tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/vocational-education-and-training-3130/articlesVocational education and training – The Conversation2023-12-17T19:17:42Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2056522023-12-17T19:17:42Z2023-12-17T19:17:42ZUniversity isn’t right for everyone. Pushing young people to go can have devastating effects<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547106/original/file-20230908-21-vuv5u4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C6000%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian school students feel immense pressure to go to university, often at the exclusion of all other pathways, which can lead to devastating mental health effects. </p>
<p>That’s among the headline findings of our decade-long program of research on the aspirations and post-school trajectories of young Australians. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131911.2023.2287417">research</a>, published today in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/cedr20">Educational Review</a>, reveals the unintended consequences of government higher education policies, inadequate school career advice, and a wider public devaluing of the vocational education and training sector.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-would-you-go-to-uni-a-new-study-looks-at-what-young-australians-do-after-school-200073">'Why would you go to uni?' A new study looks at what young Australians do after school</a>
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<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Since 2012, we’ve conducted one of the largest <a href="https://www.aspirations.edu.au/the-research">studies</a> to date on the aspirations of Australian youth, involving more than 10,000 students in Years 3-12.</p>
<p>Recently, we followed up with 50 of these young people <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/aspirations-equity-higher-education-course-choice/">post-school</a> to see where they ended up in terms of their career and educational pathways.</p>
<p>Our findings reveal some significant and, at times, devastating insights into how young Australians – particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds – have experienced the “push” towards higher education.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547108/original/file-20230908-19-vuv5u4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A crisp winter light falls upon the University of Sydney." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547108/original/file-20230908-19-vuv5u4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547108/original/file-20230908-19-vuv5u4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547108/original/file-20230908-19-vuv5u4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547108/original/file-20230908-19-vuv5u4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547108/original/file-20230908-19-vuv5u4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547108/original/file-20230908-19-vuv5u4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547108/original/file-20230908-19-vuv5u4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Not everyone needs to go to university.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Pressure to attend university and the devaluing of TAFE</h2>
<p>The young people in our research consistently said university was explicitly pushed as the only post-school pathway worth pursuing during their schooling. Other pathways were often deemed to be “not good enough”. One university graduate told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think there’s quite a lot actually of […] pressure given, not from all teachers, but some teachers, to really go towards higher education […] I’d say I felt pressured as a group, or as like, as a generation […] I just think that was just an overarching expectation.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This pressure frustrated some students. Angus* fulfilled his dream of becoming a chef by training at TAFE and eventually working in a top restaurant in London. In his first interview in 2014 he described restaurants as a place he “fits in”. </p>
<p>However, he also told us he had been repeatedly told by his teachers that “cheffing’s a horrible job”:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Almost every teacher at my school wanted to push me into their career path, [and I was told], ‘You’re very smart […] you should go to uni’ [otherwise I] might not become successful […] They always pushed me towards university. Regardless of what my feelings were, to be honest, I never felt truly supported by my career adviser.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Limited career education in school</h2>
<p>Young people also overwhelmingly said the career education provided at school was unhelpful, impersonal, and pushed them towards university. </p>
<p>Career guidance was mainly focused on achieving a high ATAR (university entrance rank), with one student describing how her career adviser spent “more time trying to calculate my ATAR than imparting actual advice”.</p>
<p>Alternative entry pathways into university often weren’t openly discussed or fully understood. Such pathways were often devalued in favour of achieving the best ATAR possible. One young person told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think with the pressure in schools on ATARs and that sort of thing – and they have to put that pressure on because they want you to do well. But it sort of develops a stigma around, well, if I don’t do Year 11 and 12 […], then I can’t get into university, without [young people understanding] there’s actually [alternative] pathways.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Stress and poor mental health</h2>
<p>Many young people therefore felt high levels of stress and poor mental health during the final years of high school and the beginning of university, with some “losing the plot” or feeling “burnt out”.</p>
<p>The most extreme mental ill health reported in our interviews was experienced by Dahlia, a young Indigenous woman.</p>
<p>When we first spoke to her in 2016, she was a high achieving Year 11 student with aspirations to become a criminal psychologist. </p>
<p>When we next spoke to her in 2021, she described how the pressure of Year 12 caused her to drop out of school. During this year, Dahlia had severe mental ill health and made an attempt to end her life. </p>
<p>She later completed a traineeship in early childhood and care, before entering university to study a combined degree in primary and early childhood teaching. Dahlia was eager for her experience to be a warning about the pressure and stress of Year 12 exams:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It was just a burn out, like, I was just so overwhelmed. I felt like I was so pressured to do the best and I felt like I wasn’t the best […] then I’d get anxiety about not being as good as everyone thinks I am […] that’s why I really wanted to do this interview, because I wanted to put it out there that high school is not the be all, end all […] getting that high [Year 12] mark isn’t the be all, end all. </p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547109/original/file-20230908-17-efu6e7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A group of high school students look at a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547109/original/file-20230908-17-efu6e7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547109/original/file-20230908-17-efu6e7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547109/original/file-20230908-17-efu6e7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547109/original/file-20230908-17-efu6e7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547109/original/file-20230908-17-efu6e7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547109/original/file-20230908-17-efu6e7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547109/original/file-20230908-17-efu6e7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Many young people feel high levels of stress during the final years of high school.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Where to from here?</h2>
<p>The pressure to attend university compounds stress and poor mental health for some young people. This isn’t surprising given the transition to adulthood is the peak period for the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/mja2.51327">onset of mental disorders</a>. </p>
<p>We must urgently address the limited career education available to students and the narrow version of success linked to <a href="https://theconversation.com/they-dont-expect-a-lot-of-me-they-just-want-me-to-go-to-uni-first-in-family-students-show-how-we-need-a-broader-definition-of-success-in-year-12-196284">Year 12 exams and the ATAR</a> in schools and society.</p>
<p>This would involve:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>providing adequate training and resources to schools and career advisers</p></li>
<li><p>raising the status of vocational education and careers; and</p></li>
<li><p>valuing alternative pathways to university, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-enabling-programs-how-do-they-help-australians-get-to-uni-210269">enabling programs</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547107/original/file-20230908-29-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman looks very stressed." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547107/original/file-20230908-29-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547107/original/file-20230908-29-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547107/original/file-20230908-29-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547107/original/file-20230908-29-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547107/original/file-20230908-29-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547107/original/file-20230908-29-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547107/original/file-20230908-29-c5ry5k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The pressure to attend university can compound stress.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p><a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/resources/accord-interim-report">The Universities Accord</a> (a major federal government-led review that seeks to “reimagine” higher education for the next 30 years) provides an opportunity to change the lives and trajectories of Australian students. Ensuring the higher education sector is fair and equitable is at the heart of this process.</p>
<p>Its <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/resources/accord-interim-report">interim report</a> claims that “too few Australians are going to university.” This is based on estimates that more than 50% of new jobs in the next five years will require a university degree. </p>
<p>However, the skills gap is even greater in technician and trade careers <a href="https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-10/2022%20SPL%20Key%20Findings%20Report%20-%206%20October%202022_0.pdf">than professional occupations</a>.</p>
<p>This means the spotlight can’t only be on universities; a focus on vocational education and training pathways (such as TAFE) is crucial too.</p>
<p>To confront the challenges of the coming century, we need a broader public conversation about the place of tertiary education – not just university – and the diverse educational and career pathways available.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/they-dont-expect-a-lot-of-me-they-just-want-me-to-go-to-uni-first-in-family-students-show-how-we-need-a-broader-definition-of-success-in-year-12-196284">'They don’t expect a lot of me, they just want me to go to uni': first-in-family students show how we need a broader definition of 'success' in year 12</a>
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<p><em>*Names have been changed to protect identities.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205652/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The Aspirations Longitudinal Study and related studies (2010-2021) were funded by the Australian Research Council, the NSW Department of Education, and the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sally Patfield currently receives funding from the NSW Department of Education, the Commonwealth Department of Education, and the Paul Ramsay Foundation.</span></em></p>We uncovered some significant and often devastating insights into how young Australians – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – have experienced the ‘push’ towards university.Kristina Sincock, Researcher and Project Manager, University of NewcastleFelicia Jaremus, Senior research officer, University of NewcastleSally Patfield, Senior Research Fellow, Teachers and Teaching Research Centre, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2158002023-10-19T00:23:57Z2023-10-19T00:23:57ZAustralia has a new National Skills Agreement. What does this mean for vocational education?<p>This week, national cabinet signed off on a <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/landmark-national-skills-agreement-unlock-billions">National Skills Agreement</a>. This is a A$12.6 billion funding agreement determining federal and state funding for vocational education and training over the next five years. </p>
<p>More than a year in the making, the agreement also promises a new era of cooperation between governments, the vocational education and training sector, business and the community. </p>
<p>What is in the agreement and will it actually boost skills and productivity?</p>
<h2>What is the National Skills Agreement?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/skills-reform-priorities/national-skills-agreement-vision-and-principles">National Skills Agreement</a> updates and renames the <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-information-training-providers/national-agreement-skills-and-workforce-development">National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development</a>, first set up in 2012.</p>
<p>This agreement was supposed to be finalised in 2022 but was hampered by state <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22media%2Fpressclp%2F8498578%22">objections</a> to the Morrison government’s potential reductions in funding to TAFEs and increased course fees, among other concerns. Then the change in government further delayed the agreement. </p>
<p>But the delay also provided a opportunity to respond to <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/skills-workforce-agreement/report">Productivity Commissions concerns</a> concerns two key targets – increasing skill levels and qualifications – were not being met by previous arrangements. </p>
<h2>What’s in the new agreement?</h2>
<p>Under the <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/national-skills-agreement">new agreement</a> Australian governments have agreed to work together to: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>deliver a high quality national vocational education and training system to boost productivity</p></li>
<li><p>support Australians to develop the skills they need to obtain well-paid, secure jobs</p></li>
<li><p>ensure Australia has the skilled workforce it needs now and in the future, with TAFE “at the heart” of vocational education and training.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The federal government will provide $12.6 billion over five years from January 2024.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/there-may-not-be-enough-skilled-workers-in-australias-pipeline-for-a-post-covid-19-recovery-140061">There may not be enough skilled workers in Australia's pipeline for a post-COVID-19 recovery</a>
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<h2>How much of the money is new?</h2>
<p>Based on the <a href="https://budget.gov.au/content/bp3/download/bp3_06_part_2_skills.pdf">2023-24 federal budget</a>, the states and territories were already planning to receive about $9.8 billion of the $12.6 billion over the next five years. </p>
<p>Much of this was based on initiatives that had already been agreed during the first year of the Albanese government, including $8.6 billion in federal funding for states’ training systems. There is also $1.2 billion to fund schemes such as fee-free TAFE courses and to revitalise TAFE campuses across Australia. </p>
<p>The government says there is $3.7 billion in new funding. Looking at available government statements and documents, (such as the <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-10/p2023-447996-working-future.pdf">Working Future White Paper</a>), our best estimate is there is between $2.8 billion and $3.7 billion of “new” funding from the federal government. This because because some of the funding is contingent on states also contributing funds to different components (and they may not choose to do all of this). </p>
<p>In terms of average yearly funding, the federal government will contribute an average of $2.5 billion per year to the new national skills agreement.
