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 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.
Using Australia as an example, this paper shows that globalisation poses distinct challenges for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems as nations adjust to their areas of comparative advantage. Other challenges that are less often taken into account are the internationalisation of training markets and the entry and exit of skills embodied in people due to migration flows.
This paper provides an overview of the factors which influence and drive Australia's technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector. It details the objectives of Australia's national strategy for TVET from 2004 to 2010, and key initiatives of the sector to meet the changing economic and technological environment: a review of training packages, and a review of the national standards for training providers. It also discusses issues facing the TVET sector, as identified in a paper published by the Business Council of Australia (2004). Further, an overview of the apprenticeship and traineeship system, which has expanded considerably in recent years, is provided. This paper was presented to the International Vocational Education Conference, October 2004, in Tianjin, People's Republic of China.