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TAFE Futures is a national inquiry into the future of the public TAFE system. The Inquiry was commissioned by the Australian Education Union (AEU) in 2006 to determine how TAFE can best operate in the future to ensure it is meeting the skills and education needs of its students, employers and local communities. The key findings of the Inquiry include: TAFE is working well with students and employers, indicating high levels of satisfaction at the service provided; two-thirds of employers want training done through TAFE; the federal government remains largely hostile to TAFE, continuing to favour policy responses to skills shortages that marginalise TAFE and providing funding opportunities that favour private providers; courses and services are being cut due to lack of funds; significant re-thinking is required about some of the national directions for training packages and the application of aspects of competency-based training; fees and charges are a barrier to the participation of many in the community who need general education and training; the TAFE workforce is one of the most casualised in the economy and these high levels of casualisation are counterproductive in maintaining a quality and accessible provider; and the squeeze on resources has eroded TAFE's commitment to access, equity and social justice. The contents are: The TAFE Futures Inquiry: a dialogue about the future with those who make TAFE work; Part A: The TAFE story and the challenges of continuity and change; Part B: What Australians say about TAFE: a summary of national consultations; Part C: What Australians say about TAFE: a summary of submissions; Part D: New futures for TAFE: renewal and change. Included as appendices are: Current research on partnerships in VET and TAFE: opportunities for the future of TAFE; Terms of reference for the TAFE Future Inquiry; Bibliography. Show less

The inquiry into Indigenous education and training was referred by the Senate to Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education Committee in March 1998. The Committee reviewed parliamentary, government and commission reports on Indigenous education and training of the previous 10 years. It assessed the recommendations made in these reports and investigated the extent to which action had been taken to address them. The Committee received submissions from all states and territories, made site visits, and conducted formal and informal hearings with Indigenous education stakeholders in four states and the territories. A key part of the inquiry was the identification of recent initiatives that had proven successful in improving educational achievement for Indigenous Australians. The Committee also compared the level of state, territory and Commonwealth resources devoted to education and training programs for Indigenous Australians over the previous decade. Most of the inquiry focused on the compulsory years of schooling because of the relatively low numbers of Indigenous students who complete secondary education. However, vocational education and training, adult education and higher education are assuming greater importance and were addressed in the inquiry as was the impact of health on education. Rural and remote areas were also a focus of the inquiry as Indigenous people living in these areas face great difficulty in accessing education. The educational needs of those living in urban locations were also examined. The inquiry found that equity for Indigenous people in most educational sectors had not been achieved. However, substantial progress had been made in a range of areas, with some major improvements in Indigenous educational participation. The result has been continuing failure in some areas and partial success in others. Show less