This is significantly higher than the average of <a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/vet-knowledge-bank-landmark-documents-funding-historical-overview">$1.6 billion per year</a> under the previous agreement. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1638316701589680128"}"></div></p>
<h2>What will the agreement do?</h2>
<p>The bulk of the new money will be for “<a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/landmark-national-skills-agreement-unlock-billions">flexible funding</a>” to state and territories to meet <a href="https://ministers.dewr.gov.au/oconnor/communique-skills-ministers-meeting">national priorities</a> including:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-02/Attachment-D_Employment-Session-Two-Skills-Meeting-Summary.docx">gender equality</a>,
<a href="https://www.niaa.gov.au/sites/default/files/reports/closing-the-gap-2019/education.html">Closing the Gap</a> and <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/supporting-australian-workers-industries-communities-power-our-net-zero-future-fs.pdf">net zero</a> in vocational education and training</p></li>
<li><p>sustaining <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/mitchell-institute-skills-for-recovery-the-vocational-education-system-we-need-post-COVID-19-updated.pdf">essential care services</a> such as child and aged care</p></li>
<li><p>developing Australia’s <a href="https://www.defence.gov.au/business-industry/industry-capability-programs/sovereign-industrial-capability-priorities-plans">sovereign capability</a> or ability to make things ourselves, <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2010/12/securing-australia%25e2%2580%2599s-future-pmseic-releases-expert-reports-on-food-security-and-energy-water-carbon-intersections">food security</a> and <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-and-training/resources/australian-digital-capability-framework">technological capability</a> and</p></li>
<li><p>improving regulation of <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/quality-reforms">VET qualifications</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The remainder of the funds will address some reforms <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/national-skills-agreement">recommended by the Productivity Commission</a> and previous reviews. These include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>establishing a national network of <a href="https://tda.edu.au/newsletters/nationally-networked-tafe-centres-of-excellence-comment-by-ceo-jenny-dodd/">TAFE Centres of Excellence</a> and strengthening collaboration between TAFEs, universities and industry and</p></li>
<li><p>improving <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/news-and-events/media-releases/apprentice-and-trainee-completion-rates-decrease-2021">vocational education and training completions</a>, including for women and others who face completion challenges.</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/migration-is-a-quick-fix-for-skills-shortages-building-on-australians-skills-is-better-159207">Migration is a quick fix for skills shortages. Building on Australians' skills is better</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Will this work?</h2>
<p>At this early stage, the new funds seem to be well targeted. It is also significant states and territories have agreed to address these issues and <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/resources/national-skills-agreement-overview">match the federal funding</a>. When combined, this essentially doubles the investment to resolve some <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/are-we-all-speaking-the-same-language-understanding-quality-in-the-vet-sector">urgent and complex problems</a> in the sector. </p>
<p>The National Skills Agreement is also based on a new “<a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/resources/stewardship">shared stewardship</a>” approach. This will see governments working together and <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/news-and-events/media-releases/collaboration-key-in-upskilling-australias-workforce">engaging with community stakeholders</a>, to set shared outcomes for skills and workforce development. </p>
<p>This will be important for the next steps for the sector, which involves the federal government developing a vocational education and training “<a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/resources/vet-workforce">workforce blueprint</a>” by early 2024, to grow the vocational education workforce and ensure it is sustainable. Next year all governments will also develop public “skills plans”, setting out how they will deliver on agreed priorities and targets.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An elderly man holds a stress ball, while another person helps." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554469/original/file-20231018-29-gwn3z2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554469/original/file-20231018-29-gwn3z2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554469/original/file-20231018-29-gwn3z2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554469/original/file-20231018-29-gwn3z2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554469/original/file-20231018-29-gwn3z2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554469/original/file-20231018-29-gwn3z2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554469/original/file-20231018-29-gwn3z2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The National Skills Agreement acknowledges the need for more aged care workers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-a-stress-ball-339620/">Matthias Zomer/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-keeps-talking-about-revamping-vet-but-is-it-actually-doing-it-117743">The government keeps talking about revamping VET – but is it actually doing it?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>There are still risks and challenges</h2>
<p>But it is important employers do not see this additional funding as a further excuse to reduce their contribution to employee skills and training and development. We need <a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/vet-knowledge-bank-landmark-documents-funding-historical-overview">industry to coinvest</a> in areas such as skills development and Closing the Gap if they are to truly succeed.</p>
<p>Other major training organisations apart from TAFEs will also have to do their part. </p>
<p>For example, a large amount of targeted federal funding is for strengthening collaboration between TAFEs, universities and industry and for growing and retaining a quality vocational education and training workforce. So <a href="https://vuir.vu.edu.au/40391/1/Australian-Investment-in-Education-Higher-Education.pdf">universities</a> and private <a href="https://www.iteca.edu.au/ITECA/Content/News/2023/vet-q1/rto.great.for.taxpayers.aspx">Registered Training Organisations</a> will also need to invest and support these initiatives. </p>
<p>This may also form part of the upcoming <a href="https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-item/unis-key-to-solving-nations-skills-challenge/">Universities Accord</a>. A final report on the accord is due in December 2023. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">our research</a> notes, we need all stakeholders to have skin in the game if Australia is going to to reverse <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/BudgetReview202223/SkillsTraining">its’ long decline</a> in skills and training investment. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-are-changing-and-fast-heres-what-the-vet-sector-and-employers-need-to-do-to-keep-up-118524">Jobs are changing, and fast. Here's what the VET sector (and employers) need to do to keep up</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215800/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The $12.6 billion agreement promises a new era of cooperation between governments, the vocational education and training sector, business and the community.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2091322023-07-09T20:05:43Z2023-07-09T20:05:43Z‘I was putting like 20 resumes in a month’: research tracks young Australians’ precarious work and study lives after Year 12<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535699/original/file-20230705-23-uqgch7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C43%2C5734%2C3785&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alexis Brown/Unsplash</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>New <a href="https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/media/research/reports/young-people-experiencing-disadvantage-significant-concerns-about-their-future">research released today</a> by The Smith Family shows how leaving school can be a difficult and complex time for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. It also shows how COVID has made this more difficult and complex. </p>
<p>The new report includes a survey of more than 1,000 young people who were in Year 12 in late 2020 and 33 interviews with some of these survey respondents. The same group was surveyed in 2021.</p>
<p>This research looks at what has happened since the group left school two years ago. It looks at whether they are working or studying, and what is influencing their choices and pathways after school. </p>
<h2>The good news</h2>
<p>The good news is more young people from low income families are working or studying after they have left school, up from 77% in 2021 to 85% in 2022.</p>
<p>Only 3% were not working, studying, doing unpaid work, volunteering or looking for work in 2022, compared to 5% in 2021.</p>
<p>But 10% of the group did not complete year 12 – echoing a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/why-are-so-many-kids-dropping-out-of-school-/102536810">national decline</a> in the number of young people who are not finishing school.</p>
<p>In recent years, school retention rates have reached <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/ongoing/report-on-government-services/2023/child-care-education-and-training/school-education#retention">record lows</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/20-of-australian-students-dont-finish-high-school-non-mainstream-schools-have-a-lot-to-teach-us-about-helping-kids-stay-207021">20% of Australian students don't finish high school: non-mainstream schools have a lot to teach us about helping kids stay</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>COVID’s impact</h2>
<p>But the study also found some interviewees were pulling out of study and training because they can’t afford it. As Kim* explained: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>You pretty much have assignments back-to-back, and you’ve got placement as well […]. So you’ve got to think, ‘can I go that long without working for an income?’</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This mirrors a wider trend, where students (of all ages) from fields such as teaching, social work and nursing, say <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/05/urgent-calls-to-end-compulsory-unpaid-internships-as-students-forced-to-quit-due-to-cost-of-living">they need income support</a> while doing compulsory unpaid work placements.</p>
<p>COVID lockdowns also disrupted young people’s plans and made it difficult for them to restart. One interviewee, Peter, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I needed a specific amount of placement to be able to get my Cert II. And, you know with COVID […] I couldn’t actually get my hours […] And I moved on […] it’s not really a goal anymore.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young man gets a book from a library shelf" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535700/original/file-20230705-19-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535700/original/file-20230705-19-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535700/original/file-20230705-19-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535700/original/file-20230705-19-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535700/original/file-20230705-19-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=611&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535700/original/file-20230705-19-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=611&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535700/original/file-20230705-19-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=611&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Unpaid work placements make it very difficult for students to keep earning vital income.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Adam Winger/Unsplash</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-can-no-longer-justify-unpaid-labour-why-uni-students-need-to-be-paid-for-work-placements-203421">'We can no longer justify unpaid labour': why uni students need to be paid for work placements</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Precarious work</h2>
<p>The study also shows young people from disadvantaged backgrounds working in precarious part-time, low-level jobs (if they can find work at all). As Mercedes told the researchers: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I wasn’t getting paid properly. I was chasing my pay all the time. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Peter also spoke of the difficulty of finding work: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was putting like 20 resumes in a month. No one answered me […] </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Of those in work, 14% were working two or more jobs, 37% wanted to work more hours, and 34% had looked for a new job in the past four weeks. The most common jobs were in retail and sales, labouring and other construction, transport, distribution and warehouse roles, and hospitality.</p>
<p>A complex web of factors explains these trends.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A laptop covered in stickers." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535720/original/file-20230705-27-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535720/original/file-20230705-27-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535720/original/file-20230705-27-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535720/original/file-20230705-27-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535720/original/file-20230705-27-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535720/original/file-20230705-27-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535720/original/file-20230705-27-xwsenm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Of those surveyed, about one third of those who were already working had looked for a new job recently.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kenny Eliason/Unsplash</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>More recently, pandemic lockdowns and school closures have affected <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-07/school-attendance-retention-numbers-fall-across-australia/101935342">the mental health</a> of young Australians, which in turn has seen less school participation and Year 12 completion.</p>
<p>This has made it harder for young people to get and maintain job and follow studies after school. Of those surveyed, 30% said they had poor mental health. Of this group, 46% said it “often” or “always” had an impact on things other young people want to do.</p>
<p>But even before the pandemic, many public schools did not have enough resources to support senior students from disadvantaged backgrounds into employment. This is a missed opportunity and shows how, thanks to funding scarcity, government schools can end up inadvertently reproducing disadvantage.</p>
<p>There have long been calls to <a href="https://www.monash.edu/education/cypep/research/young-women-choosing-careers-who-decides">overhaul careers education</a>. And the need for this has only become more acute, due to the pressures of COVID and declining student mental health. </p>
<p>In the longer-term, the job market has changed and this has disproportionately affected young people. While there is high demand for <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-we-know-there-is-a-skills-shortage-here-are-3-jobs-summit-ideas-to-start-fixing-it-right-away-188833">retail work</a>, the emphasis is on skilled occupations. </p>
<p>During the past year, <a href="https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/biggest-skill-shortages-in-low-skilled-jobs-that-don-t-need-a-degree-20230305-p5cphf">60% of total employment growth</a> has been in occupations that require a vocational qualification, compared to 36% in professions requiring a university degree. Meanwhile, <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/new-research-australias-skills-system-continues-to-crumble-after-covid/">vocational education and training</a> continues to be in disarray and in needs of more funds and focus.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-about-my-future-is-really-scary-school-leavers-are-not-getting-the-careers-support-they-need-190553">'Thinking about my future is really scary' – school leavers are not getting the careers support they need</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Governments have lots of opportunities now to listen</h2>
<p>The Smith Family’s findings come at a time when governments and policy makers are looking closely at how training, employment and education work in Australia. </p>
<p>A federal Parliament <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Employment_Education_and_Training/VETInquiry">inquiry</a> is currently looking the status of vocational education and training, while the Treasury’s <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/review/employment-whitepaper">employment white paper</a>, due in September, is looking at how all Australians can enjoy full employment. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord">Universities Accord review</a> is also looking at making higher education more accessible to people from disadvantaged backgrounds. </p>
