A Murdoch University professor has criticised schools for encouraging students to choose between a VET or university pathway. Barry Down, a VET and student engagement specialist, says this dichotomy has become unrealistic. “The reality is that society requires smart workers and citizens with ...

Examples of good teaching in the VET sector are largely borne out of personal commitment, rather than systematic professional development. That was one of the findings of thesis work by Flinders University PhD graduate Anne Dening. Dening, who has more ...

The American TV show Community, which aired between 2009 and 2015, humourised the experiences of community college students. The usual stereotypes – a single mother, a former drug addict, a film student – featured, yet the show gave them a depth ...

This article examines Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) levels 5-6 and the overlap between vocational education and training (VET) Diploma and above and higher education (HE) Sub-bachelor courses. It follows an earlier paper on the boundaries and connections between the VET ...

You don’t necessarily expect to hear Nietzsche quoted at a vocational education and training conference, but No Frills surprised attendees. Held in Sydney on 15–17 August, the NCVER’s annual ‘do was given a philosophical bent by keynote speaker Dr Lene ...

Amongst a mini-blizzard of reports and opinions on reforms to the nation’s tertiary education system, both in higher education (HE) and especially the VET sector, the KPMG report Reimagining tertiary education: from binary system to ecosystem is commendable by going ...

Are industry-defined qualifications no longer attractive to students? That’s the questions TAFE Directors Australia chief executive Craig Robertson said the industry needs to ask itself, following data released this week that showed government-funded training is down year on year. The National ...

There are still butchers and bakers a plenty. Vehicle painters, however, have mostly replaced candlestick makers. And there will likely soon be more of them, thanks to a new agreement. The government’s $1.5 billion Skilling Australians Fund, which will deliver 300,000 new apprenticeships over ...

A growth in infrastructure projects is driving enrolment growth in trade qualifications, with an increase of at least 10 per cent across carpentry, plumbing and electrical trades. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian and minister for skills Adam Marshall unveiled ...

In an Australian first, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has released an interactive timeline of Australia’s VET policies, programs and initiatives over the past two decades. The 20-year-snapshot of the nation’s vocational training history was developed to ...