Vocational Education Commons^™

Equity And Participation In Careers Education: Insights From Australian Year 10 Students, Kylie Hillman, Ben Edwards, Daniel Edwards, Ali Radloff, Jessica Arnup

Vocational, adult and professional education research

Navigating pathways into education, training, and the workforce has always been challenging for young people. With the growing complexity of the world of work and varied post-secondary education pathways, providing support and guidance is crucial. In Australia, national policies such as the Australian Blueprint for Career Development, National Career Development Strategy, and the National Career Education Strategy aim to support young people's career readiness. Despite the acknowledged importance of careers education, there is limited national reporting on its current state in Australian secondary schools. This article explores the experiences of over 15,000 Year 10 students in Australian schools, using data …

Infographic: Students Undertaking Vet In Schools, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

Vocational education and training (VET) in Schools help students gain qualifications and plan for future careers. New data show student participation numbers for VET in Schools has reached its highest level in 2024 since collection began in 2006. Find out more in this infographic.

Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (Piefa) Storm And Flood Industry Recovery Program: Evaluation Report, Tamara Van Der Zant, Katherine Dix

Program monitoring and evaluation

Despite the growing diversity of careers in Primary Industries, young peoples’ pursuit of agricultural careers is often hampered by outdated perceptions of the sector and its opportunities. As Primary Industries adapt to the threat of natural disasters by turning to scientific and technological solutions, a diverse, highly skilled workforce will be required. In the wake of the devastating impacts of storm and floods in early 2021 across New South Wales, the Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program (SFIRP): Creating resilience through empowering school curriculums about primary industries careers project was developed. To aid the long-term recovery and resilience of the …

Submission To The National Skills Taxonomy Discussion Paper, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Shaping educational policy

This brief submission in response to the National Skills Taxonomy (NST) Discussion Paper relates to the vision for the NST (2.3), relative to other parts of the skills system architecture; and design considerations that support NST’s alignment to other taxonomies (3.1).

Infographic: Vet In Schools Participation In 2022, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

It’s estimated that almost 27% of those at school aged 15-19 participated in VET in Schools in 2022. In this infographic, we share the top 5 training packages in the 2022 school year.

Review Of The Australian Core Skills Framework And Digital Literacy Skills Framework And Relevant Assessment Tools. Final Report, Louise Wignall, Anita Roberts, Jana Scomazzon

Vocational, adult and professional education research

This is the final report of a project commissioned in 2020 by the then Department of Education, Skills and Employment to review the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) and Digital Literacy Skills Framework (DLSF) and tools available to support assessment using these frameworks. The review explored the development and history of the ACSF and DLSF, their use and application in the Australian context and examined features of selected international adult skills frameworks and curriculum. Through this desktop research and range of consultation activities with stakeholders, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has investigated current use of the ACSF and …

Making Learning Visible: Moving From Nouns To Verbs, Diane Debacker

2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences

This presentation focuses on the need to make learning visible for all constituents – learners, educators, employers, policymakers and future employees – with a focus on the work of the Center for Certification and Competency-Based Education (C3Be) at the University of Kansas (USA). As K–12 and higher education move to a post-pandemic world, it’s imperative we find different ways to identify learner outcomes and evaluate learning. By moving from nouns to verbs; by moving from course titles to competencies; by moving from transcripts to learner outcomes, learning becomes visible. International educator and founding director of C3Be, Dr Diane DeBacker shows …

Fitting The Aqf For The Future: Revising The Aqf Architecture And Taxonomy, Anita Roberts, Louise Wignall, Daniel Edwards

Vocational, adult and professional education research

ACER has been contracted by the Australian Government Department of Education to explore potential revisions to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) based on recommendations of the AQF Review, which was conducted in 2019. During a range of consultations for the project, the team have presented some options for the architecture and taxonomy of the AQF that would introduce changes suggested by the Review. The slides attached here form the ‘consultation pack’ that have guided the discussions in relation to this project.

Public Enquiry: Adult Literacy And Its Importance, Australian Council For Educational Research

Vocational, adult and professional education research

The Australian Council for Educational Research’s submission to the Australian Government Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training's Public Enquiry into Adult literacy and its importance highlights the importance of these skills to Australia’s well-being and economy, and calls on the government to continue participation in an international assessment to monitor outcomes and improve adult education.

National Education Policy 2020: Education Opportunities After School Completion, Jyoti Sharma, Prasad K. D. V. Yarlagadda

Teacher India

The reforms under the New Education Policy 2020 make it easier for Indian students to enter reputed international universities and enhance inter-institutional collaboration between Indian and foreign universities, say Jyoti Sharma and Prasad K. D. V. Yarlagadda.