<p>The Smith Family research shows once again how young people from disadvantaged backgrounds need additional support both at school and once they leave.</p>
<p>The continued impact of the pandemic, together with the rising cost-of-living, show how governments need to be very mindful of how they are supporting a whole generation as they navigate their way into post-school life. </p>
<p><em>*names have been changed.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/these-5-equity-ideas-should-be-at-the-heart-of-the-universities-accord-203418">These 5 equity ideas should be at the heart of the Universities Accord</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209132/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lucas Walsh currently receives funding from The Paul Ramsay Foundation and the Australian Research Council. He has worked with The Smith Family and sits in a voluntary capacity on the Growing Careers Project External Reference Group. He was not involved in the creation of the report discussed in this article</span></em></p>New research from The Smith Family tracks a group of young people, two years after finishing high school.Lucas Walsh, Professor and Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2011832023-03-21T19:12:16Z2023-03-21T19:12:16ZThe National Skills Agreement needs time in the policy spotlight and it must include these 3 things<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516562/original/file-20230321-26-o6qxgs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=47%2C47%2C7868%2C5237&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">ThisIsEngineering/Pexels </span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia continues to grapple with acute skills shortages. Businesses are struggling to find workers with the skills they need. Meanwhile, workers struggle to get jobs because of the mismatch between available training and occupations. </p>
<p>There is currently a high-profile debate about the university sector’s role in this via the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-will-plan-for-the-next-30-years-what-big-issues-must-it-address-200367">Universities Accord</a> review process.</p>
<p>But the role of vocational education and training is not getting the same level of attention, even though the <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/national-skills-agreement-vision-and-principles">National Skills Agreement)</a> is <a href="https://www.themandarin.com.au/213196-skills-and-workforce-ministers-talk-national-reforms-and-better-funding-models/">also being developed this year</a>. </p>
<p>This is timely. While enrolments in vocational education and training courses <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/news-and-events/media-releases/apprentice-and-trainee-numbers-grow">increased during the pandemic</a>, the latest <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/government-funded-students-and-courses-january-to-september-2022">national data</a> shows in the first nine months of 2022, there was a decrease of 6.1% in government-funded enrolments in these courses, compared with the same period in 2021. </p>
<p>This is despite the fact that <a href="https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/biggest-skill-shortages-in-low-skilled-jobs-that-don-t-need-a-degree-20230305-p5cphf">seven of the current top ten</a> jobs facing skills shortages require vocational qualifications, rather than university degrees. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-we-know-there-is-a-skills-shortage-here-are-3-jobs-summit-ideas-to-start-fixing-it-right-away-188833">Yes, we know there is a 'skills shortage'. Here are 3 jobs summit ideas to start fixing it right away</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What is the national skills agreement?</h2>
<p>The federal government is proposing a five-year National Skills Agreement to start in January 2024. This will be with the states and territories, <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/national-skills-agreement-vision-and-principles">with the aim</a> of developing “high quality” vocational education to “boost productivity and support Australians to obtain the skills they need to participate and prosper in the modern economy”.</p>
<p>Its predecessor was the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development (NASWD), established in 2012. Under this, the federal government provided <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-information-training-providers/national-agreement-skills-and-workforce-development">about A$1.6 billion</a> per year to governments to help deliver vocational education services and run training systems.</p>
<p>But a <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/skills-workforce-agreement/report">2021 Productivity Commission review</a> found that the NASWD was not increasing skill levels and qualifications. The former Coalition government had planned to finalise a new National Skills Agreement in the second half of 2022. But the election changed the timeline. </p>
<p>After the Jobs and Skills Summit in September last year, the new Labor government signed an <a href="https://budget.gov.au/2022-23-october/content/factsheets/download/factsheet_skills.pdf">interim 12-month agreement</a>. This one-year agreement provides $1.2 billion to support 480,000 fee-free vocational education and training places (mainly in TAFEs). </p>
<p>This is a welcome start but the longer-term National Skills Agreement needs to focus on three key areas if it is to succeed. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1352481167644250115"}"></div></p>
<h2>1. Retaining more apprentices</h2>
<p>The latest national data shows about <a href="https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sas-biggest-industries-need-skills-to-pay-the-bills-now-theres-a-plan-to-rebuild-tafe-and-train-enough-workers-to-meet-demand/news-story/0b47dba0c42c1181af761ae7423dc2df">half of apprentices drop out</a> before they complete their training, with a quarter quitting in their first year. </p>
<p>Completion rates have been in decline for a decade now, from a high of 61.6% in 2012. </p>
<p>One of the <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/australian-apprenticeships/resources/australian-apprenticeship-services-and-supports-discussion-paper">key reasons</a> for this are low wages. Starting apprenticeship wages are generally below the national minimum wage of $21.38 per hour. Increasing <a href="https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/compliance-and-enforcement/proactive-investigations/hairdressing-apprentice-initiative">apprenticeship and traineeship wages</a> to a competitive level will provide an incentive for apprentices to stick with their employer and complete their training</p>
<p>Other reasons apprentices drop out are poor relationships with colleagues and not enjoying the work. This means we also need to look at improving work experience opportunities and changes to <a href="https://jobsqueensland.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Apprenticeship-women-and-workplace-culture-Literature-review-October-2021-1.pdf">workplace culture</a> to ensure apprentices go in with a good understanding of what apprenticeships will involve and complete their training in a supportive environment.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1575280927793872896"}"></div></p>
<h2>2. Making training more flexible</h2>
<p>Recent reviews like the <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/publications/strengthening-skills-expert-review-australias-vocational-education-and-training-system">2019 Joyce review</a> and a <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/skills-workforce-agreement#report">2020 Productivity Commission review</a> have highlighted the lack of flexibility in the current apprenticeship model. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school/45163853.pdf">OECD also found</a> Australian apprenticeships were rigid and seem to depend on duration rather than competence. Meanwhile, training has <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/mitchell-institute-skills-for-recovery-the-vocational-education-system-we-need-post-COVID-19-updated.pdf">not been able to keep up</a> with technology or changes in market demand. </p>
<p>This makes it hard for employers to meet skills shortages by upgrading employees while they are still on the job. They may have to wait until apprentices complete their qualifications before they train them in more updated technologies and processes. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.afr.com/business-summit/why-your-next-career-course-should-be-a-micro-apprenticeship-20210308-p578po">Micro-apprenticeships</a> are mini qualifications done in smaller blocks. As our <a href="https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2021vol12no1art1317">research</a> shows, they can be done on the job, instead of going through vocational education providers. They are flexible and can allow apprentices to be rapidly trained to meet ongoing technology and market changes. </p>
<p>If these are going to work in Australia, the new skills agreement will need to support employers who want to “<a href="https://theconversation.com/advanced-apprenticeships-will-boost-skills-for-future-jobs-but-not-in-time-to-counter-covid-impacts-147113">top up</a>” their workers’ qualifications. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1430011179292712962"}"></div></p>
<h2>3. Encouraging more vocational-uni collaboration</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord">Universities Accord</a> is currently looking for ideas on how universities and the vocational education sector can collaborate more. </p>
<p>A key ongoing challenge is lack of cooperation between the two sectors. Both often see each other as <a href="https://www.fenews.co.uk/exclusive/vocational-education-and-training-vet-in-fe-a-question-of-divide-and-rule/">competitors</a> for school leavers and government funding. </p>
<p>However, <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">our research</a> shows we need closer collaboration between the two. Thanks to changes in technology, Australian workers will increasingly need both “hard” or technical skills and “soft” or non-technical skills. So the current defined boundary between higher education and vocational education will be unhelpful. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-will-plan-for-the-next-30-years-what-big-issues-must-it-address-200367">The Universities Accord will plan for the next 30 years: what big issues must it address?</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>The vocational and university sectors have already proven they can work together. For example, Swinburne University has worked with the Australian Industry Group and Siemens to establish the <a href="https://www.swinburne.edu.au/research/facilities-equipment/advanced-manufacturing-design-centre/">Advanced Manufacturing and Design Centre</a>, to give students the opportunity to use the latest manufacturing and design techniques and technologies. The centre provides vocational education (including certificates and diplomas) which can lead to bachelor and higher degrees. </p>
<p>Victoria University, BAE Systems Australia and the Australian Industry Group have also collaborated on a “<a href="https://studyworkgrow.com.au/2022/04/20/australias-first-degree-apprenticeship-program/">degree apprenticeship</a>”. These programs combine university study with on-the-job training. </p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>With both the Universities Accord and the National Skills Agreement being developed, this year can be the catalyst for the vocational and university sectors to collaborate more and for governments to make changes to keep more apprentices in training and make it easier for them to keep training.</p>
<p>There are huge challenges to get the skills we need in nursing, disability, aged care, garages, retail, construction, and hospitality. It is worth getting this right, both for now and into the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201183/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Vocational education and training is facing some big changes. The federal government is proposing a five-year National Skills Agreement with the states to start next year.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1863742022-07-06T06:29:39Z2022-07-06T06:29:39ZMigration offers an urgent fix for the skills we need right now, but education and training will set us up for the future<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472668/original/file-20220706-15190-bc6kqn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5721%2C3734&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia is facing serious <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/why-we-don-t-have-enough-workers-to-fill-jobs-in-4-graphs-20220621-p5avcc">labour</a> and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-03/australia-ceos-warn-on-skilled-worker-shortage-ahead-of-election">skills</a> shortages both now and in the longer term. The immediate priority is to help employers fill current vacancies. In the longer term, the government needs to ensure its investments in education and training prepare Australia for future skill needs and opportunities arising from rapid technological change and other grand challenges like climate change. </p>
<p>The new minister for skills and training in the Albanese government, Brendan O’Connor, is faced with competing calls to increase the skilled migrant intake and to invest in education and training to meet the demand for skilled workers.</p>
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<p>Decisions are <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-ie/Building+Cross+Cultural+Competence:+How+to+create+Wealth+from+Conflicting+Values-p-9780471495277">typically framed</a> in an “either-or” way in largely Western, Anglo-Saxon societies such as Australia. Polarisation becomes the norm. We see this in the portrayal of Australia’s employment and skills problems in the <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/urgent-call-by-business-for-boost-in-migration-levels/news-story/9fc76223bc14b81bd87beca48466f9fb">media and by various interest groups</a>.</p>
<p>On one side is the call for more immigrants, whether temporary or permanent, by the main <a href="https://www.ceda.com.au/NewsAndResources/Opinion/Population/The-path-back-for-Australia-s-migration-program">industry</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/we-ve-got-a-crisis-we-need-workers-big-business-urges-election-winner-to-boost-migration-20220513-p5aky9.html">employer</a> groups. Based on Australia’s experience over the past couple of decades, migrants will generally be the quicker and cheaper option to ease the shortages employers are facing now. However, many of these are general shortages of workers who may be <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/stretton/news/list/2021/10/21/a-global-battle-for-low-skilled-workers-looms-after-covid-australia-needs-to">unskilled or semi-skilled</a>. </p>
<p>Relying on migrants to solve skills or labour shortages may only be a quick fix. It also serves to reinforce current practices and problems. And that doesn’t position Australia well for future industries. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the <a href="https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2022/05/brilliant-unions-push-back-against-skilled-visa-influx/">trade unions</a>, <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/rba-boss-admits-high-immigration-has-hurt-wages-20210708-p587zy">Reserve Bank</a> and <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/confs/2019/pdf/rba-conference-2019-brell-dustmann-discussion.pdf">Grattan Institute</a> have argued that going back to the previous migration settings may only reinforce the negative effects of minimal real wage growth for Australian workers. It’s also likely to reinforce the <a href="https://www.fairwork.gov.au/sites/default/files/migration/764/migration-institute-of-australia-national-conference-speech-18-november-2016.pdf">exploitation</a> and <a href="https://news.curtin.edu.au/media-releases/half-skilled-migrants-working-lesser-jobs-survey/">underemployment</a> of migrants. </p>
<p>For example, the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/ModernSlavery/Final_report">federal parliamentary inquiry</a> into a modern slavery act found certain industries (like <a href="https://www.awu.net.au/news/2020/08/12649/awu-says-the-horticulture-industry-thinks-it-is-above-the-law-and-must-be-pulled-into-line/">horticulture</a>) exploited temporary migrants, backpackers and international students through “wage theft”. This happened when <a href="https://agribusiness.purdue.edu/understanding-the-margin-squeeze/">profit margins were squeezed</a> and Australian workers were <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/agriculture/australians-avoiding-farm-work-despite-abundant-jobs-award-rates-20180323-h0xv9f#:%7E:text=The%20chief%20executive%20of%20Fresh,wants%20to%20work%20this%20caper.">reluctant to do those jobs</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/migration-is-a-quick-fix-for-skills-shortages-building-on-australians-skills-is-better-159207">Migration is a quick fix for skills shortages. Building on Australians' skills is better</a>
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<p>And research shows an over-reliance on migration risks <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-may-not-be-enough-skilled-workers-in-australias-pipeline-for-a-post-covid-19-recovery-140061">entrenching outdated industries</a> and slowing Australia’s economic transition as part of the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/">Fourth Industrial Revolution</a>. This revolution is being driven by technology becoming embedded in societies through the fusion of multiple technologies into what are known as cyber-physical systems.</p>
