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This report is prepared in accordance with the legislative requirements of the Skilling Australia's Workforce Act 2005 and includes an assessment of the performance of the national training system during the year. The report provides detailed information on the operation of the national system, its achievements and challenges, and the outcomes achieved for the system’s clients. This report covers the 2005 calendar year and is presented in four sections. Section 1: 'Introduction and context' provides an outline of the report, describing the economic and social context for the national training system during 2005, and outlines the major components of the national training system. Section 2: 'Performance of the national vocational education and training (VET) system in 2005' contains an analysis of the system's performance in 2005 against agreed key performance measures. Section 3: 'Annual national priorities for 2005' reports the achievements and outcomes against the annual national priorities for 2005, and is underpinned by examples and achievements of the state, territory and Australian governments. Section 4: 'Appendices' provides time-series statistical tables on the national training system's performance and includes information on the data sources used as well as additional state and territory data. Show less

The vocational training and education system faces a number of complex challenges as it meets the goals of the National Reform Agenda. There will be an increased demand for higher level skills and to provide appropriate training opportunities for unqualified adults. The community education and training sector will play an important role in achieving the outcomes of the Reform Agenda. The Ministers of Vocational Education and Training (VET) have been asked by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to report in November 2006 on how the vocational education and training system can be improved to meet the challenges of the next decade and beyond. This discussion paper seeks to contribute to this process by addressing the following questions: (1) What challenges does the National Reform Agenda pose for the VET sector?; (2) What role does community education currently play in VET?; (3) Where might community education fit in the coordinated response to National Reform?; and (4) What actions might governments take to achieve this?

Published summary reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This research report examines current practices and innovations within the area of initial teacher training for science, mathematics and technology teaching students in universities across Australia. It covers both primary and secondary teacher education. Data is drawn through literature reviews, case studies and surveys covering 36 participating Australian universities. A high standard of teacher education was found. Suggestions are made for future innovation and research regarding teacher education in the fields of science, mathematics and technology. It is anticipated that the study will allow educators to see successful practices and innovations within other universities, and as such encourage the dissemination of high quality teacher education. Show less

The Review of Teaching and Teacher Education is an initiative under the Australian Government’s innovation statement 'Backing Australia’s ability'. The review aims to identify strategies that will increase the numbers of talented people who are attracted to teaching as a career, especially in the fields of science, technology and mathematics education, and build a culture of continuous innovation at all levels of schooling in Australia. An independent Committee was established in August 2002 to oversee the review. The Committee’s final report is presented in three volumes: an 'Agenda for action', a 'Main report', and 'Background data and analysis'. 'Agenda for action' presents the Committee's main findings and conclusions and a range of actions the Committee believes need to be taken. 'Main report' presents the reasoning and argument based on evidence from a wide variety of sources that underpin 'Agenda for action'. 'Background data and analysis' presents much of the data supporting the views formed during the course of the review. Show less

The Career and Transition (CAT) pilots (the evaluation report is indexed at TD/TNC 78.96 and TD/TNC 78.97) were developed at the recommendation of the Prime Minister’s Youth Pathways Action Plan Taskforce, by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). The 23 CAT pilots have provided the opportunity to explore career and transition support options to those aged between 13 and 19 years. The Partnership Outreach Education Model (POEM) projects (the evaluation report is indexed at TD/TNC 78.430 and TD/TNC 78.431) provide a full time education and personal development program for young people aged between 13 and 19 years of age who are disconnected from mainstream education. This resource document has been developed to assist communities, both organisations and individuals, in establishing partnerships to support career and transition services and flexible education programs in meeting the needs of young people on their education and employment pathways. The resource provides guidance on establishing these services, and information on the lessons learnt from the CAT and POEM pilots. Show less

The main purpose of the OECD's 'Thematic review of tertiary education' is to provide policy makers with information and analysis to assist them in formulating and implementing policies to achieve national social and economic objectives through tertiary education. Its key objectives are to: synthesise research-based evidence on the impact of tertiary education policies and disseminate this knowledge among participating countries; identify innovative and successful policy initiatives and practices; facilitate exchanges of lessons and experiences among countries; and identify future policy options. The review, which involved 24 countries (Australia, Belgium - Flemish Community, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom), 'examines how the organisation, management and delivery of tertiary education can help countries achieve their economic and social objectives'. As part of the review, each of the participating countries was asked to prepare a country background report. This document is the country background report for Australia. Its contents are: The Australian context of tertiary education; Overall description of the Australian tertiary education system; Higher education and the labour market; The regional role of higher education; The role of higher education in research and innovation; Achieving equity in and through higher education; Resourcing the higher education system; Planning, governing and regulating the system; Assuring and improving the quality of higher education; Internationalisation and globalisation of higher education; Conclusions.