Piaac Numeracy Task Complexity Schema: Factors That Impact On Item Difficulty, Dave Tout, Iddo Gal, Mieke Van Groenestijn, Myrna Manly, Mary Jane Schmitt

Vocational, adult and professional education research

This paper describes some lessons learned from international adult numeracy assessments that can help in understanding the challenges that people, including both adults and school students, have when solving numeracy tasks and their levels of performance on functional mathematical problems. The paper presents a theoretical schema of five factors that predict, separately and in interaction, the complexity or level of difficulty of mathematically-related assessment tasks, including tasks that incorporate texts and require literacy or reading skills, which are very common in adults' lives. The model was originally developed as part of the development of the Adult Literacy and LifeSkills survey …

Technical And Vocational Education Training: Foundation Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

The purpose of this module is to provide introductory information Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), outlines the case for investment and provides effective strategies to strengthen TVET investments. It provides a foundation to engage in this topic and apply advice from staff with operational or expert levels of knowledge in education. On successful completion you will be able to be an informed participant in forums related to TVET.

What Do Schools Want From Engagement With Business?, Sheldon Rothman

Program monitoring and evaluation

In recent years there have been policy discussions of the potential value of businesses engaging in the school education sector. However, the voice of educators is rarely heard and teachers’ perspective is vital to understanding what would ensure positive outcomes from such engagement. This research addresses this by engaging directly with school leaders and teachers around what they want from engagement with business, including reflections on experiences to date.

Revision Or Re-Vision: Exploring Approaches To The Differentiation Of Qualification Types In The Australian Qualifications Framework, Kate Perkins, Justin Brown, Paul R. Weldon, Louise Wignall

Vocational, adult and professional education research

In March 2019, the Department of Education commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to conduct a conceptual analysis of the most appropriate way to develop and present a taxonomy of learning outcomes within a qualifications framework; and a technical analysis and revision of the Knowledge, Skills and Application of Knowledge and Skills descriptors used in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Later this was extended to development of two alternative models that: (a) reflect the new conceptual base developed in Part I; (b) comprise a set of revised domain definitions (along with a new typology for each domain); and …

Infographic: Participation Rates In Vet, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

A new report provides an overview of the participation rates of secondary students in VET (Vocational Education and Training) Programs across Australia. In this infographic, we look at the figures for 2017.

Integrating Vocational Education And Training For Secondary School Students, Justin Brown

NSW Curriculum Review

This paper is a research ‘backgrounder’ to support the 2018–19 review of the New South Wales (NSW) curriculum. It focuses on the topic of ‘integrating’ vocational education and training (VET) programs for secondary school students, which has been identified as an area of interest in the review. The paper begins by detailing the context, in Australia and internationally, for the introduction and expansion of vocational offerings within secondary schooling (Section 1). It then reviews the available research literature and policy documents on VET programs for secondary school students in Australia, including a review of the benefits and challenges (Section 2). …

Technical And Vocational Education Training: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

This Practitioner level module is designed to inform staff members about issues to consider when supporting partner government reforms in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sub-sector related to policy, structures and systems. It is recommended that staff complete the Technical Vocational Education and Training: Foundation Level module as background information to this Practitioner level module.

Survey And Focus Groups Of Students Enrolled In Australian Vocational Education And Training (Vet) Offshore: Final Report, Justin Brown, Wei Buttress, Darren Matthews

Vocational, adult and professional education research

As part of the Australian Government’s National Strategy for International Education 2025, the Department of Education and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to provide an overview of the demographics and experiences of students enrolled in Australian vocational education and training (VET) offshore. The research findings are based on: (1) analysis of quantitative data collected through the first ever global survey of students enrolled in Australian VET courses overseas; and (2) analysis of qualitative data collected through a series of focus groups with students located in two Chinese provinces.

Infographic: Teacher Training In Student Career Guidance, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

In a new working paper published by the OECD, results from a survey of teachers conducted in PISA 2015 are presented. Teachers were asked if training in student career guidance and counselling was included in their initial teacher education or in their professional development activities during the last 12 months.

The Case For Urgency: Advocating For Indigenous Voice In Education, Kevin P. Gillan, Suzanne Mellor, Jacynta Krakouer

Australian Education Review

In 2004 the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) published an Australian Education Review (AER) on Indigenous Education: The Case for Change: A review of contemporary research on Indigenous education outcomes, AER 47 (Mellor & Corrigan, 2004). In the 13 years since its publication, the state of Indigenous education outcomes has remained substantially unaltered. All the social indicators demonstrate that Australia’s First Nations people continue to be the most socio-economically disadvantaged population cohort in Australian society. This is after decades of continued policy efforts by successive Commonwealth, state and territory governments to ameliorate Indigenous education disadvantage. We still struggle with …

In Their Words: Student Choice In Training Markets: Victorian Examples, Justin Brown

Vocational, adult and professional education research

This research offers new insights into the options available to individuals as they navigate an increasingly complex vocational education and training (VET) system. It explores the extent to which the consumer model of training, aimed at increasing student choice, is changing the dynamics between prospective students and registered training organisations (RTOs). The focus here is on examples from Victoria, the first state to initiate market reforms, by means of the Victorian Training Guarantee. Importantly, this study directly represents the voice of students, asking how their choices were made as they navigated these new policy settings, and whether their choice, if …

What Do Employers Really Want? Helping Vocational Learners Crack The Code, Kate Perkins