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<p>But investing in education, skills and training can take years to deliver a significant return. Typical apprenticeships already take up to four years. The move towards <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/higher-apprenticeships-what-are-we-talking-about">higher apprenticeships</a> to foster skills in advanced industries may take even longer. </p>
<h2>What has changed since the pandemic?</h2>
<p><a href="https://thewest.com.au/business/small-business/coronavirus-wipe-out-looms-for-services-operators-finds-edith-cowan-university-study-ng-b881553092z">Research</a> has found many employers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, lack the resources or resilience to survive external shocks for very long. And they no longer have government COVID-19 support schemes like JobKeeper to keep them afloat. </p>
<p>The former Coalition government planned to throw money at the skills problem. Its 2022 budget allocated <a href="https://ministers.dese.gov.au/robert/morrison-government-delivering-australias-workforce-future#:%7E:text=%E2%80%9CUnder%20this%20measure%2C%20the%20Morrison,Workforce%20Development%20Specific%20Purpose%20Payment.">more than A$2.5 billion</a> to vocational education and training (VET) policies to help fill skills gaps. </p>
<p>It’s unclear how much the new Labor government is prepared to stick to those plans or even to bring forward investments that were mostly <a href="https://ausprint.meltwater.com/print_clip_previewer/377790779?text=on&keyword=on&pdf=new">back-loaded until after 2023-24</a>. A large budget deficit and inflation are compounding the difficulties. </p>
<p>Immigration may have been an effective solution in the past. Today, things may not be that simple. </p>
<p>For one thing, migrant source countries like China are <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-strictly-limit-unnecessary-overseas-travels-by-chinese-citizens-combat-2022-05-12/">still restricting international travel</a> by their citizens due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. Many of Australia’s traditional source countries have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/26/boris-johnson-threatens-to-privatise-passport-office-dvla-applications-backlog">long delays in issuing travel documents</a>. </p>
<p>Australia also faces <a href="https://insights.navitas.com/uk-and-canada-compete-for-top-spot-in-the-pandemic-recovery-race/">increased competition</a> from other developed countries like the Unite States, United Kingdom and Canada, which have made themselves more attractive for migrants. These countries were less restrictive during the pandemic, giving them a head-start on Australia, which closed its borders.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/international-student-numbers-hit-record-highs-in-canada-uk-and-us-as-falls-continue-in-australia-and-nz-173493">International student numbers hit record highs in Canada, UK and US as falls continue in Australia and NZ</a>
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<h2>So what are the solutions?</h2>
<p>As both the <a href="https://www.bca.com.au/jennifer_westacott_interview_with_leon_byner_fiveaa1">Business Council of Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/quick-jobs-fix-import-more-skills-skills-minister-brendan-oconnor-says/news-story/e94321eb050869411be5bdea0f26f0ed">O'Connor</a> have recognised, Australia doesn’t have the luxury of adopting a binary approach – migration or training. Both are necessary.</p>
<p>First, it needs to attract migrants and make it easier to enter Australia to reverse the outflow caused by issues like the <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australias-temporary-visa-holders-remain-locked-out-of-jobkeeper-and-jobseeker/d0l9kcz02">lack of JobKeeper support for temporary migrant workers</a>. </p>
<p>Second, it must invest urgently in education, skills and training for <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">growth industries</a> of the future. These include renewables, healthcare and Industry 4.0. The latter is the result of the cyber-physical transformation of manufacturing – for example, 3D printing needs advanced materials with internet-linked printers, which are increasingly intelligent and autonomous.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-will-never-come-to-australia-again-new-research-reveals-the-suffering-of-temporary-migrants-during-the-covid-19-crisis-143351">'I will never come to Australia again': new research reveals the suffering of temporary migrants during the COVID-19 crisis</a>
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<p>Other stakeholders should work together to <a href="https://theconversation.com/local-training-is-the-best-long-term-solution-to-australias-skills-shortages-not-increased-migration-170376">design and invest</a> in education and training solutions too. These stakeholders include major employers, state and territory governments, trade unions, vocational education and university providers. </p>
<p>Besides streamlining the migration process, federal, state and territory governments need to quickly refresh their <a href="https://federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/agreements/national-agreement-skills-and-workforce-development">National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development</a>. </p>
<p>Industry, vocational education and university providers should collaborate on <a href="https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2021vol12no1art1317">micro-credentialled offerings</a> These short courses are a way to rapidly upskill both domestic and international workers. This can help fill current gaps without the long lag effects associated with traditional educational qualifications. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/microcredentials-what-are-they-and-will-they-really-revolutionise-education-and-improve-job-prospects-169265">Microcredentials: what are they, and will they really revolutionise education and improve job prospects?</a>
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<p>Employers may also need to change their mindsets. Instead of employing only fully qualified employees they may have to take on ones who require ongoing support for <a href="https://vdc.edu.au/vdc-news/the-modern-worker-and-skills/">lifelong learning</a>. </p>
<p>Finally, while there may be good opportunities in the current job market in so-called traditional industries, potential employees should not take the easy route of stereotypical careers. <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/dream-jobs-teenagers-career-aspirations-and-the-future-of-work.htm">Younger people</a> should explore and invest in training and education for careers that will be opened up by disruptive technologies. Examples include automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning and digitalisation.</p>
<p>Australia has to take a more creative approach. We need to use the post-COVID and post-election opportunities to overcome current shortages and make sure the economy can respond to future challenges. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-preparing-students-for-21st-century-jobs-youre-behind-the-times-131567">If you're preparing students for 21st century jobs, you're behind the times</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186374/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>To overcome serious shortages of workers, both highly skilled and low-skilled, the government will need to look to migration. But fostering home-grown skills is a better and more enduring solution.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1755232022-02-03T03:17:57Z2022-02-03T03:17:57ZWho’ll teach all the students promised extra TAFE places? 4 steps to end staff shortages<p>Under Labor’s proposed <a href="https://alp.org.au/policies/future-made-in-australia-skills-plan">Future Made in Australia Skills Plan</a>, Australians studying in an industry with a skills shortage will be supported through the provision of free TAFE places. This will include 45,000 new places. If Labor does that without expanding the present <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/resource-centre/domestic-policy/vet-review/strengthening-skills-expert-review-australias-vocational-education-and-training-system">depleted teaching workforce</a>, we’re likely to see more current teachers bailing out and corners cut in teaching practices.</p>
<p>Our 2021 <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/attracting-industry-experts-to-become-vet-practitioners-a-journey-not-a-destination">research</a> for the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (<a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/about-ncver/about-us">NCVER</a>) found the shortages of VET teachers and trainers extend to virtually every industry. If these shortages are not overcome, the result will be an inadequately trained vocational workforce. This in turn will have an impact on the country’s skill levels and productivity.</p>
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<p>Not that the present federal government has much to be proud of in this regard. Although Vocational Education and Training (VET) significantly underpins the nation’s workforce development, it has limped along under recent national governments.</p>
<p>TAFE, the public provider, has remained a poor relation. <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/vet-for-monday-20180321-h0xrib">Workforce shortages</a> have continued, made worse by retirements from the <a href="https://www.skillsreform.gov.au/images/documents/Consultation_draft_of_the_VET_Workforce%20Quality_Strategy.pdf">ageing VET workforce</a> and by the need to expand training to cater for new and emerging industries.</p>
<p>For our <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/attracting-industry-experts-to-become-vet-practitioners-a-journey-not-a-destination">research</a> we talked with key members of almost 30 registered training organisations (RTOs) across Australia about the shortage of trainers. We also surveyed over 300 practising teachers and trainers (VET practitioners) about their experiences of moving into VET.</p>
<p>The challenge in overcoming the shortage of VET practitioners is to encourage experienced workers from trades and the professions to move into VET.</p>
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<h2>What are the key issues?</h2>
<p>The difference in salaries between industry and VET is a significant issue. It’s too simplistic an explanation for the lack of applicants, however. </p>
<p>For example, one disincentive is the nature of employment in the sector. Just over half of VET practitioners are employed in ongoing full-time roles. As one said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“People at the top of their industry don’t leave for a temporary contract.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Private training organisations reported they sometimes provide permanent employment for trainers simply to keep them “on the books”. One RTO principal told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I can’t afford to put them off because we’ll never get them back.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A further stumbling block is the inflexibility of the basic educational qualification as a point of entry. Trainers generally need to complete a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (Cert IV TAE) <em>before</em> they can teach. There is only minimum provision for supervised practice without it.</p>
<p>Training organisations reported prospective trainers are reluctant to acquire the full qualification before they’re allowed to teach. Tradespeople with significant practical experience but no formal education since their apprenticeship were also anxious about “returning to study”.</p>
<p>Paradoxically, there was pushback from university-educated professionals in senior positions against the need for a vocational qualification.</p>
<p>The value of the certificate itself as a training qualification has been an <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Erica-Smith-4/publication/337013372_The_Importance_of_VET_Teacher_Professionalism_An_Australian_Case_Study/links/5dc0c1244585151435e8c507/The-Importance-of-VET-Teacher-Professionalism-An-Australian-Case-Study.pdf">ongoing contentious issue</a>. One ex-tradie wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“They want teachers to have ten years of industry experience […] but expect a six-day course to be enough to be a good teacher.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s understood changes to the qualification are in the wind. Let’s hope these include ones that will make entry to VET teaching more flexible. </p>
<p>Training organisations and trainers alike argued for better recognition of prior learning among those who already have a training or mentoring role. </p>
<p>Even after they make the transition, new practitioners sometimes leave VET because their expectations don’t meet the reality. This is especially true if their employer doesn’t provide appropriate orientation and support. One trainer said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Day one I was given a USB with PowerPoint presentations on it and told to go into the classroom and deliver it.”</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Chart showing decline in apprenticeship and traineeship completions in Australia, 2010 to 2021" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/infographics/historical-time-series-of-apprenticeships-and-traineeships-in-australia-infographic-1963-to-2021">Data: NCVER</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What can be done to end the shortages?</h2>
<p>We identified several strategies to attract more VET practitioners.</p>
<p><strong>1. Exploit career points and individual passion for teaching and training.</strong></p>
<p>A national media campaign could target prospective VET professionals at potential “turning points” in their careers. That might be, for example, when they are looking to move into something different from their everyday job, when family or financial responsibilities have eased, or when they are seeking an alternative work-life balance. Sell these as benefits beyond salary. </p>
<p><strong>2. Smooth the entry path.</strong></p>
<p>Provide more options to “try before you buy”. These might include “bite-size” opportunities to experience teaching in VET before making a commitment. Industry specialists could be allowed to teach short-term with a particular training skill set, rather than the full qualification.</p>
<p>It’s also essential to ensure prospective practitioners understand in advance how expectations in VET are different from those in their former workplaces. When they get there, give them a soft landing, especially those new to training. Show them they’re valued.</p>
<p><strong>3. Involve industry more.</strong> </p>
<p>Encourage and enable movement in and out of VET – so-called “<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262220931_How_vocational_teachers_describe_their_vocational_teacher_identity/link/606352f1299bf173677da67a/download">boundary crossing</a>”. This will enable practitioners to maintain their links and their industry currency. </p>
<p>There is also scope and reason for industry to be more directly involved in promoting and fostering the VET practitioner career.</p>
<p><strong>4. Enhance the status of VET.</strong></p>
<p>This can be done by promoting the uniqueness of the “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2011.590584">dual practitioner</a>”. Arguably even more than at university level, VET employs tradespeople and professionals who have developed expertise in one career and channels them into a second career. As a VET teacher or trainer, their initial expertise is highly valued.</p>
<p>Our research showed many people in VET are passionate about its potential but some despair about its future. Whichever party is in power, expanding and equipping the VET workforce is a vital step forward.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175523/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Darryl Dymock received research funding from NCVER. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Tyler received research funding from NCVER.</span></em></p>Federal Labor is promising to cover the cost of 465,000 TAFE places, including 45,000 new places. But there’s a chronic shortage of VET teachers and trainers, so that problem has to be fixed first.Darryl Dymock, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in Education, Griffith UniversityMark Tyler, Senior Lecturer, School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1703762021-10-28T19:11:56Z2021-10-28T19:11:56ZLocal training is the best long-term solution to Australia’s skills shortages – not increased migration<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428918/original/file-20211027-17493-1i2kot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-making-coffee-espresso-while-1788739724">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In mid October, the New South Wales government’s <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/australia-needs-explosive-surge-of-2-million-migrants-20211011-p58z0n">top bureaucrats urged</a> new Premier Dominic Perrottet to push for “an aggressive resumption of immigration levels” to spur post-pandemic economic recovery.</p>
<p>Industry seized on this as the answer to skills shortages that have resulted from Australia’s border closures. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry <a href="https://www.australianchamber.com.au/news/population-numbers-reveal-plan-desperately-needed-for-labour-and-skills-shortages">called</a> for a near doubling of the skilled migration program, to around 200,000 annually over the next five years.</p>
