School absenteeism is a major societal problem, with a range of potential adverse long-term consequences. This scoping review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the research on school absenteeism in autistic children and adolescents, expose important gaps in the literature, and explore possibilities for future systematic reviews. Five…

Transition pedagogy has had a major impact on the first year experience for higher education students in Australia. Similarly, there has been a significant focus on transitioning students from their final year of study to employment. Considerably fewer studies have sought to understand the "middle child"; the years in between the first…

Two hundred and twenty-six qualitative interviews with students studying at Australia's largest online tertiary education organisation, Open Universities Australia (OUA), found that failure to complete assessments due to unexpected and unavoidable employment commitments was the standout reason for dropping out of its open-access courses. The…

Despite institutional strategies to prevent student withdrawal, attrition remains a concern across higher education sectors in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. In the case of Australian universities, attrition rates have remained consistently high since 2002. Some level of attrition is inevitable, but universities can influence…

A 2006 study of apprentices commencing with a Group Training Organisation in an Australian regional centre identified factors that appear to support apprentices in their first year. The research demonstrates that school subject selection and access to work-related experiences while still at school make an important difference to completion of the…

The author sums up the findings of research on the psychological effects of unemployment and of a variety of work experience schemes in which unemployed people participate. The article focuses on school leavers in Australia. (CT)

This volume contains a comprehensive review and analysis of existing Australian research on early school leaving behavior, focusing on girls. Part One gives an overview of school leavers, and data on general trends are considered. Observable trends in school leaving statistics are examined from antecedents through the school leaving decision to…

This study examined why Australian high school students decided to continue or discontinue their schooling, using a comprehensive theoretical model to examine the issue. Three surveys of 817 tenth-grade students over a 13-month period indicated that the theoretical model adequately and appropriately explained and predicted students' persistence…

This bulletin contains materials--announcements, papers, and studies--that are concerned with youth policy issues and that focus on education and training. The first section, entitled Quidnunc, offers brief descriptions of projects of interest, reports recent appointments, and announces conferences. The second section, called Aspects, offers two…

This book provides an overview of a 4-year longitudinal study of senior secondary schooling in the government high schools of New South Wales, Australia. The study followed the progress from year 9 to year 12 of 3,000 students from 22 government secondary schools in 2 metropolitan and 2 nonmetropolitan regions. The book is divided into 10…

A study explored behavioral factors to explain why non-completions were higher among trainees than apprentices. A survey of 797 apprentices and trainees who did not complete training and 462 of their employers was followed by focus groups with new apprentices, employers, and training providers. Findings indicated most new apprentices commenced…

To alleviate the economic problems of youth, the Australian Education Council has expressed the need for a comprehensive youth policy whose aim should be to provide young people with options in education, training, or employment. Facts show a declining rate of retention to completion of secondary schools for males due to the present low employment…

Using 437 interviews with apprentices and trainees, teachers/trainers, and supervisors/managers, a study explored retention in apprenticeships and traineeships and factors that influence it. Apprentices and trainees were more likely to complete their contract of training (COT) if they developed an interest in the occupation and had medium- and…

Early school leaving is an issue internationally. In Australia, nearly one in three young people is at risk of not completing secondary education, a situation that affects long-term employment prospects and earning capacity. Not all leave early for the same reason, and their reasons are not necessarily negative ones. Six "types" of early…

This publication provides a synopsis of the issues, as identified in recent research reports, relating to non-completion of New Apprenticeships and Traineeships in Australia. Some of the key findings of the research reports are the following: (1) during the mid-1990s, non-completion rates were approximately 45 percent for trainees and between…