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Framing the Future is a major national staff development initiative, funded through the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), with the primary objective of providing a structure for people in the vocational education and training sector to develop the skills and knowledge needed to implement the National Training Framework (NTF). This overview describes the initiative, explains the staff development model, and briefly introduces its key features. Show less

In order to equip Australians for the world of work and increase investment in training, the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) hopes to engage industry more effectively in developing a highly skilled workforce. This paper clarifies the main messages that are relevant to companies, using the best mix of Australian and overseas research. Its focus is on the return on investment to enterprises, and does not cover the benefits of training to the nation or to individuals. The four key messages are: skills and training lead to improved performance and productivity; training improves staff retention and attracts skilled workers; skills and training produce the best results when part of an overall business strategy; any company can analyse the returns on training investment. Show less

The school to work transition continues to be difficult for some Australian school leavers and youth unemployment remains high. This report examines the methods used by Australian school-leavers to find employment, with a particular focus on the social processes involved. The aim is to assess: (1) the relationship between schooling, social background and job finding strategies; (2) the relationship between the method used to find work and the quality of work obtained; (3) the relative importance of informal methods of job seeking behaviour in helping different groups of young people fo find employment; and (4) the role of social network capital in determining job search strategies and outcomes. The analysis is based on data collected from a sample of young people first surveyed as Year 9 students in 1995 as part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY). At the time of the 2000 collection, most of these students had left school and were either in further study or in the labour market. The focus is on early labour market entrants, i.e. those school leavers who went straight from secondary school into the labour force, either into a job or in search of one, rather than on to further study. The most common job-search methods used were: checking for employment advertisements in newspapers; contacting the employer directly; asking friends or relatives; and registering with the Commonwealth Employment Agency (CES/Centrelink). Most employment was obtained through informal methods. There were few differences in job seeking behaviour but patterns emerged in relation to obtaining employment. Males were significantly more likely to obtain employment through friends and relatives while females were far more likely to obtain work through responding to advertisements or through the CES/Centrelink. Overall, informal methods appear to provide young school leavers, particularly males, with employment opportunities more readily and with good wages. However, young people surveyed did not perceive these jobs to provide the career path, training and promotional opportunities required for ongoing career development and accumulation of human capital. Show less

The purpose of the Review of Years 9 to 12 in Tasmania was to 'identify opportunities to improve attendance, retention and attainment outcomes' (Contract between ACER and the Tasmanian Department of Education, 2016). The Tasmanian Government is currently implementing significant reforms to improve students' retention and attainment in Tasmania's schools. There is a concern in the Tasmanian community however, that their students' performances are among the lowest in the nation. Reasons nominated for these results include weak literacy and numeracy levels; low attendance rates; high anxiety around transitions between Year 10 and Year 11 by some students, especially among those living outside of the larger cities; students seeking alternative education options; and family, financial, health and carer based issues. It is against this backdrop that the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned to undertake an independent review of Years 9 to 12 concerning the following issues: student and workforce data; curriculum policy and provision (including vocational education and training (VET); and design and delivery for Years 9 to 12 (which includes the three Tasmanian education sectors: the Tasmanian Catholic Education Office (TCEO), Independent Schools Tasmania (IST) and the Department of Education (DoE)).

This Report provides the following: an analysis of current student performance and aspirational data, workforce characteristics, and curriculum provision and design in Years 9 to 12; a report on VET and vocational education and learning (VEL) in Tasmania's government and non-government schools; and specific recommendations regarding: participation and transition policies and procedures that align with the findings of the report and the Education Bill, future curriculum provision and design for Years 9 to 12, future workforce characteristics, and VET and VEL in Tasmania's government and non-government schools.

Excerpt from publication.

