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The inquiry into the education of students with disabilities, undertaken by the Senate Employment, Workplace Relations and Education References Committee in 2002, was established in response to concerns about the effectiveness of Commonwealth programs for students with disabilities and whether the needs of students with disabilities were being met in the schools sector and in post-secondary education. The terms of reference for the inquiry required the Committee to examine current policies and practices to determine their adequacy in meeting the needs of students with disabilities and to make recommendations to change the way the Commonwealth and states and territories discharge their responsibilities to these students. Submissions were received from: state and non-government school educational authorities and universities; parents and parent groups; peak disability groups; teachers and individual schools, teacher unions and university academics; and student and student organisations. The inquiry found that schools do not adequately meet the educational needs of students with disabilities and there are deficiencies in the preparation and continuing training and education of teachers. Show less

The national strategy for vocational education and training 1998-2003 expresses the collective commitment by Australian governments, in partnership with Australian industry, to vocational education and training (VET). The strategy analyses economic, industrial and social forces for change and their implications for vocational education and training over the next five years. It sets out a vision for VET, aligned with five key objectives. These objectives are: (1) equipping Australians for the world of work; (2) enhancing mobility in the labour market; (3) achieving equitable outcomes in VET; (4) increasing investment in training; and (5) maximising the value of public vocational education and training expenditure. Show less

This report of the Review of the National Innovation System recommends that steps be taken to stop the decline in Australia’s economic performance and to use the opportunity provided by the nation’s recent prosperity to develop a more innovative and productive society. The report provides the rationale for the study, noting the rapidly changing nature of innovation and highlighting the corresponding need to update Australia’s existing national innovation system and policy. A key task for the Review was to identify a set of National Innovation Priorities to complement the broad National Research Priorities already in effect. To this end, the Review Panel engaged in widespread consultation with industry groups and other parties around the country, and used this intelligence to identify areas for attention in terms of those under the direct control of the public sector and those whereby public innovation could overlap with complementary private sector innovative efforts. To manage and coordinate these priorities with those for research in public innovation programs, it is recommended that the proposed new National Innovation Council (NIC) be charged with ongoing evaluation and identification of synergies across programs. The Review process revealed shortcomings in the institutional framework that underpins the innovation system. The Review has recommended the following actions: (1) the creation of a ‘central brain’, the NIC, to achieve the coherence, flexibility and responsiveness necessary for effective innovation policy; (2) a framework of principles for innovation interventions for adoption by federal, state and territory governments to maximise the impact of public investment in innovation; and (3) the establishment of a National Centre for Innovation Research to enhance the rigorous and consistent evaluation of innovation programs. 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

This report aimed to investigate the factors that have led to improved employment prospects in Indigenous communities, and to make recommendations relating to future policy.

The trends in vocational education and training (VET) were assessed, and an increase was noted in the number of Indigenous apprenticeships and Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) certificates following the implementation of various government programs and initiatives. Nonetheless, the report indicated a need for more flexible and culturally appropriate training, and suggested that the long-term sustainability and success of such policies and initiatives has yet to be proven. Show less

This report sets out a new direction for labour market policy in Australia. It is the outcome of the work undertaken by the Committee of Inquiry into Labour Market Programs chaired by Peter Kirby, formed in late 1983 in response to government concerns over the deterioration of the labour market since 1970, resulting in high levels of unemployment and a number of groups being disadvantaged in terms of access to employment, including women, young people, those with disabilities, and older workers. This final report documents the Committee’s examination of labour market policy and programs and the context in which they were developed and its recommendations for improvements. The Committee focused on the ‘fundamental philosophical, systemic and structural questions that needed to be resolved to develop a coherent framework for government intervention in the labour market’. The report’s recommendations were designed to foster a labour market policy which would give greater emphasis to the needs of the individual for access to education, training and other support to deal with a variety of labour market conditions. It is also advised that there be less centralisation of administration and more involvement of employers, unions, and community groups in planning, policy formulation and review. The most important recommendation, however, was the proposal for a new structured training system for young people. The Australian Traineeship System (ATS) was introduced in 1985 as the cornerstone of the Commonwealth Government’s Priority One Program for young people. Traineeships would combine broad-based vocational education and training (VET) in education and training institution with work in a related occupation to form an integrated training system. It was also intended that graduates of the scheme would have the opportunity to progress to more advanced areas of education, training or employment if they wanted to. Other labour market programs introduced in 1985-86 in response to the Committee’s recommendations were a general wage subsidy scheme, Jobstart, the adult training program and the community training program. The Committee also recommended changes to advisory structures for employment and training. The report covers current labour market programs and government structures for education, training and employment, approaches to labour market intervention, labour market planning, traineeships for youth, trade training, further training and retraining for adults, the rationalisation of wage subsidy programs, community based programs, and new arrangements for advice and administration.

The overview of the Kirby report and recommendations is indexed at TD/TNC 87.1160. Show less

The Australian Government believes there is a real opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Indigenous Australians, and the best way to do that is through real jobs. To address this Andrew Forrest was asked to lead a review of Indigenous training and employment programmes. The review's purpose was to provide recommendations to ensure Indigenous training and employment services are properly targeted and administered to connect unemployed Indigenous people with real and sustainable jobs, especially those that have been pledged to Indigenous people by Australian business. The review considered ways that training and employment services can better link to the commitment of employers to provide further sustainable employment opportunities for Indigenous people and finally end the cycle of entrenched Indigenous disadvantage.

In making its recommendations, the review considered the following issues:(1) creating sustainable employment outcomes, i.e. the best models for supporting sustainable employment outcomes and the key drivers of 'training for training's sake; and (2) programme effectiveness and costs, i.e. the value of training and employment policies and programmes for Indigenous people, the interaction between mainstream and Indigenous training and employment services, and accountability and information. The review involved consultation with the public around Australia, listening to ideas about improvements that could be made to help create parity between Indigenous Australians and other Australians. Over 300 submissions were made as part of these original consultations.

The recommendations are reported under the following areas: (1) prenatal, early childhood and education (early childhood, school attendance, improving educational outcomes, stopping distractions to education); (2) the healthy welfare card; (3) implementation and accountability; (4) breaking the welfare cycle (young people, job seeker obligations); (5) building capability, dismantling the cash barbeque and eliminating disincentives (tax incentives, employment services, vocational education and training, driver's licences, training in incarceration); (6) incentives for housing and mobility; (7) building employer demand (government procurement, top 200 employers, support for employers, public sector employment); and (8) empowering people in remote communities to end the disparity themselves (remote job centres, local governance, consolidating service delivery, remote housing, enabling leasing or freeholding of Indigenous land, land access payments).

Andrew Forrest's key message from the review is: 'Seismic, not incremental, change is required and the time for action is now. These solutions are not expensive and parity is completely achievable with the strength of will from each of us'.

Edited excerpts from publisher's website. Show less