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<p>In the same week, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/news-and-events/media-releases/apprentice-and-trainee-numbers-grow">released a report</a> that showed a 35% increase in the number of Australians enrolled in courses linked to apprenticeships and traineeships, compared to the start of the pandemic. But the news seemed to fly under the radar.</p>
<p>This significant rise in training may not satisfy those who want a quick solution to the skills shortages. But growth in Australia’s vocational education and training sector is a more sustainable way of filling the gaps.</p>
<h2>Where are the skills shortages?</h2>
<p>Earlier this year, a <a href="https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-06/2021-22_nsw_intergenerational_report.pdf">NSW</a> and <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/2021-intergenerational-report">federal</a> government report suggested increased skilled migration would be a big part of Australia’s future success after a pandemic-induced fall in migration and population growth.</p>
<p>More recently, Infrastructure Australia <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-10/Infrastructure%20Workforce%20and%20Skills%20Supply%20report%20211013.pdf">anticipated</a> skilled job shortages could rise to around 100,000 by 2023. It argued Australians needed an urgent skilled migration program but that some skills shortages were likely to persist in the significant post-COVID infrastructure boost. </p>
<p>A June 2021 <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/business-indicators/business-conditions-and-sentiments/latest-release">ABS survey</a> showed more than a quarter (27%) of Australian businesses were having difficulty finding qualified staff. Among the skilled trades, these were mainly in hospitality, sales, transportation, construction and mining. </p>
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<p>But there are many issues with relying on migration to fix these, beyond a decrease in international travel due to COVID.</p>
<h2>Migration not the magic bullet</h2>
<p>Demographer <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/so-australia-wants-to-welcome-migrants-again-good-luck-with-that-20211021-p591te.html">Liz Allen has argued</a> the migration effort may be problematic due to more aggressive international competition to attract needed workers, such as in health care, and Australia’s reduced attractiveness as a destination.</p>
<p>Also, the upcoming <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/living-in-australia-and-overseas/recent-and-upcoming-policy-changes">longer waiting periods</a> for new Australian migrants to access welfare payments can make similar destinations like Canada and New Zealand more attractive.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/migration-is-a-quick-fix-for-skills-shortages-building-on-australians-skills-is-better-159207">Migration is a quick fix for skills shortages. Building on Australians' skills is better</a>
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<p>Meanwhile, an aggressive migration strategy may not be politically palatable. <a href="https://tapri.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/TAPRI-survey-Oct-2021-final-V3.pdf">Research shows</a> only 19% of voters agreed with the government’s long-term migration target. The rest supported lower levels, including 28% who wanted nil net migration.</p>
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<p><a href="https://population.org.au/media-releases/igr2021/">Another argument</a> made by the likes of Reserve Bank governor <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/immigration-levels-a-factor-in-sluggish-wages-growth-rba-governor-20210708-p587z2.html">Philip Lowe</a> is that a lower population leads to tightening of labour markets, fewer unemployed and employers improving wages and conditions causing employment participation rates to rise.</p>
<p>So, what’s a better way to fill the skills gap?</p>
<h2>Apprenticeships and traineeships on the rise</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.jobsandskills.wa.gov.au/training/apprenticeships-and-traineeships">Apprenticeships and traineeships</a> enable individuals to work and learn on the job while they complete a nationally recognised qualification.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/apprentices-and-trainees-2021-march-quarter-australia">NCVER report</a> (quarterly, to March 2021) shows 329,585 apprentices and trainees were in training, an annual growth rate of 20.7%.</p>
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<p>Commencements in traineeships and apprenticeships increased by 28.5% to 186,745. Of significance are increases such as 45.1% in the 25-44 years group and 58.2% in the over 45 years group. This raises the possibility they are re-training or upskilling, perhaps precipitated by the pandemic.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/trade-apprentices-will-help-our-post-covid-19-recovery-we-need-to-do-more-to-keep-them-in-work-135830">Trade apprentices will help our post COVID-19 recovery. We need to do more to keep them in work</a>
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<p>The growth rate in commencements was approximately the same in trades and non-trades. In trades, technical staff in IT, engineering and science recorded the greatest growth rate. In non-trades, this was for managerial/professional and administrative roles. These are some of the <a href="https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/2021-skills-priority-list">roles identified</a> as being in current shortage or expected to be in strong future demand.</p>
<h2>More Australians training up since pandemic</h2>
<p>One reason for this increase is that during the pandemic, federal and state governments increased spending in re-skilling initiatives. Government programs included the Boosting Apprenticeships Commencements program (and its <a href="https://ministers.dese.gov.au/robert/morrison-government-expands-support-apprentices-secure-australias-future-workforce">expansion</a>) and <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/skills-reform/jobtrainer-fund">JobTrainer</a>, which gave 17-24 years looking for work a way to study a course in high-demand sectors for free or by paying a low fee. </p>
<p>Another reason may be that a <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/great-attrition-or-great-attraction-the-choice-is-yours">record number of people</a> meeting the shock of the pandemic have either quit their job or are thinking about doing so in developed economies. More than 19 million US workers have quit their jobs since April 2021. </p>
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<p>Recent <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia/latest-release">ABS unemployment data</a> shows fewer Australians are applying for jobs or participating in the workforce. In September 2021, the participation rate fell by 333,000 people and hit a 15-month low, with just 64.5% of people aged 15 and over currently working or actively looking for work.</p>
<p>These data suggest some Australians, whether voluntarily or not, are enrolling in VET courses to retrain themselves for new jobs.</p>
<h2>Can domestic training solve the skills shortage?</h2>
<p>There is growing evidence the increase in apprentices and trainees will help alleviate skills shortages in sectors of the economy flexible enough to take them on — and patient enough to see them trained through the system. Traditionally, these are sectors which have been more exposed to market volatility such as mining and construction. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Rethinking-permanent-skilled-migration-Grattan-Report.pdf">Grattan Institute report</a> suggests most skills shortages in a market economy are likely to be temporary. It argues our flexible labour market and relatively demand-driven higher education and VET sectors should lead to increased supply of most in-demand skills over time.</p>
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<p>A <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/2021-intergenerational-report">federal report</a> estimates that to make up for skills shortages caused by an ageing population, there needs to be an annual migrant inflow of as much as 400,000. This is much higher than what employers are calling for. This means even with migration intakes, there is still a key role for domestic training to make up the projected skills gaps.</p>
<p>But for this to happen, the momentum in skills system innovation recommended in the <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/resource-centre/domestic-policy/vet-review/strengthening-skills-expert-review-australias-vocational-education-and-training-system">Joyce Review</a> — to ensure the VET sector can keep up with rapidly changing industry needs — should be accelerated.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-keeps-talking-about-revamping-vet-but-is-it-actually-doing-it-117743">The government keeps talking about revamping VET – but is it actually doing it?</a>
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<p>The federal government will need to continue working with states and territories, the training sector and industry on VET reform to ensure it is ready for the technological and demographic changes to work. For example, the fourth industrial revolution is disrupting traditional Australian jobs and workers are growing increasingly worried they will be displaced by technology. </p>
<p>It is unlikely earlier efforts to meet the requirements of these skills (such as by <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">sending employees overseas</a> to train at Industry 4.0 centres of excellence) will be as easy as before. Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13602381.2018.1431250">research</a> has shown that besides human capital (knowledge that exists in individuals), innovation in Australia is also driven by social capital (knowledge that exists in groups and networks), which is harder to import. </p>
<p>Hence the need for Australia to develop adequate self-reliance in skills that cannot be easily imported. </p>
<p>If the trend of apprenticeship and traineeship commencements continues to rise to where they were about a decade ago, this may help address the skills shortages. This will still be in the medium to long term as it takes time for people to be trained and qualified.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-are-changing-and-fast-heres-what-the-vet-sector-and-employers-need-to-do-to-keep-up-118524">Jobs are changing, and fast. Here's what the VET sector (and employers) need to do to keep up</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170376/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Some in government and industry aim to fill Australia’s skills shortages with migration policies. But VET numbers are up, suggesting many Australians are re-skilling. We could encourage more of this.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1677872021-10-20T19:12:49Z2021-10-20T19:12:49ZCOVID has increased anxiety and depression rates among university students. And they were already higher than average<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427381/original/file-20211019-20-1pw26zi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-sad-adult-man-sitting-alone-1743063953">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Before COVID, university and vocational education students were at high risk of developing mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety. This is because they already <a href="https://aps.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1080/00050067.2010.482109">experience much higher levels</a> of psychological distress than the general population.</p>
<p>But since COVID, this group is even more at risk. Our study has found the percentage of university and vocational education students reporting extremely high levels of distress during the pandemic (23%) was higher than before the pandemic (19%).</p>
<p>We also compared the percentage of Australian adults in the general population reporting extremely high levels of distress before (3%) and during (13%) COVID. In this population too, distress levels have increased significantly. </p>
<p>So, overall, the percentage of tertiary students reporting extremely high levels of distress (23%) has remained much higher than for adults in the general population (13%). </p>
<h2>Women and international students among worst affected</h2>
<p>Pandemics <a href="https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12992-020-00624-w">increase the amount of stressors</a> people are subjected to for a number of reasons. In <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247999">university students</a>, these include health impacts associated with illness, worrying about becoming ill, being unable to work, having to study online and being separated from friends and family. </p>
<p>Results of studies conducted in the <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0245327">United States</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7102633/">China</a> have also shown COVID has increased levels of distress and mental health problems in university students.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/most-of-us-will-recover-our-mental-health-after-lockdown-but-some-will-find-it-harder-to-bounce-back-169029">Most of us will recover our mental health after lockdown. But some will find it harder to bounce back</a>
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<p>In our yet-to-be-published study, we measured distress in 1,072 students enrolled in university and vocational education and training across Australia. We did this using an online survey consisting of demographic questions and the Kessler 10 Item Psychological Distress Scale (K10) — a global measure of distress and symptoms of depression and anxiety.</p>
<p>The survey asks ten questions such as “in the past four weeks, about how often did you feel hopeless?” and “in the past four weeks, about how often did you feel so restless you could not sit still?”</p>
<p>For each question, respondents have to signify whether this is “all of the time”, “most of the time”, “some of the time”, “a little of the time” or “none of the time”.</p>
<p>In part one of the study, we compared current levels of student distress to distress in students before the pandemic, also measured using the K10, and found current levels were higher.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427427/original/file-20211020-16-n14hfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Group of diverse university students walking." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427427/original/file-20211020-16-n14hfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427427/original/file-20211020-16-n14hfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427427/original/file-20211020-16-n14hfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427427/original/file-20211020-16-n14hfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427427/original/file-20211020-16-n14hfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427427/original/file-20211020-16-n14hfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427427/original/file-20211020-16-n14hfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Women, international students and students with a history of mental health issues had the highest rates of depression and anxiety symptoms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/people-friendship-communication-international-concept-group-572918770">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The groups displaying the highest levels of distress were younger students, women, international students, students living in Queensland, and those who have had a previous diagnosis of a mental disorder, as well as those receiving mental health care.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/it-takes-a-mental-toll-indian-students-tell-their-stories-of-waiting-out-the-pandemic-in-australia-169624">'It takes a mental toll': Indian students tell their stories of waiting out the pandemic in Australia</a>
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<h2>But here’s what we know can help</h2>
<p>We recently conducted a review of studies (yet-to-be published) designed to promote mental health and stress resilience among university students. We found:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>focusing attention on the present moment was the most reliable exercise for reducing symptoms of anxiety</p></li>
<li><p>engaging in enjoyable and personally meaningful activities was the most effective exercise for reducing symptoms of depression</p></li>
<li><p>positive relations with others decreased symptoms of anxiety and paranoia, and improved positive emotions</p></li>
<li><p>humour relieved symptoms of anxiety</p></li>
<li><p>keeping a journal relieved symptoms of anxiety. Doing this may also improve positive emotions</p></li>
<li><p>acceptance during difficult circumstances also relieved symptoms of anxiety, but not as effectively as focusing attention on the present moment, humour, journaling or positive relationships</p></li>
<li><p>gratitude, optimism, self-compassion, being aware of emotions and taking probiotics all helped to improve mental health, but not as effectively as the other exercises outlined above</p></li>
<li><p>exercise relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety and can also improve positive emotions if the participant does not push too far beyond their ability level.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Preventive measures are important</h2>
<p>Most Australian universities already offer mental health support programs to students. But these are typically focused on treating distress rather than preventing it. Where stress management training does exist, this generally occurs through isolated programs.</p>
