This research uniquely amplifies the voices of First Nations and migrant learners who have disengaged from foundation skills courses. By understanding their goals, experiences, and recommendations, ways to better support their completion are identified. The research explores how these learners first encountered the courses, their motivations for enrolling, the supports available, and the barriers they continue to face. Participants directly shared their training experiences and suggested improvements, offering valuable insights to enhance the effectiveness of foundation skills programs.
This technical paper summarises exploratory analysis undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of using machine learning approaches to calculate projected completion rates for VET programs and compares with the current Markov chains methodology used by NCVER.
This technical report provides an evaluation of three alternative methodological approaches for calculating completion rate projections for apprentices and trainees.
This literature review looks at policy contexts and their measures of impact, with a particular focus on foundation skills policy in Australia, implemented as the National Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults, 2012—22.
Using the framework developed by NCVER, this case study evaluation reveals the extent to which NCVER's publications are influencing policy and practice in the vocational education and training sector.
What can Australia learn from how other countries regulate vocational education and training? New research investigates regulatory models and quality assurance frameworks applied to the training sector.
As part of the three-year research program, 'Vocations: the link between post compulsory education and the labour market', this working paper sets the policy context and direction of the entry to vocations research stream. After looking at the current ‘in-school’ element of VET in Schools programs and jurisdictional differences, the paper raises a set of questions for discussion. For example, are more advanced and intense programs of VET in Schools needed to deliver stronger labour market outcomes? Do VET in Schools programs need to be more directly connected with post-school VET programs?
Assessing the impact of research in the social sciences is important in demonstrating that the research is useful and has been used. This good practice guide firstly provides indicators of how to best assess impact across four domains - producing knowledge, building the capacity of researchers and end users, influencing policy, and influencing practice. The guide secondly discusses ways to maximise the impact of research such as approaches to dissemination, using contacts and networks (including end users), knowledge translation, and developing programs of research.
This report looks at the potential use of information from the Student Outcomes Survey, including the use of student course satisfaction information and post-study outcomes, as a means of determining markers of training quality.
This paper argues that assessment can play a central role in teaching and learning, and selecting an appropriate mix of assessment strategies can satisfy multiple goals of key stakeholders in vocational education and training. These goals include promoting learning, certifying learning and program evaluation. These objectives must be understood in a broad context delineated by the structures of education systems and of labour markets which, in turn, reside within national policy objectives. Forms of assessment must be consistent with the goals of learning and with a broad range of valued learning outcomes.
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.
NCVER's Academic Scholarship Program provided the opportunity for an investigation into the flexible delivery of vocational education and training (VET) in a remote Indigenous community. Through evaluation of the delivery of the Sunrise Health Service's Youth Worker Training Program from the perspective of the Wugularr community, this paper identifies the benefits of community engagement and flexible delivery.
This paper provides an account of the management strategies and processes that TAFE institutes use to evaluate their performance.
This study examines employers’ views, taken from the NCVER Survey of Employer Use and Views on the VET System, on the three ways they can engage with the VET system: by having vocational qualifications as a job requirement; employing apprentices and trainees; and using nationally recognised training. In particular, the authors focus on employers’ suggestions for improvement to the VET system and, for those employers who are dissatisfied with the system, their reasons for dissatisfaction.
This report describes seven essential characteristics of employment service organisations that lead to successful employment outcomes for their Indigenous clients.
This research examines how vocational education and training (VET) providers can create an environment where learning becomes a central, natural, ongoing and integral part of the way they work. It does this by exploring what research says are the key features needed to foster effective learning in the workplace. It then uses this research to develop and trial an instrument which larger providers can use to assess their organisation's learning environment. A set of questions in the fact sheet supporting this report will help smaller providers consider how good their learning environment is.
This report reveals that the formation and maintenance of social partnerships depends on five key principles relating to purposes and goals; relations with partners; capacity for partnership work; governance and leadership; and trust and trustworthiness. Using four partnerships as case studies, the report set out to assess how these principles and practices can be used to develop social partnerships strong enough to withstand changing circumstances. The findings suggest that a partnership's capacity for flexibility is enhanced when there is a culture of partnering, committed sponsors, supportive auspicing organisations, responsive partners and government commitment.
This report provides an analysis of data gathered from vocational education and training (VET) policy-makers, industry representatives, resource development managers and practitioners about their experiences and views on the uptake and implementation of equity learning resources. These resources are aimed at supporting trainers in teaching their students. A range of enablers and barriers to the uptake and implementation of the resources in the VET sector were identified. A key finding is that few equity resources appeared to be widely used. The issue of uptake lies not with the quality of the resources but with the processes surrounding their development.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate, from a national perspective, the impact and outcomes of market reform in vocational education and training (VET), particulary the introduction of competitive tendering and 'user choice'. It does so by examining the structure, composition and dynamics of contestable or 'quasi-markets' for VET, assessing the impact and effects of market reform on providers and clients, and evaluating the outcomes, both intended and unintended, of market reform in VET.
Over the past decade, the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector has focused on the outcomes of training in terms of qualifications and competencies. Up until this time there had been little information available on the value that employers place on qualifications and how they use them to contribute to the success of their business. This 'at a glance' synthesises recent research, which shows that employers do value qualifications, and see them as having three main benefits: to 'screen' candidates in the recruitment process, to meet compliance requirements, and to provide career development for existing workers. However, VET providers could encourage employers to view qualifications more favourably by linking them to skills required at work and by keeping costs down, especially of the assessment process.