"Research Messages 2021" highlights the diverse range of research activities undertaken over the past year by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). In 2021, research was shaped both by the VET (vocational education and training) reform agenda, and issues emerging from the pandemic. The 2021 national VET research agenda was overseen by the Australian and State and Territory governments and informed NCVER's research focus and the types of investigations that are priorities for the nation. Research published during the year encompassed a range of themes and topics categorised under four broad areas.: (1) COVID-19 pandemic; (2) VET delivery and practice; (3) VET student engagement and outcomes; and (4) industry and VET. [For the previous year, "Research Messages 2020," see ED620533.]