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The annual Survey of Employers' Recruitment Experiences in capital cities across Australia surveys employers about their recent recruitment activity and future employment expectations. The survey results provide insights into the levels of recruitment activity, the occupations for which employers had the greatest difficulty filling vacancies and the recruitment outlook. These regional reports and presentations provide labour market information and an analysis of the Survey of Employers' Recruitment Experiences conducted in Western Australia since 2010.

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This publication sets out the core ideas behind the methodology of appreciative inquiry and provides examples of its use in vocational education and training. Show less

Cross-border exchange in education, or the movement of students or institutions between economies, is part of the exchange of goods and services that brings diverse economies together. It is an important component of the economic cooperation that defines [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] APEC and APEC's endeavours to improve, through cooperation, economic outcomes for its member economies. The strong economic dimension of exchange in education services is complemented by the broader cultural and social benefits of educational exchange, which in turn provide the foundations to further enhance economic outcomes for member economies. Like the exchange of other goods and services, improving the efficiency and effectiveness with which educational services are exchanged between economies is an appropriate objective for the APEC forum, and one which is expected to result in improved economic outcomes and further regional cooperation and development. This paper considers the ways in which education contributes to economic outcomes and the ways in which APEC wide cooperation in education exchange can enhance both educational outcomes and economic and social outcomes for all member economies.

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Higher education will clearly be a major contributor to the development of a skilled Australian workforce but must address the rights of all citizens to share in its benefits. This review was established to address the question of whether this critical sector of education is structured, organised and financed to position Australia to compete effectively in the new globalised economy. The panel has concluded that, while the system has great strengths, it faces significant, emerging threats which require decisive action. To address these, major reforms are recommended to the financing and regulatory frameworks for higher education. Key reforms are to increase the number of university graduates by more than one-third and to determine university funding according to student demand using a voucher system. Recommendations affecting the vocational education and training (VET) sector include that: (1) VET and higher education providers should continue to enhance pathways for students through the development and implementation of common terminology and graded assessment in the upper levels of VET; (2) the Australian government negotiate with the states and territories to expand the national regulatory and quality assurance agency to cover the entire tertiary sector (including VET and higher education) and that the government assume full responsibility for the regulation of tertiary education and training in Australia by 2010; (3) the Australian government negotiate with the states and territories to introduce a tertiary entitlement funding model across higher education and VET commencing with the upper levels of VET (diplomas and advanced diplomas) and progressing to the other levels as soon as practicable; (4) the government negotiate with the states and territories to extend income contingent loans to students enrolled in VET diplomas and advanced diplomas; and (5) the Australian government and the governments of the states and territories agree to: establish a single ministerial council with responsibility for all tertiary education and training; improve the scope and coordination of labour market intelligence so that it covers the whole tertiary sector and supports a more responsive and dynamic role for both VET and higher education; and expand the purpose and role of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) so that it covers the whole tertiary sector. Show less

Apprenticeship non-completions are a major concern for the Australian business community and are a significant drain on the national training effort. Increasing completion rates will lead to better return on investment in training for employers and governments and increase the skills level of the Australian workforce. The research reported here presents an evidence-based, logical, rigorous, systematic and thorough approach to retaining apprentices for all employers. This approach provides employers with recommended principles to follow and processes to implement as part of a holistic workplace management strategy through the recruitment and employment of an apprentice. The key findings of the research are structured around the following core concepts for retention as identified in the research: attracting the right person; recruiting and inducting good apprentices; making work and training meaningful; providing personal and professional support; providing effective training; and making full use of information and support services. It focuses on employer perspectives to determine views, actions and attitudes of employers that have a positive impact on completion rates of apprenticeships, and is aimed at ensuring that the Australian business community has access to a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

A companion document, ‘A systematic approach to retaining apprentices: findings from the 25 national interviews’ is indexed at TD/TNC 96.965. Show less

