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

The factors affecting the educational and occupational aspirations of young Australians

The authors examine factors that influence young people’s plans to complete Year 12, their aspirations to commence ... Show more
The authors examine factors that influence young people’s plans to complete Year 12, their aspirations to commence university study in the first year after leaving school and their expected occupation at age 30. They also examine the extent to which the occupational aspirations of teenagers align with their actual job outcomes a decade later. The findings in this report demonstrate just how important parents and peers are in relation to young people’s aspirations. The findings also indicate that the aspirations of 15-year-olds are somewhat unrealistic. By age 25 years, which is the age until which data are available for analysis, a significant portion of young people fall short of what they set out to achieve occupationally. However, this does not mean that they cannot achieve their desired occupations at a later stage in life.
Published abstract. Show less

Authors: Gemici, Sinan; Bednarz, Alice; Karmel, Tom; Lim, Patrick

Date: 2014

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: LSAY research report

Subjects: Youth; Career development; Culture and society ... [+] Show more
Response to the Australian Universities Accord discussion paper

The author considers it gratifying that the Australian Universities Accord discussion paper [available in VOCEDplus ... Show more
The author considers it gratifying that the Australian Universities Accord discussion paper [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 151.756] acknowledges that there is a vocational education and training (VET) system as well as a higher education system, and that one section of the discussion paper focuses on the connection between the VET and the higher education systems. However, the whole tone of the discussion paper treats the higher education system and the VET system as god given; all we need to do is to perfect the higher education sector, improve links with the VET sector, and we will be in Nirvana. The author argues it is time to be bold and think big, and challenge the way we think about tertiary education, and how we structure, fund and regulate it.
Edited excerpt from publication. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom

Date: 2023

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Tertiary education; Higher education; Vocational education and training ... [+] Show more
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.
Published abstract. Show less

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
Are there too many graduates?

The Australian higher education system has undergone rapid expansion over the last two decades, with the number of ... Show more
The Australian higher education system has undergone rapid expansion over the last two decades, with the number of graduates increasing from two per cent of the population aged 15 years and over in 1971, to 12 per cent in 1995. The expansion has been partially justified by the need to raise workforce skill levels in response to technological and economic changes but some critics suggest that the graduate workforce has been overexpanded, resulting in increased unemployment rates. This paper examines the labour demand for graduates. It begins by investigating changes in the occupational structure which has apparently changed in favour of graduates, however, the author argues that these changes alone do not explain the increase in the number of graduates. The next section of the paper looks at changes in relative earnings across education levels, which have remained relatively stable in the 1980s. The evidence suggests that labour demand in the 1980s has increasingly favoured graduates. In conclusion, the author considers whether changes to unemployment rates yield any further information about employers’ preferences for graduates. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom

Date: 1997

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Journal of higher education policy and management

Subjects: Higher education; Providers of education and training; Students ... [+] Show more
Regional participation in higher education and the distribution of higher education resources across regions

This study, carried out by the Higher Education Division of the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs ... Show more
This study, carried out by the Higher Education Division of the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, focuses on regional higher education participation rates and compares that participation to the distribution of student places. The variation in higher education participation and provision across regions is examined. The data is described, the regional structure used is discussed, and the study presents a descriptive analysis of national, state/territory and regional participation rates. The role played by TAFE in the regional variation of tertiary education participation is also looked at, and areas for further research are suggested. Show less

Authors: Stevenson, Sandy; Maclachlan, Maureen; Karmel, Tom

Date: 1999

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Occupational paper series

Subjects: Participation; Higher education; Finance ... [+] Show more
Best of 2023: highlights from Season 8

In 2023, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) invited expert vocational voices from the vo ... Show more
In 2023, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) invited expert vocational voices from the vocational education and training (VET) sector to share their views, stories, experiences and insights on a range of hot topics. This podcast is a roundup of the most interesting snippets and research findings from across the five podcast episodes NCVER released during the year. Full of short and sharp insights from each of the guest speakers, it covers off some of the best bits of Season 8.
Edited abstract from publisher's website. Show less

Authors: Davis, Steve; Walker, Simon; Payne, Joanne; Scott-Young, Christina ... [+] Show more Christina; Michelle; Charmaine; [-] Show less

Date: 2023

Geographic subjects: Australia; New Zealand; Oceania

Resource type: Webinar or podcast

Series name: Vocational voices

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Providers of education and training; Teaching and learning ... [+] Show more
The impact of increasing university participation on the pool of apprentices

This research investigates the impact of an expanding higher education sector on the quality of apprentices. Using ... Show more
This research investigates the impact of an expanding higher education sector on the quality of apprentices. Using two cohorts of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, [the authors] find that during the period 1995 to 2006 there was a general expansion in both higher education and in apprenticeships. The findings show that, at this time, both university students and apprentices had lower maths and reading achievement while at school.
Published abstract. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Roberts, David; Lim, Patrick

Date: 2014

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: LSAY research report

Subjects: Apprenticeship; Higher education; Participation ... [+] Show more
Interview with Tom Karmel on 'The impact of schools on young people's transition to university'

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with co-author Tom Karmel about this report which uses data from the 2006 coho ... Show more
In this interview, Steve Davis talks with co-author Tom Karmel about this report which uses data from the 2006 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) to investigate how schools influence tertiary entrance rank and university enrolment over and above young people's individual background characteristics. A point of discussion was the authors' finding that schools do matter and although young people's individual characteristics are the main contributors to university entrance, the school characteristics are responsible for almost 20 per cent of the variation in tertiary entrance rankings.
Published abstract. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Davis, Steve

Date: 2013

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Webinar or podcast

Series name: Vocational voices

Subjects: Students; Youth; Secondary education ... [+] Show more
Opinion pieces 2013

Five opinion pieces were released in 2013: (1) 'Cultural identity a factor in Indigenous education' by Howard Salko ... Show more
Five opinion pieces were released in 2013: (1) 'Cultural identity a factor in Indigenous education' by Howard Salkow (released 22 April); (2) 'Schools play a role in impacting tertiary entrance rankings and university enrolment' by Tom Karmel (released 1 June); (3) 'Teaching numeracy in VET' by Tom Karmel (released 22 July); (4) 'Skilling numeracy practitioners' by Howard Salkow (released 14 August); (5) 'Inconsistent university policy and practices impact VET graduates' by Howard Salkow (released 28 November). Show less

Authors: Salkow, Howard; Karmel, Tom

Date: 2013

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia; Europe ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: NCVER opinion pieces

Subjects: Culture and society; Indigenous people; Vocational education and training ... [+] Show more
Responsiveness: do universities respond to student demand?

This paper presents the findings of an investigation into university responsiveness to student demand at both an ag ... Show more
This paper presents the findings of an investigation into university responsiveness to student demand at both an aggregate level and the broad field of study with the conclusion that universities exhibit some degree of flexibility. The chapters are: Introduction; Student demand; Applications, offers and enrolments; Demand and supply by field of study; Conclusion. Show less

Authors: Li, Jianke; Karmel, Tom; Maclachlan, Maureen

Date: 2000

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Occasional paper series

Subjects: Participation; Students; Providers of education and training ... [+] Show more