<p>This is in contrast to national medical health strategies that rely heavily on <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/preventive-health/about">preventive health initiatives</a>. These are generally educational campaigns that teach people how to look after their health instead of waiting for them to turn up at hospital emergency departments. Campaigns start in early school years and continue throughout life. </p>
<p>Australia’s <a href="https://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/getmedia/0209d27b-1873-4245-b6e5-49e770084b81/Fifth-National-Mental-Health-and-Suicide-Prevention-Plan">national mental health plan</a> also includes preventive strategies but it doesn’t involve educating people on how to look after their own mental health in the same way preventive medical health training does.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/stressed-out-dropping-out-covid-has-taken-its-toll-on-uni-students-152004">Stressed out, dropping out: COVID has taken its toll on uni students</a>
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<p>Research shows <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt19w719q.1?refreqid=excelsior%3A715f91ffc76248ce7f85f27ffbea9eab&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">every $1 universities spend</a> on preventive mental health programs saves more than $6 in health-care costs and waste from non-completion of courses. </p>
<p>In vocational education and training, this amount increases to more than $11 saved for every $1 spent. This is due to fewer on-campus mental health resources and training in these institutions compared to universities. </p>
<p>The Productivity Commission <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/mental-health/report">has recommended</a> preventive mental health programs be mandated at universities and other tertiary training institutions. There is an even greater need for this now due to the negative impact of the pandemic.</p>
<p>If you are experiencing extreme levels of distress that you cannot manage, it’s advisable to talk to your GP about creating a mental health plan, or contact the counselling service of your educational institution.</p>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167787/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Tuck receives funding from an Australian Goverment Research Training Grant.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joshua Wiley receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emily Berger and Lefteris Patlamazoglou do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Our study shows almost one in four university and vocational education students report extremely high levels of distress during the pandemic.David Tuck, PhD Student, Monash UniversityEmily Berger, Senior lecturer, Monash UniversityJoshua F. Wiley, Senior Lecturer, Monash UniversityLefteris Patlamazoglou, Lecturer, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1657982021-08-11T02:57:49Z2021-08-11T02:57:49ZDoing a VET subject in years 11 and 12 can help with a job and uni. Here’s what you need to know about VET in the senior years<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415368/original/file-20210810-27-1fd09ov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/chef-cooking-tiger-prawn-on-dark-1169928103">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/senior-subjects-series-107516">series</a> providing school students with evidence-based advice for choosing subjects in their senior years.</em></p>
<p>Vocational education and training, or VET, is where you learn skills for employment. Think of plumbers, veterinary nurses, fashion designers, make-up artists, chefs, childcare workers, furniture makers, shipbuilders, carpenters, builders, electricians, laboratory and cybersecurity technicians, surveyors, legal assistants and many other vocations.</p>
<p>VET is done in secondary schools and post-school educational organisations such as TAFEs or private training institutions. It’s also provided in workplaces and in the community.</p>
<p>It can be done at your own pace, with a group through online learning, in the classroom, or a combination of these. If you’re thinking of doing a VET subject in the senior years at school, here’s what you need to know.</p>
<h2>What kinds of VET qualifications are there?</h2>
<p>Secondary school students can enrol in nationally recognised VET together with other school subjects. This includes doing school-based apprenticeships or traineeships. </p>
<p>Provided students meet necessary requirements, they can finish school with a VET qualification along with their secondary school certificate. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415378/original/file-20210810-23-37vt22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Vet nurse checking a cat." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415378/original/file-20210810-23-37vt22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415378/original/file-20210810-23-37vt22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415378/original/file-20210810-23-37vt22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415378/original/file-20210810-23-37vt22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415378/original/file-20210810-23-37vt22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415378/original/file-20210810-23-37vt22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415378/original/file-20210810-23-37vt22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You can learn many, varied skills with a VET course – from vet nursing to shipbuilding.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/vet-clinic-examines-pet-inspection-kitten-1179966190">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>VET studies at school involve a combination of classroom and work-based learning. School-based apprenticeships and traineeships are a combination of classroom learning and on-the-job training under a contract of training with an employer. </p>
<p>In 2020, <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/vet-in-schools-2020">241,200 secondary school students</a> across Australia were doing VET that contributed to their senior secondary school certificate. This was an increase of around 2% on the previous year. More males did a VET course than females. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-change-negative-views-of-the-jobs-vet-serves-to-make-it-a-good-post-school-option-101388">We need to change negative views of the jobs VET serves to make it a good post-school option</a>
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<p>If you want to do a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship you need to have an employer willing to employ you. In 2020 around 7% (17,800) of secondary students doing VET decided on this pathway. Queensland had the highest proportion of school-based apprentices and trainees of all states and territories. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/vet-in-schools-2020">top five qualifications</a> done by school-based apprentices and trainees in 2020 were in business, retail, hospitality, childcare, and sport and recreation. Nearly half of all students doing a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship in 2020 enrolled in one of these qualifications. </p>
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<p><iframe id="l8WLK" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/l8WLK/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
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<p>Most secondary students who do VET don’t do a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship. They do other types of VET studies instead. The top five <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/vet-in-schools-2020">enrolments</a> in 2020 included qualifications in hospitality, business and construction. </p>
<p>The Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways, a general qualification that helps prepare people for entry into the workforce and/or further vocational training, had the second highest number of enrolments.</p>
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<p><iframe id="mx24w" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/mx24w/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
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<p>Depending on the VET course, students can learn at school, in purpose-built facilities like a trade training centre, or at the premises of an external training provider such as a TAFE or other VET institution. </p>
<p>Schools may also join with other schools in a cluster arrangement to increase what students have on offer. If your school does not have a course you are interested in you can check if you could do it through another school.</p>
<h2>It’s a flexible pathway to work and further study</h2>
<p>VET is a competency-based system, which means the focus is on the development of a skill. Students then get the opportunity to demonstrate they can perform that skill. It doesn’t matter how the person goes in comparison with others — it only matters how they perform against the standard required.</p>
<p>The VET system provides flexible pathways, enabling students to move in and out of education and training to get the skills and qualifications they need to enter the jobs market. This includes starting their own business, moving through jobs or transitioning to new or related jobs and courses. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415376/original/file-20210810-15-1cggkh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Plumber showing a young apprentice how to fix a sink." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415376/original/file-20210810-15-1cggkh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415376/original/file-20210810-15-1cggkh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415376/original/file-20210810-15-1cggkh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415376/original/file-20210810-15-1cggkh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415376/original/file-20210810-15-1cggkh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415376/original/file-20210810-15-1cggkh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415376/original/file-20210810-15-1cggkh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Doing a VET course at school means you can leave school with a qualification under your belt.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/plumber-teaching-young-apprentice-fix-kitchen-317839886">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>In 2019, there were 4.2 million people — almost a quarter (23.4%) of the Australian resident population aged 15-64 — enrolled in nationally recognised VET courses. </p>
<p>Participation is highest among younger people: 43.2% of 15-19 year olds and 32.2% of 20-24 year olds did some VET in 2019. Some students enrolled in qualifications (such as the Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation or a Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician). Others enrolled in short courses such as the Course in First Aid Management of Anaphylaxis or the Course in Asbestos Awareness. Others enrolled just in a single subject, such as learning how to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or the responsible serving of alcohol. </p>
<p>The number of students enrolled in short courses and stand-alone subjects has increased steadily over the past several years. </p>
<h2>Why do students do VET?</h2>
<p>Secondary students do VET studies for a range of reasons including to get a qualification while still at school.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/data/databuilder#vet-student-outcomes">Around 45% of secondary students</a> do VET for employment reasons, while 30% do it for further study. About a quarter of secondary students do VET for personal development.</p>
<p>Doing a VET course while at school can help in <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/school-to-work-pathways">getting a job directly</a> after you finish school. Research has found students who did VET studies at school, including school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/vet-for-secondary-school-students-post-school-employment-and-further-training-destinations">were more likely</a> than those who didn’t to be in full-time and permanent employment five years after their studies.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/most-young-people-who-do-vet-after-school-are-in-full-time-work-by-the-age-of-25-133060">Most young people who do VET after school are in full-time work by the age of 25</a>
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<p>In the states and territories that allow it, many students do VET studies that count toward their ATAR. Some <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/vet-for-secondary-school-students-post-school-employment-and-further-training-destinations">45.2% of students in secondary schools</a> that do VET also get an ATAR.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415377/original/file-20210810-15-ddc7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Hairdressing students learning." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415377/original/file-20210810-15-ddc7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415377/original/file-20210810-15-ddc7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415377/original/file-20210810-15-ddc7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415377/original/file-20210810-15-ddc7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415377/original/file-20210810-15-ddc7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415377/original/file-20210810-15-ddc7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415377/original/file-20210810-15-ddc7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A VET qualification when you leave school can help you get a job.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teacher-helping-students-training-become-hairdressers-284521220">Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>Research has also explored the intended occupation of students doing VET in secondary school and whether they actually get that job. The strongest links were in trade-related study areas — electrotechnology and telecommunications, construction trades, and automotive and engineering trades. There were also strong links across other occupational groups, like sales assistants, and carers and aides.</p>
<h2>Will I earn less money than if I go to uni?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/vet-for-secondary-school-students-post-school-employment-and-further-training-destinations">most common post-school qualifications</a> for secondary students who did VET studies were VET qualifications. But almost 20% of students had also gone on to complete a bachelor’s degree. </p>
<p>People with university qualifications <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-work-hours/characteristics-employment-australia/latest-release">generally earn more</a> per week than people with VET qualifications. But this masks the variability in wages between industries and jobs that require VET qualifications. </p>
<p>For example, people who have a VET qualification and work in the agricultural, forestry and fishing, or mining industries have similar, if not higher, weekly earnings as those who have a university qualification. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/choosing-your-senior-school-subjects-doesnt-have-to-be-scary-here-are-6-things-to-keep-in-mind-160257">Choosing your senior school subjects doesn't have to be scary. Here are 6 things to keep in mind</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>Technicians and trades workers (such as plumbers, information communications technology support technicians, operating theatre technicians) who have VET qualifications <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-work-hours/characteristics-employment-australia/latest-release">earn as much per week</a>, if not more, than those with university qualifications in a similar job.</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong doing VET studies at school. It sets you up for a job straight after school as well opening up opportunities to do further study, whether that be more VET or a uni degree.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1417399025930698752"}"></div></p>
<p><em>Read the other articles in our series on choosing senior subjects, <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/senior-subjects-series-107516">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165798/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Around 45% of secondary students do VET for employment reasons, while 30% do it for further study.Michelle Circelli, Senior Research Officer, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)Josie Misko, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1602572021-07-19T20:10:01Z2021-07-19T20:10:01ZChoosing your senior school subjects doesn’t have to be scary. Here are 6 things to keep in mind<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411400/original/file-20210715-15-988qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teenager-girl-holding-stack-books-shows-683832130">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This is the first article in a <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/senior-subjects-series-107516">series</a> providing school students with evidence-based advice for choosing subjects in their senior years.</em></p>
<p>From about August each year, young people in year 10 go through a round of interviews to close in on their subject selections for years 11 and 12.</p>
<p>They’re given a portfolio full of reading materials. They may also attend vibrant careers markets to get helpful information. The principal and heads of the year give presentations, and occasionally a VIP guest speaker will arrive.</p>
<p>Somewhere at this point, my sobbing daughter had cried: “I’m growing up too quickly!” She’d been told a complex story about ATARs, prerequisites and options for her career path, all with the solemn authority about the importance of making wise decisions.</p>
