The introduction of indigenous cultural competency across the curriculum will be a welcome step in the right direction, says Sandra Harding. Being confronted by the tragic reality of racism in Australia is not the normal fare of Universities Australia meetings. ...

Three conferences provide Toby Miller with unexpected insight. I’ve been to three contrasting conferences in the past month that seem to encapsulate the differences between being inside and outside the Beltway, as they say in DC when referring to access ...

Should VET teaching focus more on demonstrable competence or student potential, asks John Mitchell. A review is currently underway of the basic qualification in training and assessment for VET practitioners. The review presents an important opportunity for the sector to ...

Audit blitz hits dodgy colleges Forensic auditors could be used in the first major crackdown on corrupt training colleges for overseas students in Melbourne, reports The Age. The colleges are suspected of exploiting students, migration fraud and breaches of education ...

It would be useful if the taskforce could identify ways in which the apprenticeship provision could be more inclusive of Australians beyond male school leavers, says Stephen Billett. Despite the consequences of the economic downturn, there are signs that a ...

Many researchers don’t need a large grant to carry out their research, but the system drives them to apply nevertheless. By Tom Clark. I hate Australian Research Council grants. I don’t hate the ARC staff. I’ve only ever been impressed ...

VET is increasingly the sector of choice for indigenous Australians, who are enrolling in vocational courses at more than double the rate of the overall population, according to data released last week by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research ...

Technology alone is not the panacea to improving teaching quality, writes Martin Bridgstock. Macquarie University vice-chancellor Steven Schwartz makes some good points in his article ‘Lost in the past’ (CR, 22.06.09). Alas, he also seems confused on some key points. ...

VET in schools is acting as an important provider of apprenticeship opportunities for female students, stepping in when the private sector fails to cater for them. A report released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 12 900 ...

Can training providers weaned on government funding learn to think and act differently, asks John Mitchell. Seasoned players in the national VET sector are watching with interest the way training providers respond to the competitive agenda in Victoria, following the ...