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

As clear as mud: defining vocational education and training

In this paper it is argued that neither a simple definition of vocational education and training (VET) nor qualific ... Show more
In this paper it is argued that neither a simple definition of vocational education and training (VET) nor qualification levels are helpful. It discusses what does constitute VET in Australia. It suggests that VET is distinguished from higher education (HE) by different funding and regulatory arrangements, and teaching and learning styles. What confuses the issue is that many providers deliver both higher education and VET courses. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom

Conference name: TAFE Governance and Regulations Forum

Date: 2011

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Conference paper

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Qualifications; Finance ... [+] Show more
Global skills crunch: a case of dog eat dog?

This paper was presented to a meeting of the Wellington Exchange, an international group of higher education offici ... Show more
This paper was presented to a meeting of the Wellington Exchange, an international group of higher education officials, in December 2008. One of the topics of the meeting was the issue of possible skills shortages emerging as a result of demographic trends, with the ageing of the population of developed countries. The paper argues that this is not an issue about which we need to be alarmist and that there is little evidence of impending skills shortages. While the labour market of the future will favour the highly skilled, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of the workforce with a degree, and graduate salaries have been increasing at a very modest rate. This is not to say that there will be no skills shortages in specific areas, and relative wages and starting salaries should be monitored. The paper concludes that the business cycle could have a much more dramatic effect on the demand for skills than demographic trends. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom

Conference name: Wellington Exchange - Evolving Higher Education Agendas

Date: 2009

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Conference paper

Subjects: Higher education; Skills and knowledge; Labour market ... [+] Show more
Recognising the total vocational education and training effort

The 2003 Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) conference was held in Brisbane in August 20 ... Show more
The 2003 Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) conference was held in Brisbane in August 2003. This paper begins with the premise that the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) collects a vast amount of data about the public vocational education and training (VET) sector. Some, but not enough, data are collected about the private sector and this paper aims to remedy the situation. The paper describes the various NCVER statistical collections that contain data on VET, what they cover and what they do not cover, with some data from each collection providing context. The nest section identifies the gaps and makes a case for expanding the collections. A range of principles that the author argues should govern any expansion of the NCVER collections is given followed by a range of options governed by the principles. Finally, consultations having begun with a wide range of stakeholders as part of a major push toward total VET collections, the author outlines two areas that NCVER is pursuing immediately: (1) publication of data on private provision that is supplied to NCVER but is considered ‘out of scope’; and (2) data on publicly funded VET which does not appear in the NCVER collection because it is funded by government departments other than the training authorities, notably training to prison inmates, police and defence personnel and health workers. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom

Conference name: ACPET 2003 National Conference

Date: 2003

Resource type: Conference paper

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Providers of education and training; Finance ... [+] Show more
Pre-apprentice programs and their impact on apprenticeship completion

Pre-apprenticeship programs have generated interest recently from government, employers and other stakeholders in t ... Show more
Pre-apprenticeship programs have generated interest recently from government, employers and other stakeholders in the training system as one means of improving apprenticeship completion rates. This report uses data from the 2010 [National Centre for Vocational Education Research] NCVER Apprentice and Trainee Destination Survey and finds that there is no universal benefit attached to undertaking a pre-apprenticeship. Instead, 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 and those with a Year 10 or Year 12 level of education. Pre-apprenticeships reduce the likelihood of completing an apprenticeship for hairdressers and apprentices in the automotive and engineering trades and for those people who already have a certificate III or higher qualification.
Published abstract. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Oliver, Damian

Conference name: International Network on Innovative Apprenticeship International Conference

Date: 2011

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Conference paper

Subjects: Apprenticeship; Participation; 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
Performance indicators in the VET sector

This discussion paper was part of an event jointly funded by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) ... Show more
This discussion paper was part of an event jointly funded by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency (AWPA) and NCVER entitled the National Summit on Data for Quality Improvement in VET held at the Park Royal Hotel, Melbourne Airport, on 9 April 2013. This paper sets out NCVER's thinking on registered training organisation performance indicators including a discussion of the properties indicators should have and statistical and presentation issues.
Published abstract. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom; Fieger, Peter; Blomberg, Davinia; Loveder, Phil

Conference name: National Summit on Data for Quality Improvement in VET

Date: 2013

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: NCVER discussion paper

Subjects: Performance; Providers of education and training; Statistics ... [+] Show more
The contribution of vocational education and training to Australia's skills base

This paper considers three aspects of the contribution of vocational education and training (VET) to the labour mar ... Show more
This paper considers three aspects of the contribution of vocational education and training (VET) to the labour market: (1) the relationship between their training and the occupations VET graduates work in; (2) the extent to which the qualified proportion of the workforce has increased; and (3) the link between VET and skills acquisition. Some thoughts are aired on the implications of the economic slowdown for VET. There is concern about possible skills shortages emerging when the economy moves into a recovery phase. However, this is more an issue for the trades than for most other occupations. A number of reasons can be offered here: trade employment is very cyclical; trade training takes a long time; and apprentices (mostly young men) are the main source of entry into trades. Other occupations are better placed because the link between training and the occupation is looser and the recruitment pool is much larger. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom

Date: 2009

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Conference paper

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Qualifications; Skills and knowledge ... [+] Show more
Research into the financing of TVET in the Pacific: strengthening TVET finance data collections: overview paper: annex: notional data standard for TVET finance data collection in the Pacific

This annex accompanies an overview paper based on research undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Res ... Show more
This annex accompanies an overview paper based on research undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) during 2012-2014 for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the project 'Research into the financing of [technical and vocational education and training] TVET in the Pacific'. The annex is comprised of: the scope of the framework; TVET qualifications providers; and conceptual framework. Appendix one of the paper is a list of TVET providers identified as being in scope of research on financing TVET in the Pacific for Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Kiribati.
Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom

Date: 2015

Geographic subjects: Oceania

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research into the financing of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Pacific

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Finance; Policy ... [+] Show more
Have school VET programs been successful?

School vocational education and training (VET) programs were introduced to provide more diverse pathways to work an ... Show more
School vocational education and training (VET) programs were introduced to provide more diverse pathways to work and further study for young people. This report investigates whether these programs provide successful outcomes for participants, in terms of retention to Year 12 (or its vocational equivalent) and full-time engagement with employment or learning. The report finds that participation in school VET programs has a small negative impact on retention from Year 10 to Year 12 overall but that there is a positive impact on Year 10 to Year 11 retention. There is a clear positive impact on post-school outcomes for students who participate in school VET programs in Year 11 but do not go on to complete Year 12. Finally, the report looks at whether school VET programs have been successful in establishing post-school VET pathways. The results show that these programs provide a clear pathway for some students, particularly for boys studying in the areas of building and engineering. For most students, however, the pathway is not so direct.
Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Authors: Anlezark, Alison; Karmel, Tom; Ong, Koon

Date: 2005

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Journal for vocational and technical education and training

Subjects: Participation; Pathways; Vocational education and training ... [+] Show more
Measuring educational outcomes: vocational education and training

This paper provides a history of performance measurement for the vocational education and training (VET) sector, be ... Show more
This paper provides a history of performance measurement for the vocational education and training (VET) sector, beginning with the creation of the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) and ending with what we know of the current reforms. As well as discussing the various measures, the paper looks at the challenges that are brought up by indicators and make some suggestions for indicators for the VET system. Show less

Authors: Karmel, Tom

Conference name: NatStats08 Conference

Date: 2009

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Conference paper

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Performance; Research ... [+] Show more