<p>Studies have shown <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1978-11057-001">students experience anxiety</a> around choosing subjects that relate to their desired career path. Nothing as serious as this will have happened in most children’s lives before now. </p>
<p>What if they don’t know what they want to do? Or worse, what if they make a mistake in their subject choices? </p>
<p>The good news is, there is not much need to worry. Choices you make now about your subjects don’t need to have a severe impact on your future. </p>
<p>There are some myths about senior schooling all kids and parents need to know. Here are six of them.</p>
<h2>Myth 1: you need an ATAR to go to university</h2>
<p>There are several pathways to university — an ATAR is only one of them. </p>
<p>The federal education department reports there are significant intakes for courses that <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/undergraduate-applications-offers-and-acceptances-publications">don’t require an ATAR</a>. A <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj7yovWurbwAhWVlEsFHe9oCBIQFjABegQIBxAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dese.gov.au%2Fdownload%2F3989%2Fadmissions-transparency-phase-two-common-terminology-and-information-sets-dec-2017%2F5902%2Fdocument%2Fpdf&usg=AOvVaw1D3">2020 report</a> says the share of university offers for applicants with no ATAR or who were non-year 12 applicants was 60.5% in 2020. This was up from 60.1% in 2019.</p>
<p>Some courses, like <a href="https://universityreviews.com.au/atar-course-entry-scores/">engineering</a>, normally require an ATAR of <a href="https://australianuniversities.click/list/atar-course-entry-requirements/">somewhere around the mid 80s</a>. But you could also get in through having done a VET certificate or diploma. RMIT, for instance, offers up to two years of credit to <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/engineering?&s_kwcid=AL!10529!3!470822493004!b!!g!!%2Brmit%20%2Bengineering&gclid=CjwKCAjwos-HBhB3EiwAe4xM995Hf2gitvqKIYmAsQhtG1-XAaLqGBT4Z7jvCDrbJQQ0y0SooMZjQhoCRFcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds">transfer from TAFE</a> into an undergraduate degree.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/your-atar-isnt-the-only-thing-universities-are-looking-at-93353">Your ATAR isn't the only thing universities are looking at</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>There are many alternative pathways described by most institutions on their websites. Curtin University has a <a href="https://study.curtin.edu.au/applying/pathways/">helpful journey finder</a> for students without a competitive ATAR. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Girl with backpack sitting in front of a road that splits into two." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411804/original/file-20210719-17-1e28oos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411804/original/file-20210719-17-1e28oos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411804/original/file-20210719-17-1e28oos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411804/original/file-20210719-17-1e28oos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411804/original/file-20210719-17-1e28oos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411804/original/file-20210719-17-1e28oos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411804/original/file-20210719-17-1e28oos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There are several pathways into university.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/concept-choice-crossroads-spliting-two-ways-717943141">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>A year 12 student, expecting not to gain an ATAR, who is not studying English or doesn’t expect to gain a 50 scaled rank for English, has at least <a href="https://study.curtin.edu.au/applying/pathways/">three pathways</a> into Curtin — sitting the Special Tertiary Admissions Test, doing a course at Curtin College, and using a portfolio for assessment. </p>
<p>Curtin also has a <a href="https://study.curtin.edu.au/applying/pathways/uniready-enabling-program/">UniReady Enabling Program</a>. This is a short course of 17 weeks. Completing the course means you will fulfil Curtin’s minimum admission criteria of a 70 ATAR. Many universities have similar types of preparatory pathways.</p>
<h2>Myth 2: your senior subjects majorly influence your career</h2>
<p>With all the disruption we’re experiencing, technical and social, we actually don’t have any idea what types of careers will be available in the future. Industry advice bodies, like the National Skills Commission, <a href="https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/australian-jobs-report">recommend students choose subjects</a> that suit their interest and skill set, rather than to prepare for a specific future career.</p>
<p>Reports show today’s 15-year-olds will <a href="https://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/FYA_TheNewWorkSmarts_July2017.pdf">likely change employers 17 times</a> and have five different careers through their working life. Many of their career may have very little, if any, connection to the senior subjects they took at school.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/can-government-actually-predict-the-jobs-of-the-future-141275">Can government actually predict the jobs of the future?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A 2018 report by <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/economics/articles/value-humanities.html">industry body Deloitte Access Economics showed</a> 72% of employers “demanded” communication skills when hiring and that transferable skills, such as as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, innovation and emotional judgement, “have become widely acknowledged as important in driving business success”.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411805/original/file-20210719-13-1och1o2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="People working together at a desk. New team member reaching over to shake the head of collaborator." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411805/original/file-20210719-13-1och1o2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411805/original/file-20210719-13-1och1o2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411805/original/file-20210719-13-1och1o2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411805/original/file-20210719-13-1och1o2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411805/original/file-20210719-13-1och1o2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411805/original/file-20210719-13-1och1o2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411805/original/file-20210719-13-1och1o2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The ability to work in a team will be an important skills for future employers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/welcome-our-team-top-view-young-1067103281">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This can include subjects like music, dance, debating and theatre will teach the exact skills employers value the most.</p>
<h2>Myth 3: you should do ‘hard’ subjects to get a high ATAR</h2>
<p>All subjects are hard if you lack interest or ability. Students are unlikely to do well if they are unhappy and unmotivated. </p>
<p>Research shows being motivated will improve how well you do in something. But academic performance is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01443410.2020.1778640">better associated</a> with internal motivation (such as liking something) than external (like the drive for an ATAR). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/five-tips-to-help-year-12-students-set-better-goals-in-the-final-year-of-school-109954">Five tips to help year 12 students set better goals in the final year of school</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>So, if a student only values a subject for what it might get them, like a high ATAR, they’ll do better than if there was no purpose at all. But they won’t do as well as if they are internally motivated by it. </p>
<h2>Myth 4: your ATAR will stand as the measure of your ability into the future</h2>
<p>The ATAR is simply a profile of achievement on a limited number of tasks over a defined period. A person at the end of school, aged 17 or 18, hasn’t reached the end of their development. </p>
<p>Studies show there is an <a href="https://jhu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/the-adult-development-of-cognition-and-learning-3">interaction between</a> gains in knowledge and expertise, and losses in the speed of cognitive processing as we age (meaning we learn less as we get older, to some extent). </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411806/original/file-20210719-19-1hc90rv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411806/original/file-20210719-19-1hc90rv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411806/original/file-20210719-19-1hc90rv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411806/original/file-20210719-19-1hc90rv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411806/original/file-20210719-19-1hc90rv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411806/original/file-20210719-19-1hc90rv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411806/original/file-20210719-19-1hc90rv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411806/original/file-20210719-19-1hc90rv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You will keep learning from experience.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/training-investing-education-invest-skills-investment-1452918791">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But these losses are offset by an older person’s access to a rich base of experience which can inform their understanding of things and their actions. Also the older a person is, the better developed their <a href="https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/276480">self-regulation</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019188690700175">motivation</a>. </p>
<p>Our abilities are shaped and reshaped by experience <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0893608019300231">across our lifespan</a>. </p>
<h2>Myth 5: year 12 will be demanding and stressful</h2>
<p>Year 12 can be demanding and stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. The most common source of distress in the senior years comes from <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08039488.2017.1389986">anxiety</a>, specifically test anxiety, and the pressures that come from selecting subjects for reasons not driven by interest and ability.</p>
<p>These years should not be devoted to self-flagellation for a high ATAR.</p>
<p>Students with a range of subjects types will have variety in their day and week. They are likely to have the best experience in their senior years. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411807/original/file-20210719-17-19glzqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Artist's palette with lots of colourful paint." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411807/original/file-20210719-17-19glzqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411807/original/file-20210719-17-19glzqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411807/original/file-20210719-17-19glzqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411807/original/file-20210719-17-19glzqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411807/original/file-20210719-17-19glzqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411807/original/file-20210719-17-19glzqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411807/original/file-20210719-17-19glzqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Variety in your day can help you enjoy your senior years.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/artist-paints-picture-oil-paint-brush-132622640">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research suggests a balanced life underscores success and general achievement, and <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/255e/18221ad3601c8d3ac91a74d6c613c58cc6e9.pdf">setting the tone is vital</a> during these formative years.</p>
<h2>Myth 6: taking a VET subject in year 11 or 12 will affect your ATAR</h2>
<p>Taking a VET subject reduces the opportunity to take another ATAR subject. It could be argued this puts greater pressure on achievement in the remaining ATAR subjects. But taking a VET subject also reduces the ATAR subjects on your dance card, so they may well be easier to manage. </p>
<p>Including a VET subject is also likely to provide a balanced education in senior years, which may actually improve a student’s chances for a high ATAR.</p>
<p>So here’s what you should think about when making your subject choices:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>what do you like?</p></li>
<li><p>what comes easily to you?</p></li>
<li><p>will the selection give you variety in your day?</p></li>
<li><p>in which subjects will you have the most fun?</p></li>
</ul>
<p><em>Read the other articles in our series on choosing senior subjects, <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/senior-subjects-series-107516">here</a>.</em></p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1417399025930698752"}"></div></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160257/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Nan Bahr does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There are some myths about senior schooling kids and parents need to know. They include the idea everyone needs an ATAR to get into university, and that year 12 must be stressful. Neither are necessarily true.Professor Nan Bahr, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students), Southern Cross UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1592072021-04-21T05:38:25Z2021-04-21T05:38:25ZMigration is a quick fix for skills shortages. Building on Australians’ skills is better<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395918/original/file-20210420-23-1be4a4e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C9%2C6221%2C4100&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/team-mechanic-engineers-face-mask-celebrate-1809222430">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison has <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/address-wa-chamber-commerce-and-industry">highlighted</a> workforce skills as the “single biggest challenge facing the Australian economy” in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. <a href="https://cciwa.com/business-pulse/skills-shortages-top-concern-for-wa-businesses/">Employer surveys</a> also show it’s a top concern.</p>
<p>Adding to these concerns is an <a href="https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/morrison-net-overseas-migration-to-fall-by-85-per-cent-in-2021/video/0ef7c3ef6575c7e4af3aeac9cd98fbc2">expected 85% fall in net overseas migration in 2020-21</a> from 2018-19 levels because of COVID-related border closures. The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (<a href="https://www.ceda.com.au/About">CEDA</a>) has stressed the urgency of increased and more flexible temporary and permanent migration as global competition for skills and talent intensifies in the post-pandemic recovery. Australia also risks losing talented individuals to more attractive destinations.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/there-may-not-be-enough-skilled-workers-in-australias-pipeline-for-a-post-covid-19-recovery-140061">There may not be enough skilled workers in Australia's pipeline for a post-COVID-19 recovery</a>
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<p>Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is more optimistic. He <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/immigration-minister-says-australia-s-reputation-as-migrant-destination-not-harmed-by-coronavirus-pandemic">says</a> the pandemic hasn’t harmed Australia’s reputation as a migrant destination. At a <a href="https://events.ceda.com.au/Events/Library/Past-Events1/LS210420">CEDA livestream discussion</a> yesterday, Hawke said migration would be crucial for Australia’s recovery from the pandemic.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1384328366061277186"}"></div></p>
<p>What is being overlooked in this debate is that, as a recent <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/skills-workforce-agreement/report">Productivity Commission report</a> notes, Australia might not really have a skills shortage. Rather, the problem is a skills mismatch. </p>
<h2>Why migration matters now</h2>
<p>Australia typically relies on immigration for almost <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/national-state-and-territory-population/latest-release">two-thirds of its population growth</a>, and skilled migrants are an important source of talent.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-17/wa-border-restrictions-creating-skills-shortages-for-business/13061886">COVID-related closures</a> of national and state borders added to the problems of industry sectors that rely on temporary and permanent migrants to overcome skills shortages. Many have had trouble finding workers (e.g. fruit-picking) or will have trouble as the economy recovers (e.g. hospitality, digital and data opportunities).</p>
<p>CEDA recently launched <a href="https://www.ceda.com.au/ResearchAndPolicies/Research/Population/A-good-match-Optimising-Australia-s-permanent-skil">a report</a> calling for an increase in permanent skilled migration. This report and a <a href="https://www.ceda.com.au/ResearchAndPolicies/Research/Population/Effects-of-temporary-migration">2019 CEDA report</a> aim to show recent waves of migrants have not reduced wages or jobs of Australian-born workers. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1161561395550232577"}"></div></p>
