Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and automation are transforming the world of work. Developing the appropriate digital skills in the workforce is an important component in Australia's effort to compete in this rapidly emerging global digital economy. This research explores the current digital skills demand-and-supply…

This research by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for Sutton Trust examined the English education system and its apprenticeship programs. BCG reported that the UK is failing nearly half its young people by providing inadequate vocational opportunities. BSG presents key findings that include: (1) more than four in ten people have only low level…

The preference of students to choose a career in events management over hospitality despite low demand for skills is the focus of this paper. The need for greater involvement of external stakeholders is identified as important in ensuring that students make an informed decision when choosing a career path. A model representing the ideal situation…

This paper was presented to a meeting of the Wellington Exchange, an international group of higher education officials, in December 2008. One of the topics of the meeting was around the issue of possible skills shortages emerging as a result of demographic trends, with the ageing of the population of developed countries. The paper argues that this…

In 2004 NCVER invited proposals from a consortia of researchers to address questions relating to changing work skill needs and work organisation arrangements and their implications for the vocational education and training sector. The National Institute of Labour Studies, Flinders University, and the Centre for Post-compulsory Education and…

This report looks at whether pre-apprenticeships increase the potential supply of tradespeople, with a special focus on electrotechnology, automotive and engineering students. It found that pre-apprenticeships have been used in Australia for many years and are widely regarded as a valuable strategy for increasing the supply and quality of…

This paper reports on the outcomes of a replication study of a survey of British employers that requested information on the qualifications sought when recruiting employees and on subsequent training and development. While the British survey was interested in the uptake and use of the British National Vocational Qualifications, the study reported…

Migration patterns to and from Australia are becoming complex with migration programmes increasingly targeted towards meeting the needs of the labour market and regional development. This paper provides an analysis of the permanent and temporary movements of people to and from Australia in the last three years and their impact on the skilled…

This study provides a review of research, especially Australian research, concerned with youth employment and the impediments to the expansion of youth employment. Following the introduction, the report is divided into nine main sections. First, a demand and supply framework, which is used to structure this review, is introduced. The next four…

The responses to a 1999 study of Australian employers and an examination of skill shortages by Australia's Department for Employment, Work Relations, and Small Business were analyzed to identify issues affecting skill demand and supply in Australia's education and training sector. The following were among the key findings: (1) in recent years, the…

Data pertaining to Australia's publicly funded vocational education and training (VET) sector in 1999 were reviewed. Both national-level and state/territory-level data on the following topics were reviewed: VET providers and delivery systems; student characteristics; enrollment trends; program costs and financing mechanisms; and apprentices and…