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This publication considers the way growth funds are allocated to the post-compulsory education and training system and looks at other options. It largely confirms the student projections to the year 2001 that appeared in the Finn report and the consequent resource requirements to meet that student demand. The Advice proposes policy initiatives that require considerable further analysis and assessment. It suggests that alternative mechanisms should be considered for allocating growth funds which would further facilitate and encourage maximum use of existing infrastructure through collaborative ventures, within and between sectors or between institutions and industry. The Advice identifies a number of options for financing growth through contributions by government, employers and individuals. Show less

This white paper describes the Commonwealth Government's plan for achieving economic growth in Australia, and increasing employment opportunities for urban, rural and regional Australia. The policies were intended to reduce the number of unemployed, and aimed to reach an unemployment rate of five per cent by the end of the century and to set new goals for education and training, for economic efficiency, for income support arrangements and for industry. The paper argues that unemployment inhibits growth, so that reducing unemployment is an essential part of getting the economy onto a sustainable growth path. It outlines the measures planned, including increased spending on employment and training, new income support measures, industry, science and trade initiatives and specific regional development initiatives. Planned reforms include reforms to labour market assistance, training and education reforms, a restructured social security system, a strategy to help regional Australia, workplace agreements to produce a more flexible and responsive workforce, and microeconomic reforms to industry policy. Training reforms include entry level training measures and a youth training initiative.

Volume one provides an outline of the policies and programs and volume two provides additional detail on the rationale behind the policies and the way in which the various initiatives will interact in working towards the goal of reducing unemployment. Show less

This report looks at the structural and policy changes at Commonwealth level in adult education since the 1991 report 'Come in Cinderella: the emergence of adult and community education' (indexed at TD/LMR 85.644). It examines significant changes in the patterns and level of participation by adults in education and training, describes the organisation of adult and community education (ACE) provision in the states and territories and identifies technological, demographic and economic trends such as our aging population and the Internet which are likely to influence significantly the nature and extent of adult education provision in Australia. It also examines the professional development of adult education since 1991, and prepares guidelines for Australia's contribution to the UNESCO International Conference on Adult and Community Education. Chaired by Senator Rosemary Crowley, the Committee recommended an unequivocal commitment by government to the concept of lifelong society, and recommended a bringing together of the national ACE policy and the vocational education and training (VET) policy to establish an integrated National Adult Community and Vocational Education and Training (NACVET) Policy. Show less

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

In June 1999, ‘New knowledge, new opportunities: a discussion paper on higher education research and research training’ outlined the Australian Government's vision for the future of higher education research in Australia. The paper proposed a policy and funding framework for research and research training. Since its release, the Government has announced further initiatives to enhance Australia's research capabilities. This policy statement, released in December 1999, announces major changes to the current arrangements for funding of higher education research in Australia with the aim of achieving the objectives outlined in ‘New knowledge, new opportunities’. These changes make the best use of available resources to ensure that the research and research training undertaken in Australian universities continues to be world class and that the new knowledge it generates is effectively linked to innovation in Australian industry. The new framework provides for: (1) a strengthened Australian Research Council and an invigorated national competitive grants system; (2) performance-based funding for research student places and research activity in universities, with allocative formulae and transitional arrangements designed to ensure that all universities are able to compete effectively under the new arrangements; (3) the establishment of a broad quality verification framework supported by Research and Research Training Management Plans; and (4) a collaborative research program to address the needs of rural and regional communities. An evaluation of these reforms was initiated in May 2003 as part of the higher education reform package, ‘Our universities: backing Australia’s future’. An issues paper that identifies key issues for consideration as part of the evaluation is indexed at TD/TNC 74.292. Show less

The Joint Steering Committee [JSC] was charged with the responsibility of ensuring that nationally recognised training products within the vocational education and training (VET) sector are flexible and responsive to changing industry, business and individual needs and workplace practices. Improving outcomes for clients included work on improving the design of units of competency, Training Packages, VET qualifications, accredited courses, credit systems and recognition arrangements to support reforms for a more client and demand driven system. In particular, the JSC was to develop a policy framework to enable VET qualifications and products to: meet the needs of businesses and industry; and equip individuals with broadly based skills and knowledge. The project was completed through a two stage consultative process. In the first stage a draft consultation paper [indexed at TD/TNC 97.119] was developed and then refined through consultation with key peak body stakeholders. A paper was also commissioned from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) to support the consultation process, ‘Competence and competency based training: what the literature says’ [indexed at TD/TNC 96.06], and should be read in conjunction with this report. In the second stage, feedback on the issues and options presented in the refined consultation paper was sought from VET stakeholders more broadly through a second round of targeted consultations, public workshops in each State and Territory and a written submission process. Based on the outcomes of the national consultations, the Joint Steering Committee proposes the following policy framework to improve the flexibility and responsiveness of the VET system.