Documents from this thematic review are indexed from TD/TNC 89.551 to TD/TNC 89.585. Show less

This report examines the destinations of school leavers who had participated in the Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) program while in either Year 11 or Year 12, and who left school in 2002. Structured workplace learning provides opportunities for students in secondary school to experience the workplace, and is often an integral part of vocational education and training (VET) programs undertaken by school students. Funded by the Australian Government through the former Enterprise and Career Education Foundation (ECEF), the fourth annual Student Destination Survey (SDS) sought to ascertain the labour market and education and training destinations of this target group of school leavers. Participants in the survey were asked about: the nature of their study while at school; whether they were studying or working at the time of the survey; and whether SWL had helped them attain their post-school destination. The findings show that there has been an increase in the proportion of SWL participants going on to full-time study, while a substantial group (35%) were in full-time employment, and one in five were undertaking a traineeship or apprenticeship. Overall, the survey indicates that SWL programs are playing a positive role in the support of young people's transitions from school to their career destinations. Show less

This is a practical guide for vocational education and training (VET) trainers who work with a diverse range of learners and contains user-friendly ways to contextualise learning in a range of 'classrooms' - from an educational institution or factory floor to online. It provides assistance to VET practitioners who work with training packages and are seeking to implement learner-centred, flexible and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Also included in the guide is a range of professional development strategies and activities that will assist trainers to fully utilise this resource. It: (1) provides examples of good teaching practice in different settings; (2) endorses teaching practice that is learner centred, activity based, reflective and collaborative; (3) provides sample learning activities that have been successful in different learning settings; (4) supports teachers in the development of their own materials; and (5) provides professional development activities and program ideas. Show less

The Enterprise Education Action Research Project was undertaken in approximately 200 Australian primary and secondary schools between April 2002 to April 2004. This action research represents the first comprehensive national analysis of enterprise education in schools. The research is supported by a diversity of actual school experiences. Enterprise education involves the acquisition of skills which enable students to be innovative, creative and successful at managing their own learning, and in combining their personal, community, business and education opportunities. This report documents case studies of thirty-two project schools who participated in the project. Section one consists of 16 case studies from phase one of the project which were originally published in 2003. Section two consists of 16 case studies of enterprise education in practice as described at the end of the project in 2004.

The project report is indexed at TD/TNC 78.429. Show less

The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) has funded Group Training Australia (GTA) to support the Australian government’s implementation of the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) Vocational Education in Schools Framework. The six elements of this Framework are: (1) vocational education and training (VET); (2) enterprise and vocational learning; (3) student support services; (4) community and business partnerships; (5) effective institutional and funding arrangements; and (6) monitoring and evaluation. This report explores how group training organisations (GTOs) can most effectively contribute to MCEETYA’s agenda. It is presented in six chapters: the first chapter contains a summary of the intent and key components of the MCEETYA agenda; chapter two sets out GTA’s vision and chronicles the benefits of a comprehensive and integrated service of transition support for young people; chapter three looks at how GTOs will partner with schools and other agencies in order to offer a comprehensive transition service; chapter four identifies a range of challenges facing GTOs, together with initiatives undertaken to meet these challenges, such as tackling skill shortages and raising the status of trades, working with ‘at risk’ students, and providing careers information to students and supporting the work of guidance and career education teachers; chapter five outlines a number of innovations and emerging developments that GTOs and their partners can initiate as well as a number of vocational learning programs that engage young people as advocates for vocational education; the final chapter connects the initiatives to the MCEETYA Vocational Education in Schools Framework and the Career and Transition Services Framework. Show less