In many occupations there has been a trend towards requiring an entry-level qualification where a qualification was previously not required for the occupation. For various other occupations, the type of qualification needed has changed to one of a higher level. Does this so-called 'credential creep' impact on the outcomes for individuals who…

One aim of vocational education and training (VET) is to provide a pathway to employment. The effectiveness of this, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, is an important policy issue. Research demonstrates that, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the transition from education to employment does not occur…

In the present descriptive qualitative study, we present the concept of vocational branding to provide a definition and explain how it may increase interest in a particular vocation or career. We define vocational branding as a set of stories, facts, and ideas communicating the personality, traits, and realistic benefits and challenges of a…

Creative careers are responding rapidly to new creative practices, new audiences, emerging digital platforms and technologies. These careers are well paid, resistant to automation and permeate all aspects of society. Yet students' and teachers' perceptions and attitudes are not in alignment with the reality of a job in Australia's Creative…

Faced with technological disruption, the employability of translation graduates demands careful analysis. Interpretations of major previous surveys suggest that only about one third of graduates find employment as translators or interpreters, although about half of them tend to find employment using multilingual communication skills in various…

The most recent OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey enables educators, policy makers and the wider community to compare Australian students with each other, as well as with their counterparts across the world. PISA measures the extent to which 15-year-old students near the end of compulsory education have acquired the…

The aim of this analysis of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey is to compare labour market outcomes between individuals who have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications only, VET and Higher Education (HE) qualifications and HE qualifications only, but who work in the same occupations. In…

Tertiary education in Australia is dominated by a division between two large systems of provision: vocational education and training (VET) and higher education (HE). Over time, these tertiary education sectors have become distinct in several respects, including the way curriculum is conceived and practiced. In VET, competency-based training…

Reducing the number of vocational qualifications available is a current or recent priority area of many VET [vocational education and training] systems internationally, but what is the best way to achieve this and is there anything that needs to be considered? Focusing on cases studies on New Zealand, England, Finland and the Netherlands, this…

Motivated students have been shown to persist longer in post-secondary education. As a multidimensional psychological construct, motivation is shaped by within- and between-person perceptions of context. Empirical measures of distinct workplace and trade school subjective task values (STVs) were examined, and their predictions of apprentices'…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify correlates of tobacco smoking behaviour across various socio-demographic segments of the Australian population. Design/methodology/approach: Data from two nationally representative, probability samples of persons 18 and over, surveyed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2001 and 2017-2018…

This publication provides a summary of the outcomes of apprentices and trainees aged 15 years or over who undertook an apprenticeship or traineeship during 2022. It includes those who completed an apprenticeship or traineeship (completers) and those who cancelled or withdrew (non-completers). The figures are derived from the 2023 National Student…

In Australia, the relatively low standing of vocational education and the occupations it serves is of growing concern. This standing is held to contribute to an increased number of young people preferring to engage in higher education and to look past vocational education as a potential post-school pathway. Consequently, there are skill shortages…

Purpose: Whilst the role that procurement plays in today's organisations is becoming increasingly strategic, recruitment into the discipline in Australia remains a significant challenge, and this has led to a serious ongoing skills shortage. By combining the findings from an online survey of Australian practitioners, with a set of face-to-face…

This publication presents information on how different equity groups fare in their VET journey. The featured equity groups have historically been disadvantaged in accessing and benefitting from education in Australia. The focus is on their participation, achievement in and outcomes from VET. Data on the following equity groups are presented: (1)…