National Centre for Vocational Education Research 

About: National Centre for Vocational Education Research is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Vocational education & Higher education. Over the lifetime, 468 publications have been published receiving 4869 citations. The journal is also known as: NCVER.

Competence and Competency-based Training: What the Literature Says.

Abstract: This literature review provides a historical account of the development of competency-based training in Australia and summarises the issues arising from the range of reviews conducted on elements of the national training system. The review was commissioned by the National Quality Council and originally published on its website.

Aspects of Training That Meet Indigenous Australians' Aspirations: A Systematic Review of Research.

Abstract: This systematic review of research provides evidence to enable vocational education and training (VET) policy-makers and practitioners to move forward in developing training that meets the aspirations and needs of Indigenous Australians. This study was intended as a stocktake of research on good practice in culturally appropriate VET and adult and community education (ACE) for Indigenous Australians. New research was not commissioned because it was agreed that a significant existing body of research was available. This required careful and systematic evaluation to draw out the necessary factors which would enable Indigenous Australians to achieve positive outcomes from VET. The following question was developed, to be answered through a systematic review: For Indigenous Australians, what are the key features required in the planning, design and delivery of VET and ACE learning programs to ensure positive educational, employment and social outcomes? The review found that the outcomes Indigenous people aspire to through training include, from the foundations upwards, the development of personal skills, educational achievements, employment and the development of their communities. It found that there are seven critical factors required to ensure that positive outcomes are achieved in any context: (1) community ownership and involvement; (2) affirmation of Indigenous identities, cultures, knowledge and values; (3) true partnerships between Indigenous people, Indigenous communities, industry, VET providers and government; (4) flexibility in course design, content and delivery; (5) quality staff and committed advocacy; (6) student support services; and (7) funding and sustainability. The review identified 12 studies as core studies supported by evidence from 22 supporting studies. These studies are analysed in the appendices.

Literacy in the New Millennium.

Abstract:  2004 Commonwealth of Australia Funded under the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) Adult Literacy National Project by the Commonwealth through the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). Published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). THE WORLD HAS changed profoundly over the last 50 years, and many of our longstanding assumptions about literacy and language need to be challenged. Thus, literacy has no single or universal definition, and it is often defined in contradictory ways. Some definitions focus on the skills needed by individuals for work, education, social interaction and the negotiation of everyday living. Others have a more social focus, such as the notion of it contributing knowledge to the creation of an empowered community. How it is defined shapes the kinds of policies developed and the teaching/learning practices adopted by the educational sector.

What is a skill shortage

Abstract: The vocational education and training (VET) system has an important role to play in assisting with the smooth matching of the skills wanted by employers with the skills offered by workers. This report aims to clarify the term ‘skill shortage’ and to explain how skill shortages can be resolved naturally by market forces. It also provides some guidance on determining when a skill shortage requires public-policy intervention. It is a component of a research program in which the evolving labour market and changing work organisation and management in the context of the VET sector are examined. The report looks in detail at the meaning of supply of and demand for skills in the Australian labour market, focusing in particular on the way in which skill shortages are identified and addressed. The report does not attempt to quantify any overall or particular shortage of skills. It is directed at policy-makers, employers, industry bodies and training providers interested in understanding the nature of skill shortages.

Crazy paving or stepping stones? Learning pathways within and between vocational education and training and higher education

Abstract: One of the significant issues in vocational education and training (VET) is student pathways and how students use them to achieve their personal goals. These pathways can be within or across sectors, as well as into and out of paid work. This study examines patterns of pathways between and within VET and higher education and compares the notion of straightforward pathways with what is actually happening. The researchers interviewed 49 students in South Australia who had participated in VET and/or higher education and who had been through more than one transition between VET and higher education. The study found that patterns of movements are quite complex within and across different fields of study and were overlaid with a range of barriers along the learning journey, including finance, juggling work, other commitments, transportation and institutional location, as well as a range of other personal and provider issues. The study reveals the richness and complexity of ways individual learners use and exploit available options and is not only of interest to those in policy, but also to staff involved in teaching and counselling students in both the higher education and VET sectors. It concludes that pathways, while not necessarily seamless or straightforward, do work for the students interviewed.