Excerpts from publication. Show less

This paper outlines the Australian Commonwealth Government's intention to 'meet the employment, education and training demands of structural adjustment' and the ways in which this can be done. It is one of a series of documents issued by the Commonwealth in late 1987 and throughout 1988 and 1989 that connected the industrial relations and training agendas, and advocated the inclusion of TAFE in the economic reform process and the development of its responsiveness to the skill needs of employers. The paper advocates 'greater industry involvement in TAFE and more diversified arrangements for vocational education and training generally'. It also explains the implications of award restructuring for education and training, proposing that the number of job classifications and the demarcations between them be reduced to enable more broadly based training to meet Australia's changing skill needs. It also proposed the adoption of a 'competency based' approach to training and the expansion, improvement and diversification of Australia's training infrastructure by placing more emphasis on industry-based formal training provision. This was seen as a way of providing competition for TAFE and enhancing the efficiency, quality and relevance of formal training provision. Following on from the recommendations in the Australian Council of Trade Union's (ACTU's) 'Australia reconstructed' (indexed at TD/LMR 85.647), the need for direct industry investment in the education and training system is highlighted. Two possible mechanisms were identified for formalising the required increased contributions by industry to training costs: (a) acceptance by industry of responsibility to provide for the funding of increased training, particularly as part of award restructuring processes; and/or (b) the establishment, by legislation, of a framework for training funds to be financed by industry, which would also have the primary responsibility for the effective use of those funds. The paper also describes past achievement and future directions in assisting those people disadvantaged in the labour market to find employment. These areas include income support and assistance to young people, women, Indigenous people, immigrants. The Government aimed to improve the forms of assistance provided to the long-term unemployed and sole parents, and to address the education and training needs of rural Australia. The paper concludes by outlining the improved administrative arrangements that will underpin these reforms. Show less

This Senate Committee report is the culmination of three years of close scrutiny of vocational education and training (VET) issues by senators covering education policy areas. It provides a plan for addressing the concerns about the adequacies of quality assurance in VET. The Committee’s broad inquiry into VET has covered many technical and complex issues facing the sector. The extensive terms of reference addressed by the Committee involved a detailed consideration of concerns held by the wide range of stakeholders in the national VET structure. The terms of reference cover the effectiveness of the VET sector in developing the educational skills of the Australian people and the skills formation and productivity of the Australian workforce, including: (1) an evaluation of the place of the New Apprenticeships scheme within the national priorities set for Australia’s vocational education system and the appropriateness of those priorities; (2) an evaluation of claims that the key objectives of the original New Apprenticeships scheme, as agreed by the states and territories, are not being met; (3) an assessment of the quality of provision of technical and further education (TAFE) and private providers in the delivery of nationally recognised and non-recognised VET services and programs; (4) an examination of the impact on the quality and accessibility of VET resulting from the policy of growth through efficiencies and user choice in VET; (5) an evaluation of the provision of Commonwealth and state employers’ subsidies; (6) an evaluation of the growth, breadth, effectiveness and future provision of vocational education in schools; and (7) an assessment of the consistency, validity and accessibility of statistical information on the performance of national VET systems, especially relating to apprenticeships and traineeships. The report contains 28 recommendations to the government. These go to the heart of restoring quality in VET, beginning with a renegotiation of VET objectives with major participants in the training network, but focusing mainly on strengthening institutional arrangements which ensure compliance with quality control processes.

The overview and recommendations are indexed at TD/TNC 63.458. The Government response to the report is indexed at TD/TNC 66.506. Show less

A review of Australia’s higher education system was undertaken by the Commonwealth Government in 2002. The Review began with the release of an overview paper entitled ‘Higher education at the crossroads’ in April 2002 (indexed at TD/TNC 71.381). The paper described some of the characteristics of the higher education sector and the challenges facing it. It raised a number of questions for debate and called for submissions on the issues raised. There were 355 submissions from a variety of stakeholders in response to the overview paper. This document, based on the outcomes of the review process, presents the Government’s blueprint for reform. It proposes increased Commonwealth investment of $1.5 billion over four years linked to progressively introduced reforms in areas such as teaching, workplace productivity, governance, student financing, research, cross sectoral collaboration and quality. Show less

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