Vocational, adult and professional education research

In the majority of vocational qualifications, assessment of competence incorporates a structured work placement (SWP). Increasingly, host employers are using these placements as part of recruitment strategies, particularly for entry level roles. In effect, the placement is becoming the new ‘interview’, and the new interview is morphing into an extended audition where a learner’s non-technical, ‘employability’ skills may play a critical role. But do learners know what their host employers are really looking for, and to what extent are their training programs helping them to develop and demonstrate the skills that are most likely to influence an employer’s recruitment decisions? …

Research Into The Financing Of Technical And Vocational Education And Training (Tvet) In The Pacific : Vanuatu : Country Report, Acer

Vocational, adult and professional education research

This report provides a detailed analysis of the financing of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Vanuatu. It forms part of the study Research into the Financing of TVET in the Pacific initiated through Australia’s aid program in consultation with governments in the Pacific region. Vanuatu was one of seven countries taking part in the research. (The other participating countries are Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga.) The study is intended to provide a detailed empirical analysis of TVET financing in each country, identify key TVET financing issues, and discuss directions through which future …

National Report On Social Equity In Vet 2013, Sheldon Rothman, Chandra Shah, Catherine Underwood, Julie Mcmillan, Justin Brown, Phillip Mckenzie

Vocational, adult and professional education research

This report is the first National Report on Social Equity in VET. It has been developed by the National VET Equity Advisory Council (NVEAC) to provide baseline information on the participation, achievement and transitions from the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) system for six groups in the Australian population: Indigenous Australians; people with a disability; people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background; people living in remote areas; people from low socioeconomic status backgrounds; and women. The report also provides information on the experience in VET of a further five groups who may be experiencing difficult life chances …

Student Engagement At New Zealand Private Training Establishments (Ptes): Key Results From The 2011 Pilot Of The Ausse, Ali Radloff

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

In 2011, a pilot of the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) was conducted with Private Training Establishments (PTEs) in New Zealand where funding was provided for the project by Ako Aotearoa and support also given by New Zealand Association of Private Education Providers (NZAPEP). This report focuses on the results from this pilot. Close to 1,000 responses were collected from students as part of the pilot at ten PTEs and included students undertaking qualifications from New Zealand Qualifications Authority levels three through seven – certificate level to bachelor degree level study. While much is known about the rates of …

The On Track Survey 2012: The Destinations Of School Leavers In Victoria. Statewide Report, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood

Vocational, adult and professional education research

The On Track project was initiated in 2003. Since the first large-scale survey in that year, around 385,000 school leavers have participated in the On Track surveys, providing valuable insights into their post-school destinations and pathways. The On Track survey was conducted in April–May 2012 by the Social Research Centre (SRC) in collaboration with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). This involved a short telephone survey of school leavers who had earlier agreed to participate. Separate questionnaires were used for Year 12 or equivalent completers and early school leavers. This report is based on data from telephone surveys of …

The On Track Survey 2011: The Destinations Of School Leavers In Victoria. Statewide Report, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood

Vocational, adult and professional education research

The On Track project was initiated in 2003. Since the first large-scale survey in that year, around 350,000 school leavers have participated in the On Track surveys, providing valuable insights into their post-school destinations and pathways. This 2011 report is based on data from telephone surveys of 35,002 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 3768 early leavers from the 2010 school year. The information was collected in April and May 2011. The report focuses on analyses at the state and regional levels.

Australian Core Skills Framework (Acsf), Philippa Mclean, Kate Perkins, David Tout, Kath Brewer, Linda Wyse

Vocational, adult and professional education research

The Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) provides a rich, detailed picture of real life performance in the five core skills of: Learning, Reading, Writing, Oral Communication and Numeracy.

These skills are essential for individuals to participate effectively in our society. They are inextricably interwoven into all parts of our lives, being directly or indirectly linked to the physical, social and economic wellbeing of individuals, workplace productivity and safety, community interaction and capacity, and ultimately to Australia’s economic and community wellbeing. The ACSF reflects contemporary use of English in Australia.

The ACSF has been developed to facilitate a consistent national approach …

The On Track Survey 2010: The Destinations Of School Leavers In Victoria. Statewide Report, Sheldon Rothman, Justin Brown, Kylie Hillman, Gary N. Marks Dr., Phillip Mckenzie, Catherine Underwood

Vocational, adult and professional education research

Findings presented in this report are based on the On Track telephone survey of 36,179 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 4,094 early leavers from the 2009 school year in Victoria. The survey was conducted in April-May 2010. Year 12 or equivalent completers are defined as those who completed a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL, Senior or Intermediate). The sample includes those who completed such qualifications in schools (98.3%), or in TAFE institutions or adult and community education providers (1.7%). Early leavers are defined for the survey’s purposes as those …

Against The Odds: Influences On The Post-School Success Of 'Low Performers', Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman

Vocational, adult and professional education research

The link between academic achievement and labour market outcomes is well established. But how well does a student's achievement in a test predict their later success in life? This study examines this question, with 'success' considered to encompass satisfaction with life together with the extent to which young people are fully occupied with education, employment or a combination of these. Low performers in mathematics in the 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment were the focus. The study found that 'low performing' status has little impact on future success. Further, students who saw the value of mathematics for their future success …