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This literature review examines the available research on skill sets. It outlines the origin of skill sets and explains the difference between skill sets developed by national vocational education and training (VET) industry bodies for training packages and those developed by registered training organisations (RTOs) for particular clients. The researchers consider the rationale for skill sets and explain their role in the national training system, and here the lack of hard research evidence of the benefits of skill sets is revealed, especially the commonly held view that the acquisition of skill sets should not be at the expense of full-qualification training. The review identifies a number of perspectives on skill sets and their contribution to the VET system: some research suggests that skill sets are a valuable VET solution because of their flexibility and capacity to be responsive to changing labour market needs; skill sets may also provide a quick and more cost-effective option for learners and may appeal to those who might be daunted by the prospect of having to undertake a full qualification; and conversely, some suggest that skill sets may confine individuals to narrow job roles and reduce their labour mobility.

The Australian Qualifications Framework Council (AQFC) was commissioned in April 2009 to provide advice on how to improve qualifications and recognition arrangements that would lead to more seamless pathways between the vocational education and training (VET) and higher education sector which would benefit students. This work became known as the Pathways Project. The findings from this project were incorporated into the strengthened Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). This paper reviews current data collection and reporting mechanisms for VET and higher education to: test their effectiveness in monitoring the movement of students between the sectors; analyse trends in student movement between the sectors and identify where a substantial number of students gain credit for previous study; assist the development of more effective data mechanisms to monitor student movement across sectors. The first section briefly discusses the concept of student pathways. The focus is on learning pathways associated with VET to VET, VET to higher education (HE) and HE to VET. These are examined from short to very long time frame perspectives. The second section examines current data collections. There are nine major collections which contain potential information on student pathways in the post school education sector. They fall into three categories: student enrolment collections, student tracker and analytic surveys. In section three, the data collections are used to look at the extent of student movement. The final section propose two possible approaches to improving data collection on pathways. The first entails a relatively modest set of modifications to several current collections. The second is more radical involving the development of a central data repository that would in effect create a 'skills passport' for all individuals.

During 2008-2011, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) funded a program to build Australian [vocational education and training] VET research capacity and rejuvenate what has been seen as the existing 'greying' researcher pool. This paper is a reflective narrative about experiences of constructing the program with a specific focus on the mentoring activity. It is about researching how we develop VET researchers, and specifically the role that experienced researchers can play. In the first three years, more than 40 experienced VET researchers have been associated with the program, mainly as mentors and facilitators. These mentors have supported 30 new VET researchers undertaking an initial local VET research project and supervising them through to their subsequent publication with NCVER. This paper focuses on the mentoring that took place and what researchers and research managers can learn from those experiences in terms of building research capacity. This paper reviews the first stages of what has been a participatory action research project for those associated with the program as the national research infrastructure for new VET researchers was constructed. It evaluates what actions have had the greatest impact and what we can lean from the initiative. It traces the project development from the initial project dilemmas through to the completion and publication of papers. This paper provides a narrative of the relationships that built the program, focusing upon the mentoring relations striving to bridge both cognitive and geographical divides. The findings indicate that mentoring has played a critical role, and has been established as a essential role in this new VET researcher development pathway. The paper concludes by comparing the components of the Australian program to a theoretical model and producing guidelines for research mentoring practice that have applicability to related research fields.

This technical report describes the 24 derived variables developed for users of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data. The variables fall into the categories education, employment and social, and help to simplify the complexity of the LSAY data by providing useful indicators for analysis. To help LSAY data users understand and make effective use of these variables, this report provides descriptions, formats, and additional notes for each variable. Information for the derived variables developed for the 1998, 2003 and 2006 commencing cohorts is presented. The SAS syntax used to derived these variables will be available in the accompanying technical documents for each respective cohort. This report should be considered in conjunction with the LSAY user guides. Details about updates made to the LSAY data files and derived variables are also contained within the appendix of those user guides.

As part of a three-year program of research, the authors are investigating how the training system might be more effective in providing continuing education and training across workers' lives, since the tertiary education and training sector is currently geared to entry-level training; that is, getting young people ready to enter the labour market. This working paper sets the scene for the next stage of research. It provides a description of current models of education and training which offer a framework for understanding the continuing learning needs of Australian workers.