This report examines the role of vocational education and training (VET) in meeting the skills required for Australia's growth. It addresses the following questions: What is the role of VET within the broader education strategy of Australia? What role does VET play in securing Australia's future skills? What outcomes are required from the VET system? In examining these questions, the report seeks to assess the current outcomes of the sector and propose ways the VET system could be improved in order to meet the skills Australia will require for growth. The key recommendation of the report... [+] Show more
This report examines the role of vocational education and training (VET) in meeting the skills required for Australia's growth. It addresses the following questions: What is the role of VET within the broader education strategy of Australia? What role does VET play in securing Australia's future skills? What outcomes are required from the VET system? In examining these questions, the report seeks to assess the current outcomes of the sector and propose ways the VET system could be improved in order to meet the skills Australia will require for growth. The key recommendation of the report is that a comprehensive national review of the sector needs to be undertaken to underpin Council of Australian Governments (COAG) discussions to reach a new National Partnership on Skills Reform (NP), as the current NP will expire next year. Other recommendations include: (1) improving data and transparency of data to help stakeholders make more informed decisions; (2) shifting from narrowly defined qualifications to broader sets of skills transferable across occupational clusters; (3) an increased focus on delivering certificate III and diploma qualifications to better align with industry needs; (4) strengthening regulatory oversight and ensuring regulators have the power to act if standards are not being met; and (5) providing national information around providers, pricing, qualifications, audit findings and satisfaction survey results to the public.
The chapters are as follows: Executive summary; Recommendations; CEDA overview / Sarah-Jane Derby; Getting over middle child status / Damian Oliver; Keeping TAFE the VET centrepiece / Linda Simon; Quality and choice: securing Australia's workforce skills / Rod Camm; Vocational learning in schools: an international comparison / Megan O'Connell, Kate Torii; The role of industry in VET / Martin Riordan; VET: finance and quality / Gerald Burke.
Edited excerpts from publication.
Individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 125.751 to TD/TNC 125.757.