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Learning from successful skills development systems: lessons from Australia

This article describes the main institutional features of Australia's [technical and vocational education and train... Show more
This article describes the main institutional features of Australia's [technical and vocational education and training] TVET sector, focussing particularly on the qualifications framework, how it relates to the labour market, and the role of industry. It also looks briefly at two current policy challenges for Australia. Seeking lessons for other countries in the Asia Pacific region, it discusses the importance of context, particularly the size and structure of the economy, and notes that TVET can be judged to be effective as an investment if it leads to employment and better-paying jobs.
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Authors: Karmel, Tom

Date: 2014

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania; Asia

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Prospects: quarterly review of comparative education

Subjects: Providers of education and training; Vocational education and training; Qualifications ... [+] Show more
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Interview with Tom Karmel, Erica Smith and Damian Oliver on 'Insights from research into apprenticeships'

In this 30 minute podcast, Steve Davis talks with Tom Karmel, Erica Smith and Damian Oliver on insights from resear... Show more
In this 30 minute podcast, Steve Davis talks with Tom Karmel, Erica Smith and Damian Oliver on insights from research into apprenticeships. Interested in the story behind the numbers, Tom discusses the findings from his work on individual completion rates that show occupation and employers' size matters, with the implication being that the relationship between employer and apprentice is critical. Erica talks about the all too often unspoken expectations of apprentices and employers: the psychological contract. She finds that writing down these expectations at the start of an apprenticeship does help all parties. Damian examines whether pre-apprenticeship programs deliver on their promise of improved retention rates and finds their impact varies by occupation and prior education level. Implications for policy-makers and training providers are drawn out throughout the podcast. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Smith, Erica; Oliver, Damian; Davis, Steve

Date: 2011

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Webinar or podcast

Subjects: Research; Apprenticeship; Statistics ... [+] Show more
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Geography of skills and global inequality

This paper analyzes the factors underlying the evolution of the worldwide distribution of skills and their implicat... Show more
This paper analyzes the factors underlying the evolution of the worldwide distribution of skills and their implications for global inequality. We develop and parameterize a two-sector, two-class, world economy model that endogenizes education and mobility decisions, population growth, and income disparities across and within countries. First, our static experiments reveal that the geography of skills matters for global inequality. Low access to education and sectoral misallocation of skills substantially impact income in poor countries. Second, we produce unified projections of population and income for the 21st century. Assuming the continuation of recent education and migration policies, we predict stable disparities in the world distribution of skills, slow-growing urbanization in developing countries and a rebound in income inequality. These prospects are sensitive to future education costs and to internal mobility frictions, which suggests that policies targeting access to all levels of education and sustainable urban development are vital to reduce demographic pressures and global inequality in the long term.
Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Authors: Burzynski, Michal; Deuster, Christoph; Docquier, Frederic

Date: 2018

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: IZA discussion paper

Subjects: Migration; Equity; Skills and knowledge ... [+] Show more
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Will we run out of young men?: implications of the ageing of the population for the trades in Australia

The ageing society has been attracting the attention of policy makers in Australia and in many other countries. Thi... Show more
The ageing society has been attracting the attention of policy makers in Australia and in many other countries. This paper considers the labour market for the traditional trades in Australia over the next 40 years and investigates whether the ageing society will pose a workforce problem. The broad conclusion is that the ageing society will significantly impact on the size of the potential trades workforce, but that this is unlikely to result in shortages. Rather, any shortage is more likely to occur if the trades lose their attractiveness relative to other occupations. Moreover, the age distribution of the trades workforce will remain largely unaltered. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Ong, Koon

Date: 2007

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Workforce development; Policy; Skills and knowledge ... [+] Show more
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The likelihood of completing a VET qualification: a model-based approach

This paper estimates the completion rate of VET course enrolments with a mathematical modelling approach in order t... Show more
This paper estimates the completion rate of VET course enrolments with a mathematical modelling approach in order to fill a gap in performance measures for the sector. The technique used is to track all VET course enrolments within a three-year window, centred on the year of interest. Then, using an absorbing Markov chain model for a VET course enrolment, to estimate the proportion of VET course enrolments commencing in the year of interest that will eventually be completed. This approach allows an estimate of the completion rate without the necessity to track course enrolments longitudinally over a long period of time. Course enrolments at certificate III level had the highest rate of completion at 33.5 per cent compared with other qualification levels. One of the distinctive characteristics of the VET sector is that many students wish to learn specific skills and have no intention of completing a full qualification. For these students a more sensible measure of success is the proportion of modules passed (the load pass rate). Overall, the load pass rate of 2005 enrolments was 79.1 per cent. Show less

Authors: Mark, Kevin; Karmel, Tom

Date: 2010

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Skills and knowledge; Qualifications ... [+] Show more
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What about diplomas?