Follow-up stakeholder workshops were held in 2018 to discuss a way forward to implement the recommendations in this report. The 'Years 9 to 12 Review Workshops, 19-20 February 2018: report' is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 133.949. Show less

'Shaping our future: Australia's national strategy for vocational education and training 2004-2010' (indexed at TD/LMR 85.685) is the Australian government and industry's collective strategy to ensure: 'industry will have a highly skilled workforce to support strong performance in the global economy; employers and individuals will be at the centre of VET; communities and regions will be strengthened economically and socially through learning and employment; and that Indigenous Australians will have skills for viable jobs and their learning culture will be shared'. As part of the process in developing this strategy, the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) commissioned the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) to undertake a series of meta-analyses of research on 12 different vocational education and training (VET) topics. This report is the comprehensive bibliography referencing the sources of information used in the creation of all 12 meta-analyses, with almost 300 pieces of national and international research listed.

The 12 meta-analyses from this strategy are indexed from TD/ANTA 80.06 to TD/ANTA 80.17 Show less

The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program studies the progress of several groups of young Australians as they move from school into post-secondary education and work. This series of documents provides supporting information for the LSAY dataset of the 1995 cohort (Y95) at wave 1 (1995). It includes a questionnaire and codebook. This report, published by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), is part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) research program.

Published abstract. Show less

This document sets out the revised workplan for carrying out improvements to training packages following the high level review. The review looked at how training packages could be improved to better meet skill needs and support teaching and learning. The workplan outlines priorities for action up until 30 June 2005, when ANTA's [Australian National Training Authority's] responsibilities are transferred over to the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). These priority areas include employability skills, development and review processes, guidelines for VET [vocational education and training] qualifications, and cross-industry qualifications. The workplan covers three years, so after 30 June 2005 the responsibility for implementing the workplan will rest with DEST.

Published abstract.

The final report from the high level review of training packages is indexed at TD/ANTA 78.01. Show less

At a time in which there is increasing focus on the productivity, equity and standards of higher education, it is vital for universities to have access to data that focus on how students are learning and the outcomes being achieved. The Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) provides the higher education sector with such data. The AUSSE reflects a collaboration between the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and participating institutions. In the 2009 AUSSE, 35 institutions took part, around three quarters of the universities in Australia and New Zealand. This report provides measures of student engagement, information about individuals' intrinsic involvement with their learning, and the extent to which they are making use of available educational opportunities. Such information enhances knowledge about learning processes, can be a reliable proxy for understanding students' learning outcomes and provides excellent diagnostic measures for learning enhancement activities. Show less

In this brief article some winners and finalists of the Australian Training Awards for 1998 reveal how the experience has affected their working lives. Benefits include increased confidence and enhanced work opportunities. Further information on how to nominate for the 1999 awards also appears. Show less

This publication presents an analysis of data on training package activity undertaken by vocational education and training (VET) students in Australia, including apprentices and trainees, in the year to 31 December 2002. It also identifies major changes in activity over the past five years.

Training packages were introduced into the vocational education and training sector in the mid-1990s. Developed by industry, they consist of a set of nationally endorsed standards, guidelines and qualifications for training, recognising and assessing skills. Since their implementation, the number of individuals studying towards a training package qualification has increased significantly. The implementation in 1998 of the New Apprenticeships system, aimed at providing apprenticeship and traineeship training in a greater number of industry areas has contributed substantially to this rise.

The analysis found that females dominated the early uptake of training package qualifications as the first packages to roll-out were in business administration, hospitality and retail, traditionally female-dominated areas. As a wider variety of qualifications became available across other industry areas, the numbers of males and females began to even out and are now roughly equal.

It was also found that young people under 25 years of age, and in particular teenagers, are more likely to undertake a training package qualification than either an accredited course or a subject-only qualification. The reverse is true for those aged 25 years or over. By 2002, enrolments associated with training packages accounted for 42% of all VET enrolments.

When New Apprenticeships were introduced in 1998, only 32% of apprentices and trainees were undertaking a national training package qualification. By 2002, this figure had increased to 84%. Show less