The states should not starve TAFEs of funds because they are the biggest providers of skills and education in the VET sector with a successful and proud history, says the federal Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans. “We are ...

I have been intrigued recently at the emergence of a theme in the discussions of TAFE in Australia over recent months. From my perspective it seems to centre on one thing: a quest for esteem for those engaged in TAFE ...

The debate is continuing in VET about who is responsible for students’ low completion rates. Refreshingly, the Australian government and other key parties are reframing the debate by looking beyond course completions. They are researching good practices that will lift ...

Funding changes that will see courses below bachelor’s degrees removed from the demand-driven system have been cautiously embraced by the TAFE sector but will not protect that sector from being plundered by universities, experts say. The federal government announced last ...

Since the state governments seem intent on sacrificing their TAFE systems on the altar of the market, it behoves TAFE to develop strategies to protect itself because it won’t be protected by government. Despite the Council of Australian Governments’ proclamation ...

Recent research by the National Centre for Vocational and Educational Research (NCVER) on student intentions has exposed as largely a myth the long held belief, by some  in VET, that enrolling students are often only interested in acquiring the skills ...

Have you seen the television commercial which ends with the arrival on screen of a blue work van with the yellow letters MEGT emblazoned across it? The modestly designed ad commences with some worried looking characters fretting in the office. ...

There are signs that Australia’s international student sector is on the up again, with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s latest data showing increases in visa applications and grants, with applications from India on the rise. From January to September ...

Funding for the VET sector might be better allocated if based on completion rates rather than enrolments, says the head of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). Managing director Tom Karmel made his comment after the release of ...

The NSW Minister for Education wants to consult widely with his stakeholders before adopting any interstate ideas on VET funding. By John Mitchell.