In this paper, we put diplomas under the microscope, and look at what they are, who does them, how numbers are tren... Show more
In this paper, we put diplomas under the microscope, and look at what they are, who does them, how numbers are trending, and how outcomes have fared. Diplomas have an important role as the highest level of qualification offered in [vocational education and training] VET. They are a very diverse group of qualifications and the student body is also diverse, covering all age groups and all educational backgrounds - from not having completed year 12 to already having a diploma or higher qualification, however the provision of government funded diplomas has declined very significantly. If we exclude health and education, the number of commencements has declined by around 50 per cent between 2004 and 2020. We will attempt to provide an explanation of these very significant changes. The most obvious one is that higher education has expanded at VET's expense, and in many fields the higher education expansion is mirrored by VET contraction.
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Authors: Karmel, Tom

Date: 2022

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Qualifications; Students ... [+] Show more
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The impact of schools on young people's transition to university

This report uses Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data to look at the impact of schools on a student... Show more
This report uses Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data to look at the impact of schools on a student's tertiary entrance rank (TER) and the probability of them going to university (controlling for TER). It shows that the characteristics of schools do matter: although young people's individual characteristics are the main drivers of success, school attributes are also responsible for almost 20 per cent of the variation in TER scores. The three most important school attributes for TER include sector (Catholic and independent/government); gender mix (single sex/co-educational) and the extent to which a school is 'academic'. The socioeconomic status of schools didn't emerge as a significant influence on TER. For the probability of going to university, after controlling for TER, the most significant school characteristics include the proportion on non-English speaking background students; the sector; and the socioeconomic make-up of the student body.
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Authors: Gemici, Sinan; Lim, Patrick; Karmel, Tom

Date: 2013

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: LSAY research report

Subjects: Students; Youth; Secondary education ... [+] Show more
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Reimagining the tertiary education system

Is the time right for change and 'to be bold and think big, and challenge the way we think about tertiary education... Show more
Is the time right for change and 'to be bold and think big, and challenge the way we think about tertiary education' in Australia? In this episode, we explore potential reforms to universities, their missions, and structures, while considering the role of [vocational education and training] VET. One perspective suggests establishing two types of universities: one focused on practical, hands-on learning for professional skills, and the other dedicated to research and comprehensive education.
Tom Karmel argues that higher education is more than just theoretical knowledge - it's inherently vocational, preparing students for their chosen professions. He sees a lot of what the VET sector is teaching is generic skills which can be transferred to a wider range of jobs. Tom proposes the idea of a 'professional university' that offers qualifications from certificates to degrees, focusing on practical education and strong connections to the job market. Jenny Dodd agrees with many of Tom's ideas for creating a more integrated tertiary education system but raises concerns about the term 'professional university'. Simon Walker supports the need for an integrated model that allows students to build on their learning across various qualifications. He sees potential benefits in such a system, particularly in promoting equity and supporting disadvantaged students.
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Authors: Davis, Steve; Walker, Simon; Karmel, Tom; Dodd, Jenny

Date: 2023

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Webinar or podcast

Series name: Vocational voices

Subjects: Tertiary education; Higher education; Vocational education and training ... [+] Show more
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Interview with Tom Karmel about 'Is VET vocational?'

In this interview Steve Davis talks with Tom Karmel about his report 'Is VET vocational?: the relevance of training... Show more
In this interview Steve Davis talks with Tom Karmel about his report 'Is VET vocational?: the relevance of training to the occupations of vocational education and training graduates?' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 92.45], which explores the issue of how vocational education and training (VET) is actually used in the labour market and in particular the match between what graduates study and the jobs they get.
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Authors: Karmel, Tom; Davis, Steve

Date: 2008

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Webinar or podcast

Series name: Vocational voices

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Labour market; Employment ... [+] Show more
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Future skill requirements and implications for TAFE institutes

Predicting the future is a mug's game. There are too many unknowns and many ways of achieving a particular outcome.... Show more
Predicting the future is a mug's game. There are too many unknowns and many ways of achieving a particular outcome. However, it is useful to put some sort of structure on the notion of skill requirements and to think about the likely effects of trends that we are confident will occur. The paper discusses a 'market segmentation' approach to student demand and then considers a number of trends that will impact on that demand.
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Authors: Karmel, Tom

Conference name: National Conference for TAFE Directors Australia

Date: 2003

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Conference paper

Subjects: Skills and knowledge; Vocational education and training; Providers of education and training ... [+] Show more

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