This research examined how the VET sector could better meet the skills needs in regional, rural and remote areas.
This infographic presents snapshots of how different equity groups fare in their VET journey.
This report shows the data for student groups that have historically been disadvantaged in accessing and benefitting from education in Australia.
Student equity in VET: participation, achievement, and outcomes highlights how different equity groups fare in their VET journey.
Most disadvantaged learners enrol in lower-level VET qualifications as a starting point to re-engaging in education, which makes the transition to university less likely.
This research report examines the underutilisation of the skills of migrants in regional areas, particularly women who are often the spouse of a primary applicant but are also skilled in their own right.
The authors of this paper explore whether low socioeconomic status (SES) students benefit to a greater or lesser extent from attending high-quality schools when compared with their more advantaged peers.
This study provides new evidence on the inter-relationships between Indigenous Australians' association with their traditional culture and their engagement with vocational education and training.
This study explores the aspirations and intentions for university education among low SES and regional school students and looks at how peer mentoring might influence them.
Increasing education and training is considered one means by which to reduce the extent of social exclusion and as such has been a key focus in recent public policies. This study investigates the impact of education and training on the extent of social exclusion using a measure of multidimensional social exclusion. A simulation of the effect of the COAG target relating to halving the proportion of 20-64 year olds without at least a certificate III qualification between 2009 and 2020 on the measure of multi-dimensional social exclusion is also undertaken. The study finds a clear dichotomy in the extent of social exclusion experienced between those with low levels of education (early school leavers or those with a certificate II qualification at the most) and the rest.
This paper provides a conceptual basis for a three-year (2011–13) research program exploring the capacity of individuals and groups to make transitions through learning, training and work across locations. Three research projects will examine how regional or community factors and social capital affect those transitions. The three projects are: the influence of job conditions on geographic labour mobility; migrant women in regional Australia; and neighbourhood factors in the decision to participate in post-school education and training and the labour market. A synopsis of each project is given in this paper.
This paper aims to explain the extent to which variation in apprenticeship completion rates can be attributed to factors relating to 'culture' of the employer and apprentice.
This paper quantifies the impact of different dimensions of socioeconomic disadvantage on Year 12 completion.
Language, literacy and numeracy are necessary for greater workforce participation, productivity and social inclusion. Being able to measure the level of proficiency in these skills, and any changes in the level of skills, is important for getting a sense of how well language, literacy and numeracy programs are working. Two measurement tools used in Australia are the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALLS) survey and the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). This paper outlines an NCVER study which will investigate whether it is possible to map the performance levels of the ALLS to the performance levels of the ACSF in order to gain more frequent information than is currently available about the literacy and numeracy progression of adult learners against national goals.
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.
One focus of the Australian Government's social inclusion agenda is to help people with a disability into work. For this to succeed, employers must be willing and able to productively employ people with a disability. The purpose of this study was to answer the question 'what would it take' to enable employers to employ people with a disability. Based on focus groups with select employers from small-to-medium enterprises, the research found that, while employers were quite positive about employing a person with a disability, they lacked confidence in dealing with disability employment issues.
This study provides an important innovation to the existing literature by explicitly attempting to measure 'cultural attachment' and its relationship with post-compulsory education and training.
In light of recent developments in educational policy and the positioning of vocational education and training (VET) across the European Union, it was timely to explore these new directions and the lessons for Australian VET.
This report considers how the ALRP has contributed to the adult language, literacy and numeracy sector.
Course completion and student satisfaction is likely to be influenced by how realistic the expectations of students are when they enrol. This report explores the idea that students' expectations would be more realistic if students have well developed career management competencies.