Search Results | VOCEDplus, the international tertiary education and research database

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
Vocational education and training and young people: last but not least

The vocational education and training (VET) sector is poorly understood, particularly in relation to the important ... Show more
The vocational education and training (VET) sector is poorly understood, particularly in relation to the important role it plays in the education of young people. While apprenticeships are seen as a desirable pathway between school and work, and technical and further education (TAFE) is acknowledged as an alternative to university, the actual magnitude of its role is not appreciated. The main reason, in the view of the author, is that it does not fit neatly in a linear world; the ‘complete Year 12 and go to university’ is easy to understand, but for many young people pathways involving VET are a lot less straightforward. The purpose of this paper is to remedy this perception by spelling out the extent of participation in VET and the various pathways that this participation covers. The paper also looks at what is studied and the outcomes, in terms of completion rates, employment and further study, and satisfaction. What emerges is that participation is extremely high for young people, and there are many positive outcomes. But completion rates are variable, and relatively few young people emerge with a middle-level, or higher, qualification. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom

Date: 2007

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Youth; Apprenticeship ... [+] Show more
How much do tradespersons really earn?

A popular view is that tradespersons' earnings compare favourably with those with university education. This view i ... Show more
A popular view is that tradespersons' earnings compare favourably with those with university education. This view is not borne out by wage data, but a common rejoinder is that it is the self-employed tradespersons who make the 'big' money (and probably under-report their income). These ideas are examined by analysing household expenditure data in conjunction with income data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Household Expenditure Survey and the Survey of Income and Housing. The data also allow us to look at wealth across occupations. [The authors'] findings are that neither expenditure data nor wealth data change significantly the relativities between the trades and occupations more associated with higher education. While no doubt there are some very rich tradespersons, on average those with university degrees earn more than those with trade qualifications. And there is little evidence to suggest than on average self-employed tradespeople 'do better' than those who are employees.
Published abstract. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Braysher, Ben

Date: 2015

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Australian journal of labour economics

Subjects: Income; Outcomes; Employment ... [+] Show more
The cost of training apprentices

This report examines the costs that both employers and apprentices incur for undertaking training in the plumbing a ... Show more
This report examines the costs that both employers and apprentices incur for undertaking training in the plumbing and electrical industries. The importance of understanding costs is fundamental. Employers will not take on apprentices if the cost is too high, and prospective apprentices will not undertake an apprenticeship if the future benefits (increased wages) do not outweigh the immediate costs to them. The report is based on data from six case studies of actual electrical and plumbing apprentices. The research found that the apprenticeship model involves a substantial financial commitment from employers, and apprenticeships are more attractive to young people and will remain unattractive to older people, unless the premium paid to qualified tradespeople is substantial. The authors argue that the high cost of apprenticeships will constrain the numbers of employers willing to take on apprentices, especially in a downturn. Therefore, it is worth considering a model which reduces the cost to employers by making more use of institution-based training, so that apprentices require less supervision and are more productive in the workplace. Such a model may not reduce costs overall but would transfer costs from employers to governments and prospective apprentices. Show less

Authors: Nechvoglod, Lisa; Karmel, Tom; Saunders, John

Date: 2009

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Apprenticeship; Research; Finance ... [+] Show more
Effect of the downturn on apprentices and trainees

Looking at apprentice and trainee data and employment data back to 1995, we find that declines in apprentice commen ... Show more
Looking at apprentice and trainee data and employment data back to 1995, we find that declines in apprentice commencements lead declines in total trades employment by four quarters, whereas declines in trainee commencements appear to lag declines in employment in non-trade occupations. Based on this historical relationship, the reduction in apprentice and trainee numbers suggested a much larger decline in employment than eventuated. The low proportion of redundant apprentices who were able to resume training is concerning. However, because apprentice and trainee commencements rebounded so quickly, we anticipate only a minor interruption to the supply of tradespeople. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Oliver, Damian

Date: 2011

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: NCVER occasional paper

Subjects: Apprenticeship; Traineeship; Statistics ... [+] Show more
Workforce planning for the community services and health industry

This occasional paper aims to provide a picture of the occupations in the community services and health industry, a ... Show more
This occasional paper aims to provide a picture of the occupations in the community services and health industry, and how the workforce obtains the required skills. The authors argue that planning for the industry should concentrate on occupations specific to the industry and those which require high skill levels. Findings suggest that the qualification levels of community services and health workers have increased substantially over the past decade. Furthermore, community services and health vocational education and training (VET) courses are well targeted, with most graduates finding employment in the industry. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Blomberg, Davinia