In June 2009, the Workplace Research Centre at the University of Sydney (formerly known as [Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research and Training] ACIRRT) was commissioned to provide a report to [the Council of Australian Governments’] COAG’s Apprenticeship Taskforce on how other industrialised countries are supporting their apprenticeship system during the current downturn. The project involved scrutiny of readily available publications and interviews/correspondence with 15 of the world leading experts in skills, labour markets and workforce development in the USA, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany and Denmark. Two questions guided the project: (a) How are apprenticeship systems as currently structured responding to the downturn? (b) How can apprenticeship systems be structured to respond more effectively to downturns like this now and in the future? This research identified important insights into how apprenticeship systems evolve over time. These are summarised in the form of five challenges policy makers and stakeholders need to manage in the medium term: (1) the need to rebalance the blend of employment and institution based learning; (2) employers are the greatest and weakest asset in the apprenticeship system; (3) on-the-job training is a public good - not just something of benefit to the worker and employer concerned; (4) apprenticeship systems which give excessive priority to responsiveness in the short run appear to impair longer term adaptability; and (5) stakeholder cohesion is a prerequisite for establishing and maintaining quality apprenticeship systems. Two recommendations are made. The first is to promote Irish style intervention along with compensated short time work and green skill initiatives as a first step to achieving a joint stakeholder led revitalisation of apprenticeships which are actively supported by the government. The second is to provide clear direction on where apprenticeships sit within both the education system and the labour market.

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This resource, consisting of work books and a CD-ROM, describes the skills and knowledge required by Indigenous participants to prepare for employment. It focuses on developing knowledge of Australian workplaces, their work practices and requirements and potential employment opportunities to assist participants in making decisions about possible career paths. Each workbook covers an element from the competency which is broken down into sections for each performance criteria. The workbooks are: Identify workplace expectations; Research a selected industry; Describe workplace functions and layout of a range of workplaces; Research an employment opportunity; and Prepare a current portfolio to showcase skills. The CD-ROM contains supporting audio sessions. The resource is funded under the Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) program by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). Show less

‘Most significant change’ (MSC) is a technique or methodology that can be used for staff development in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector. This short publication sets out the core ideas behind this technique or methodology and provides some examples of how it was used in VET for forums conducted by Reframing the Future in 2008. MSC involves the collection and analysis of stories about change resulting from a program, project or initiative, and the identification of the most significant change or impact of that initiative. Show less

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the literature related to three of the many evaluation models that can be applied to programs providing services (training, counseling, or any type of intervention) or products to students, personnel, or program participants. The three models addressed are the CIPP [Context, Input, Process and Product] Evaluation Model, the Kirkpatrick Four-Step Evaluation Framework, and the Outcome-Base Evaluation Model. These models are capable of helping decision makers assess the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and projects. The following discussion is based on over 50 different sources in the literature and focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of these models.

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This publication is based on research undertaken during 2010-11, which included contact with more than 6000 employers, and is current at the end of June 2011. The research is based on a Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised (SERA) and consideration of an array of quantitative and qualitative data, as well as consultation with key industry and occupational associations. The focus of the research is professional and trade occupations. This edition of Skill Shortages, Australia includes previously unpublished information for professions and some trades (based on research undertaken in the first half of 2011) and, for completeness, includes an assessment of trades labour markets undertaken in late 2010 which was included in the December 2010 edition of the publication. For those occupational groups where new research has not been undertaken, the cluster chapters have been updated with more recent employment, vacancy and industry activity figures. The Department’s skill shortage research has been undertaken continuously over the past three decades. While some occupational labour markets are cyclical, responding relatively quickly to changes in economic conditions, in some skilled occupations shortages have been relatively persistent, even during periods in which the economy has been slowing. Skill shortages can coexist with relatively high levels of unemployment and sometimes shortages are restricted to experienced workers or those who have specialist skills. Shortages can result from a number of factors including low levels of training, high levels of wastage, changes in technology, increasing demand for new skills within an occupation and locational mismatch, where workers who have the skills are not in close proximity to the employers seeking those skills.

Excerpts from preface. Show less