, teachers found rubrics not only useful for grading assessments but also for conveying assessment expectations to students. The research was undertaken by a novice researcher in the community of practice program and was funded as part of NCVER's Building Researcher Capacity initiative.
The preference of students to choose a career in events management over hospitality despite low demand for skills is the focus of this paper. The need for greater involvement of external stakeholders is identified as important in ensuring that students make an informed decision when choosing a career path. A model representing the ideal situation for student decision-making on career choice is proposed. The research was funded through the NCVER's Building Researcher Capacity initiative and was undertaken by a novice researcher in the Community of Practice scholarship program.
An analysis of student verbatim responses in the Student Outcome Survey provides suggestions for how the vocational education and training (VET) system could be improved.
The adoption of problem-based learning as a teaching method in the advertising and public relations programs offered by the Business TAFE School at RMIT University is explored in this paper. The effect of problem-based learning on student engagement, student learning and contextualised problem-solving was investigated and it was found that students perceive problem-based learning to be beneficial. Several success factors for this approach are also identified. The research for this paper was undertaken by a novice researcher in the Community of Practice scholarship program, a program funded through the NCVER's Building Researcher Capacity initiative.
The perceptions of students, school and TAFE staff involved in V Tracks, an early intervention program for Aboriginal school students are explored in this paper. The study identifies outcomes, challenges and recommendations for future program design. Overall, V Tracks was found to improve student engagement in school and provide greater insights into the available education, training and employment pathways for students. NCVER's Building Researcher Capacity program funded this paper, which is based on research undertaken by a novice researcher in the Community of Practice scholarship program.
This report considers how the ALRP has contributed to the adult language, literacy and numeracy sector.
In this At a glance we summarise what is known about student transfer between the vocational education and training (VET) and higher education sectors. Transfer occurs when a student who has enrolled in one sector subsequently commences a qualification in the other. Some students have completed their first qualification, but some have not. The second qualification may be in the same field of education as the first or a different one. Transfer may occur early in a person's career and be part of a period of adjustment as they refine their career goals. It may also occur at a much later stage and be related to new career directions. We find that data on transfer between these tertiary education sectors is subject to many limitations and that estimates of the magnitude of transfer in both directions vary greatly.
Recent research in the vocational education and training (VET) sector shows that students are gaining a range of benefits from their studies, beyond expected course outcomes. Students are developing new networks, and gaining confidence and self esteem through the respect received from their teachers and classmates. For some students, these advantages help them to find work and interact more easily with those around them. The networks and trust developed by students can also be referred to as 'social capital'. While many students are gaining social capital outcomes incidentally, these outcomes can also be actively developed. This paper discusses the concept of social capital and examines the link between social capital and VET. The paper also outlines ways in which social capital can be developed through VET courses and partnerships. The research shows developing social capital can be particularly helpful for marginalised young people.
Information on the divergence between student numbers and delivery hours for the period 2002 to 2007 is provided in this technical paper. The change in hours from one year to the next is decomposed into three effects, one of which is 'hours inflation', whereby nominal hours increase over time for the same unit of competency or module. Here we show that the 'hours inflation' explains relatively little of the divergence between students and hours. However, another form of hours creep, whereby new modules have higher average hours than ceased modules, was of some significance at the start of the period in question.