Date: 2009

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: NCVER occasional paper

Subjects: Qualifications; Skills and knowledge; Industry ... [+] Show more
Pre-apprenticeships and their impact on apprenticeship completion and satisfaction

Pre-apprenticeship programs have attracted a great degree of interest from employers and training providers as one ... Show more
Pre-apprenticeship programs have attracted a great degree of interest from employers and training providers as one means of increasing apprentice satisfaction and completion rates, by providing an introduction to the trade. We test this proposition using data from the 2010 Apprentice and Trainee Destination Survey. We find that the impact of pre-apprenticeships varies with occupation and prior education level. Pre-apprenticeships increase the likelihood of completion for apprentices in the construction, food and electro-technology trades but reduce completion rates among those already holding a certificate III or higher qualification and some other categories of apprentices. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Oliver, Damian

Date: 2011

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: NCVER occasional paper

Subjects: Apprenticeship; Employment; Providers of education and training ... [+] Show more
The Tasmanian Polytechnic: some thoughts from a research perspective

This paper presents some thoughts on the concept of the Tasmanian Polytechnic, drawing on a range of research mostl ... Show more
This paper presents some thoughts on the concept of the Tasmanian Polytechnic, drawing on a range of research mostly undertaken by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). It first considers a number of 'goals' that are clearly relevant to judging the success of the endeavour: Year 12 retention (or its equivalent); the completion of Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications; university entrance; transition to the workforce; and 'second chancers'. It then makes a number of observations on relevant issues. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom

Corporate authors: National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)

Conference name: New Polytechnic Education: Why? What? How? Conference

Date: 2008

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia; Tasmania

Resource type: Conference paper

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Performance; Secondary education ... [+] Show more
Welfare to work: does vocational education and training make a difference?

One of the most important social policy pushes in recent years has been to encourage individuals in the receipt of ... Show more
One of the most important social policy pushes in recent years has been to encourage individuals in the receipt of welfare payments to take up paid work. Welfare to Work initiatives have focused on four particular groups: (1) parents of children aged between six and 15 years - these recipients will be required to seek part-time work if their youngest child has reached the age of six years; (2) mature-aged recipients aged between 50 and 64 years; (3) people with disabilities who can work part-time - this group will be required to seek part-time work; and (4) the long-term unemployed. The purpose of this occasional paper is to look at the more fundamental issue of whether vocational education and training (VET) does improve the employment prospects of the groups in question. It exploits data from the Student Outcomes Survey (SOS) to construct samples that proxy the first three of the welfare groups listed above and models the post-training employment outcomes. The paper concludes that VET can make a difference, but not any VET, and not for all individuals Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Nguyen, Nhi; Mark, Kevin

Date: 2009

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: NCVER occasional paper

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Disability; Culture and society ... [+] Show more
Opinion pieces 2010

Thirteen opinion pieces were released in 2010: (1) 'Lifting the lid on the issues confronting TAFE providers and th ... Show more
Thirteen opinion pieces were released in 2010: (1) 'Lifting the lid on the issues confronting TAFE providers and their workforce' by Hugh Guthrie (released 22 April); (2) 'ACE: re-engaging young learners for success' by Alison Anlezark (released 23 April); (3) 'Traversing the education sectors and the Australian Qualifications Framework' by Ron Mazzachi and Ashlea Bartram (released 11 May); (4) 'Have green skills become browned off?' by Tom Karmel (released 24 May); (5) 'Credentialing everyone: is it realistic or necessary?' by Michelle Circelli (released 21 June); (6) 'Staying on course: making learning relevant' by Ashlea Bartram (released 16 July); (7) 'Would you like to dance? creating partnerships in adult literacy' by Bridget Wibrow (released 16 July); (8) 'The impact of VET in schools on young people's intentions and achievements' by Nhi Nguyen (released 1 September); (9) 'What's in a completion rate?' by David Roberts (released 6 September); (10) 'The future of VET: a medley of views' by Peter Shergold (released 24 September); (11) 'Is higher education vocational?' by Tom Karmel (released 30 September); (12) 'Contemplating the future of VET' by Karen Webber (released 14 October); (13) 'Diversity and excellence: prompts from the history of the tertiary education sector' by Francesca Beddie (released 18 October). Show less

Authors: Guthrie, Hugh; Anlezark, Alison; Mazzachi, Ron; Beddie, Francesca ... [+] Show more

Date: 2010

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: NCVER opinion pieces

Subjects: Employment; Providers of education and training; Youth ... [+] Show more