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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Time is running out for a handful of the 24 Australian technical colleges (ATCs), with their representative association now disbanded and federal funding due to expire at the end of the year. The future of six of the 24 ATCs ...

Are training providers interested in evaluating employer satisfaction beyond basic measures, asks John Mitchell. As of 1 July, and as part of the Australian Quality Training Framework, training providers are required to collect and use data on three quality indicators. ...

Training supplement for Newstart recipients A temporary training supplement of $41.60 a fortnight is available from the start of this financial year to Newstart and parenting payment recipients without a Year 12 or equivalent qualification who undertake training at the ...

Why invest in the professional development of advanced VET practitioners, asks John Mitchell. The provision of recognition of prior learning (RPL) services is one of the major strategies encouraged by governments to accelerate the process of upskilling the nation. It ...

Public VET on the upper Output from Australia’s publicly funded VET providers continued to grow steadily last year, according to preliminary statistics from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research. Between 2007 and 2008, the number of students increased by ...

The global financial crisis gives Australia a great opportunity to chip away at chronic youth unemployment and underemployment, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD argues that the tight job market means ...