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This publication contains a summary of statistics on persons undertaking vocational training through contracts of training arrangements (apprenticeships and traineeships) for the quarter ending 30 June 2005. It looks at the estimates of apprentices and trainees who were training as at 30 June 2005 and at longer term trends for in-training figures. The profile of the apprentice and trainee population has changed significantly in the 12 months to 30 June 2005 and commencement numbers provide the best guide for the direction of change in the apprentice and trainee population. Newly commencing apprentices and trainees were predominantly aged 19 and under, and male. There was considerable variation in growth in commencements with increases in commencements of persons aged 45 and over and of males. As well, there were commencement increases in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales with decreases in commencements in the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania.

The figures used in this publication are estimated figures calculated by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) based on the reported data for the June quarter 2005. Show less

The focus of this report, which uses longitudinal data to map the dynamics of the youth labour market and to identify factors that are important in securing full-time work, is on the transition to full-time employment of young people who do not go to university. The study reports on the education and labour market activities of a national sample of youth on their leaving school and analyses the influences of social and demographic factors, school and other educational factors, and initial experiences in the labour market on their post-school activity four years after leaving school, focusing on factors influencing being in full-time employment four years after leaving school. The following research and policy issues are addressed: the general youth labour market situation; the influence of social background factors; the effects of education, including school leaving status and vocational education; and the role of prior labour market experiences. The report contains an executive summary, six chapters and five appendices. Following the introduction, chapter two sets the scene for subsequent chapters by presenting and examining the activity profiles of the group of school leavers who did not go to university; chapter three looks at the pathways of young people in the years leaving school to examine the extent of year-to-year movement in and out of activities; chapter four examines the correlates of activities in the first and fourth years after leaving school, investigating social and socioeconomic background, education and training, and labour market experiences; chapter five explores the influences on securing full-time work using a base model comprising factors found in the previous chapter to have significant influence on being in full-time work in the fourth year after leaving school; and the final chapter addresses the policy and research issues. The report does not support ‘crisis’ accounts of the youth labour market and disputes claims that young people who are not fully engaged in full-time work or study are ‘at risk’ of an unsuccessful school-to-work transition. The findings indicate that: 61% of young men and 45% of young women were in full-time employment in the first year after school; by the fourth year, 77% of young men and 64% of young women were working full-time; the effects of post-secondary vocational education other than apprenticeship and traineeship were mixed; full-time study in the first year after leaving school did not increase the odds of being in full-time work in the fourth year; and among those already in full-time work, a TAFE certificate or diploma tended to further increase the chances of staying in full-time work. Show less

This research study, funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), has identified the capabilities that characterise effective academic leaders in a range of roles and has produced resources to develop and monitor these leadership capabilities. It has identified that the core focus for leadership in the current operating context faced by our universities has to be on achieving effective change management and implementation. The approach has been to build upon a decade of studying professional capability, development and change leadership in a range of contexts. The study undertook an extensive international literature review, an online survey, and a series of national and international sector feedback workshops that tested the veracity of the results and identified their key implications. The study found that there was agreement that, in the current context, effective change implementation is a central challenge facing Australian higher education and its leaders, and that developing organisational and individual capabilities to manage change is a key priority. Show less

This publication provides financial data for vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. It includes information on revenues and expenses, assets and liabilities, and cash flows for the 2000 calendar year. Comparisons with 1999 data have been made where possible. Figures are given for the whole of Australia, the individual States and Territories, and for the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA). This financial information is a primary source about how VET in Australia is financed and where the money is spent. The information presented has been extracted from the accrual-based statements prepared by the States, Territories and ANTA on their VET activity.

Related publications are: Australian vocational education and training statistics 2000: in detail (TD/TNC 66.17) and Australian vocational education and training statistics 2000: at a glance (TD/TNC 66.18). Show less

This paper looks at a range of possible approaches to competency assessment in the professions. Wider issues associated with competency-based assessment, and the advantages and disadvantages of various assessment approaches are discussed. The chapters are: Overview; Conceptualising occupational competence: implications for assessment; Setting standards: implications for assessment; Choosing methods of assessment; Maintaining an assessment system.

A companion paper, ‘Establishing competency-based standards in the professions’ is indexed at TD/TNC 87.1474. Show less

Generic skills are taking on increased importance in Australia and internationally. This publication explains why there is such an interest in generic skills and describes how they have been defined and addressed in educational programs in Australia. It also compares the different definitions and interpretations of generic skills in the UK, the USA and Canada. Findings include: that there is a high demand for generic skills in the workplace; that generic skills apply across a variety of jobs and life contexts; that there is no one definitive list of generic skills; that each sector of education has a role to play in helping people develop their generic skills; that a collaborative cross-sectoral approach to facilitating development of generic skills is being developed in Australia; and that the implementation of generic skills is increasingly being seen as a teaching and learning issue.

A companion publication, ‘Fostering generic skills in VET programs and workplaces: at a glance’, may be found at TD/TNC 75.09. Show less

This publication provides information on persons undertaking vocational training through contract of training arrangements. It includes all those employed under contracts of training and includes apprentices, Australian Traineeship System trainees and other relevant forms of employment-based training. The data provided was collected from State and Territory training authorities, and the four volumes cover the period 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996. The four volumes are: (1) 1995/96 quarter 1: 1 July to 30 September 1995; (2) 1995/96 quarter 2: 1 October to 31 December 1995; (3) 1995/96 quarter 3: 1 January to 31 March 1996; and (4) 1995/96 quarter 4: 1 April to 30 June 1996. Show less

The Australian government recognises that a strong Australian Apprenticeship system is essential to sustain a strong economy. Accordingly, an Expert Panel was appointed to provide recommendations to the government on possible ways to reform the system to ensure that it can meet Australia's skills needs into the 21st century. The panel examined apprenticeship training arrangements, including current incentives, and suggested principles and evidence to improve outcomes for both apprentices and industry. The work of the panel was underpinned by a study on related economic costs and benefits, including research undertaken by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). This report is the first of four prepared by NCVER for the panel and it is intended to provide a background to the other reports which focus on specific aspects of the apprenticeship and traineeship system. The report is structured around four individual papers. The first is a history of apprenticeship and traineeship in Australia. This is followed by a characterisation of apprentices and trainees - apprentices and trainees of today cover a much broader span of individuals than the common perception of an apprentice being a young man in blue overalls. While not strictly part of an apprenticeship or traineeship, prevocational training exists as a pathway into an apprenticeship or traineeship rather than for its own sake. It thus makes sense to consider them alongside the apprenticeship and traineeship system, which is what is done in the third paper. The report concludes with some estimates of the cost of the system to the government. Show less

The Survey of Employer Use and Views of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) System is currently being reviewed by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). This discussion paper is the first step in the review. It provides a framework for feedback and identifies key issues for consideration. NCVER is seeking input from users to identify their information requirements and how the survey may be modified to better meet their needs. A feedback form has been provided for this purpose. NCVER will consolidate this feedback and report on the outcomes from the discussion paper. A public meeting will be held in mid-2011 to discuss the responses received and our recommendations for future surveys. 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 technical report is the codebook for wave six of the Y95 cohort. The Y95 cohort of LSAY was drawn from the national sample of approximately 13,000 year nine students. It was constructed by randomly selecting two year nine classes from a national sample of 300 schools designed to represent state and sector. The report describes the contents of the dataset and provides an explanation of all the variables in that dataset. Show less