With their deep connections to industry, employers and the world of work, Australian apprenticeships have the potential to address skills challenges posed by Industry 4.0.
The 2015 National VET Research Conference provided an opportunity for researchers and practitioners in vocational education and training (VET) to engage with three major themes: youth, pathways and skills.
Pathways, aspirations, access to education and training and VET reform – just some of the topics covered in this selection of refereed papers presented at the 2014 conference.
Responding to emerging skills demand can be achieved by improving perceptions of career options, skills development and stronger partnerships with providers.
A series of refereed papers presented at the 22nd National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference 'No Frills'.
This overview opened the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) research forum entitled Are We There Yet? Youth Transitions in Australia, held at the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, on 11 April 2013.
The range of data collected by NCVER for the national vocational education and training (VET) system and how it is disseminated is discussed in this conference paper.
This conference paper was presented to the Third International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education and Training, 13–16 May 2012, in Shanghai. It argues that there are two key factors behind Australia's good record of employment for young people: high levels of post-school education with the consequence that there is not a large cohort of people in their mid-to-late teens flooding on to the labour market; and a flexible education system which gives individuals multiple choices.
This paper was a keynote address at the AVETRA conference held in Canberra in April 2012. Karmel notes that industry is arguably the key stakeholder in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector and discusses six areas of research which raise questions about VET and industry, either in terms of how public training funds are allocated or the educational principles on which VET is based.
Berwyn Clayton is the Director of the Work-based Education Research Centre (WERC) at Victoria University and the 2011 Researcher of the Year. This paper presents her keynote speech from the 2011 National VET Research (‘No Frills’) Conference and provides an insight into Berwyn’s journey from teacher to VET researcher. It highlights her interest in assessment and the capability of the VET workforce, and her dedication to supporting and mentoring new researchers.
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 paper was presented at the International Symposium on Lifelong Learning for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development: Developing a Research Agenda for the Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong, 12-13 January 2011. Tom Karmel suggests that there are four implications of an ageing population: the need to improve labour force participation and productivity; the ageing population will provide a 'demographic dividend' because there will be fewer young people to school; increasing life expectancy changes the arithmetic of the return to investments in human capital and makes investment in the middle-aged more attractive; and ageing populations in developed countries provide an opportunity for developing countries through the export of labour services.
This paper was presented to the 2011 TAFE Governance and Regulations Forum, 1 March 2011 in Melbourne. Tom Karmel argues that neither a simple definition of vocational education and training (VET) nor qualification levels are helpful. He suggests that VET is distinguished from higher education by different funding and regulatory arrangements, and teaching and learning styles. What confuses the issue is that many providers deliver both higher education and VET courses.
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.
This paper was delivered as a keynote address on 24th March 2010 at the VISTA annual conference: VET - The Invisible Sector.
This paper was presented at the 2009 Economic and Social Outlook Conference, 5-6 November at the University of Melbourne. It takes a sceptical view of the push for 'green skills', arguing that skills required in the labour market evolve relatively slowly, and that the way business operates is driven by changing costs, new technologies and new regulations, with sustainability being only one of many factors.
The governments of India and Australia are working to enhance cooperation on training, at both official and industry level. As part of the exchange of ideas, Francesca Beddie, General Manager, Research, National Centre for Vocational Education Research, visited India in August 2009 at the invitation of the Australia-India Council. This paper explores some of the common challenges the countries face in reforming their vocational training systems.
This paper considers three aspects of vocational education and training's (VET) contribution to the labour market: the relationship between their training and the occupations VET graduates work in; the extent to which the qualified proportion of the workforce has increased; and the link between VET and skills acquisition. Finally, some thoughts are aired on the implications of the economic slowdown for vocational education and training.
This paper was presented by Robin Shreeve at the NCVER Research on Toast seminar in March 2009. It briefly compares the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia with its equivalent in England, which is known as the skills or further education sector. The paper then outlines two key aspects of the English VET sector which might be of use to Australia: using course completion rates as a key performance measure at all levels of the VET sector; and using vocational 'foundation degrees' as a way for students to articulate between the VET and higher education sectors
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.