<p>CEDA’s latest report calls on the federal government to:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>set up a government-regulated online platform for matching skills to jobs</p></li>
<li><p>update the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations Codes to ensure people with essential or cutting-edge skills can immigrate</p></li>
<li><p>be more transparent about how it assesses what occupations are in demand and included on the skilled occupation lists.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>CEDA describes the Global Talent Scheme (<a href="https://www.globalaustralia.gov.au/">GTS</a>) as “very restrictive”. Minister Hawke acknowledged post-COVID Australia’s migration policies have to be more flexible and responsive. He pointed to the increased GTS intake of 15,000 spots in 2020-21, a tripling of last year’s allocation. </p>
<p>Yet the shape and make-up of the migration program remain unclear. Questions during yesterday’s discussion elicited few new details.</p>
<h2>What are the issues with this approach?</h2>
<p>According to the Productivity Commission, the way to modernise and grow the economy is via the <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/productivity-insights/2015-/2-contributions-to-output-and-income-growth">three Ps: population, participation and productivity</a>. As well as the population impacts of migration, CEDA claims to be offering solutions for both participation, as skilled migrants have “lower unemployment rates and higher labour-force participation rates”, and productivity, as skilled migrants are younger and contribute to human capital accumulation.</p>
<p>In practice, increased migration works by growing the population, increasing numbers of taxpayers and producing so-called spillover effects in housing, retail and domestic tourism etc. </p>
<p>CEDA cites an <a href="https://crawford.anu.edu.au/files/uploads/crawford01_cap_anu_edu_au/2015-12/dibp_final_report.pdf">Australian National University study</a> that found migrants account for 7% of the average rate of labour productivity growth between 1994–95 and 2007–08. However, the Productivity Commission reports <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/productivity-insights/recent-productivity-trends/productivity-insights-2020-productivity-trends.pdf">productivity has slowed</a> since the mid-2000s despite high migration. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/saces/ua/media/451/saces-economic-issues-52.pdf">Evidence</a> indicates employers are not nurturing talent from migration to its full potential. Nearly one in four permanent skilled migrants work in a job beneath their skill level. Research also highlights the need to tackle the disconnect between identified skills shortages and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-one-big-problem-with-australias-skilled-migration-program-many-employers-dont-want-new-migrants-125569">unwillingness of employers to employ new migrants</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1376262821357314052"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-one-big-problem-with-australias-skilled-migration-program-many-employers-dont-want-new-migrants-125569">There's one big problem with Australia's skilled migration program: many employers don't want new migrants</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How to fix these problems</h2>
<p>The solutions CEDA proposes are largely quick fixes and echo previous recommendations from CEDA and employer groups like <a href="https://www.australianchamber.com.au/news/acute-skills-shortage-arising-from-blocked-migration-pipeline/">the Australian Chamber of Commerce</a>. Stop-gap government measures to help employers fill shortfalls include a <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/supporting-apprentices-and-trainees">50% wage subsidy</a> for apprentices or trainees and <a href="https://coronavirus.tas.gov.au/media-releases/tasmania-and-victoria-play-to-their-strengths">tailored quarantine arrangements for seasonal workers</a>. But the systemic problem of skills matching, leading to underemployment and unemployment, has been neglected. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1380028136021237763"}"></div></p>
<p>This problem is not unique to Australia. Migrants do essential work in many countries. <a href="https://publications.iom.int/books/covid-19-and-transformation-migration-and-mobility-globally-covid-19-and-systemic-resilience">Research</a> has found many countries have designated these migrants – including those typically considered “low-skilled” such as crop pickers, care assistants and hospital cleaners – as “key” or “essential” workers whose supply needs to be protected and even expanded during the health emergency. </p>
<p>In Australia, some analysts have pointed to the skills shortage as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-19/verrender-the-great-skilled-worker-shortage-wages-oecd/100077706">a policy ruse</a> to distract attention from the lack of infrastructure investment to cope with rapid population growth as well as employers wishing to restrict wages growth.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-unemployed-australians-has-a-degree-how-did-we-get-to-this-point-156867">One in four unemployed Australians are graduates</a>. But Australian employers <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/30/new-underclass-labor-warns-on-australias-reliance-on-short-term-migration">might not want to employ and train them</a> if they can get similarly skilled employees from overseas who are willing to work for lower pay. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-unemployed-australians-has-a-degree-how-did-we-get-to-this-point-156867">1 in 4 unemployed Australians has a degree. How did we get to this point?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The problem is worse among international graduates and students – <a href="https://www.unionsnsw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NWLB_survey_results_aug_2020.pdf">60% of the latter lost their jobs during the pandemic</a>. Yet they studied in universities and through VET providers that were supposedly providing them with the skills Australian employers need.</p>
<p>The Business Council of Australia (BCA) has recognised the need to improve skills matching and development. It has <a href="https://www.afr.com/business-summit/why-your-next-career-course-should-be-a-micro-apprenticeship-20210308-p578po">called for</a> a more flexible vocational education and training (VET) system that emphasises life-long learning with innovations like micro-apprenticeships. This allows for employees and apprentices to be rapidly trained and regularly upskilled in response to technology and market changes.</p>
<p>This is similar to <a href="https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/2263137/MCSHE-Visions-for-Aust-Ter-Ed-web2.pdf">micro-credentials</a> – qualifications based on smaller blocks of learning. These can formalise soft and hard skills attained at work, such as teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving. They can also help fill skill gaps such as working with big data. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="man and woman working in robotics laboratory" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396190/original/file-20210421-21-1relpq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396190/original/file-20210421-21-1relpq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396190/original/file-20210421-21-1relpq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396190/original/file-20210421-21-1relpq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396190/original/file-20210421-21-1relpq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396190/original/file-20210421-21-1relpq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396190/original/file-20210421-21-1relpq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vocational education and training should focus on skills needed to capitalise on the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/robotics-development-laboratory-chief-female-engineer-1837865740">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are other gaps in the CEDA proposals. For example, when the federal government announced its <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/make-it-happen-the-australian-governments-modern-manufacturing-strategy">Modern Manufacturing Strategy</a> in October 2020, it recognised that not enough manufacturers have experience in scaling up in areas that provide good returns. Despite a brief mention of data scientists in regard to skilled occupation lists not being updated since 2013, the CEDA report largely focuses on traditional industries. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">research</a> shows Australia needs to develop new skills in disruptive technologies to capitalise on the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-are-changing-and-fast-heres-what-the-vet-sector-and-employers-need-to-do-to-keep-up-118524">Jobs are changing, and fast. Here's what the VET sector (and employers) need to do to keep up</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The pandemic has simply added to the urgency of increased collaboration between the higher education and VET sectors, employer organisations, industry and government to deliver more targeted and flexible skills development programs.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/159207/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While skilled migration can help fill short-term gaps, Australia needs a more sustainable, long-term approach to skills matching and development to make the most of the people who are already here.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1552162021-03-15T01:00:46Z2021-03-15T01:00:46ZIt’s not lack of confidence that’s holding back women in STEM<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389162/original/file-20210311-13-hyxovu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5380%2C3583&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/two-female-college-students-building-machine-1339572893">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions are still heavily male-dominated. Across all sectors, just over <a href="http://www.professionalsaustralia.org.au/professional-women/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2018/08/2018-Women-in-STEM-Survey-Report_web.pdf">one in four STEM workers are women</a>. </p>
<p>The gender gap is even wider among students in post-secondary STEM courses. The <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/stem-equity-monitor/higher-education">STEM Equity Monitor</a> reports:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>When considering university and VET together, in 2018 women comprised only 21% of total STEM course enrolments and 23% of total STEM course completions. In comparison, women comprised 60% of total non-STEM course enrolments and 61% of total non-STEM course completions in 2018.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389194/original/file-20210312-21-1f85lie.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="chart showing proportions of female students in STEM courses" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389194/original/file-20210312-21-1f85lie.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389194/original/file-20210312-21-1f85lie.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389194/original/file-20210312-21-1f85lie.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389194/original/file-20210312-21-1f85lie.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389194/original/file-20210312-21-1f85lie.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389194/original/file-20210312-21-1f85lie.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389194/original/file-20210312-21-1f85lie.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/stem-equity-monitor/higher-education">STEM Equity Monitor/DISER</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One explanation commonly offered for this gender gap is a lack of confidence among girls and women in their technical skills and STEM career prospects. However, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13603108.2020.1871090?journalCode=tpsp20">our research</a>, including a survey of thousands of Australian university students, has found women in STEM courses are often more confident than men. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348582877_Gendered_differences_in_perceived_employability_among_higher_education_students_in_STEM_and_non-STEM_disciplines">Our findings</a> counter assumptions that STEM women lack confidence and that this translates into limited career success.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/chief-scientist-women-in-stem-are-still-far-short-of-workplace-equity-covid-19-risks-undoing-even-these-modest-gains-143092">Chief Scientist: women in STEM are still far short of workplace equity. COVID-19 risks undoing even these modest gains</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We need to look for other reasons for the failure to attract and retain more women in STEM professions, despite many attempts to do so. A succession of Australian government <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/women-stem-cadetships-and-advanced-apprenticeships">policies</a> and <a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A32134">reviews</a> have aimed to increase the number of STEM-qualified people to meet <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-07/australias_stem_workforce_-_final.pdf">increasing demand</a> for their skills.</p>
<p>STEM skills are considered <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/karenandrews/media-releases/vision-gender-equity-australia">critical</a> for creating a <a href="https://www.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-10/2019-20_-annual-report-web-small.pdf">stronger Australian economy</a>. There are <a href="https://acola.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/saf02-stem-country-comparisons.pdf">skills shortages</a> in Australia and other countries such as the <a href="https://stem.ucdavis.edu/stem-and-us-job-market/">United States</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman engineer working with technical drawings on a computer screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389165/original/file-20210311-22-4rzwno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389165/original/file-20210311-22-4rzwno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389165/original/file-20210311-22-4rzwno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389165/original/file-20210311-22-4rzwno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389165/original/file-20210311-22-4rzwno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389165/original/file-20210311-22-4rzwno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389165/original/file-20210311-22-4rzwno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">To overcome the STEM skills shortage, Australia needs to close the gender gap.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/factory-female-mechanical-engineer-designs-3d-1335833930">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/industry-cadetships-a-good-but-small-step-to-tap-the-talents-of-women-in-stem-148170">Industry cadetships: a good but small step to tap the talents of women in STEM</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What did the research find?</h2>
<p>The gender gap in STEM has often been associated with <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7430030">low technical confidence among women</a>. Female school students have been shown to <a href="https://www.ypulse.com/article/2018/04/12/teen-girls-are-less-confident-than-boys-its-affecting-their-futures/">lack confidence</a> about their prospects in fields such as maths and sciences. In the professions, STEM women are more likely to <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1964782">underestimate their abilities</a> despite performing as well as men.</p>
<p>We wanted to find out whether Australian female STEM students are more or less confident in their study and career thinking. We used Bennett’s <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2021.1888079">employABILITY</a> measure to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13603108.2020.1871090?journalCode=tpsp20">assess the confidence</a> of 12,708 STEM and non-STEM students at an Australian university.</p>
<p>We found the women students in STEM are equally if not more confident than men in their problem-solving and decision-making, goal-directed behaviour, self-esteem, career exploration and career awareness. They were also more likely to have a “plan B” for their careers. </p>
<p>The women in STEM also reported higher confidence than women in non-STEM courses. The female STEM students were more confident in their problem-solving and decision-making, goal-directed behaviour and occupational mobility.</p>
<p>Further to our reported study, we discussed the findings with four final-year STEM and non-STEM students. They voiced what we had suspected: STEM women’s confidence as students could be the result of the challenges they had overcome in choosing a traditionally male profession.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>“Women are more confident […] especially in STEM as they know what they are getting into and what they want from the choice they have made.”</em> – Female student</p>
<p><em>“To be a woman in STEM, they have to be quite strong. There is a special something about them and they believe they are destined to do great things.”</em> – Male student</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Key is to maintain confidence into career</h2>
<p>Our finding that women in STEM are no less confident than men has implications for education and policy. </p>
<p>Policies such as the <a href="https://www.science.org.au/files/userfiles/support/reports-and-plans/2019/gender-diversity-stem/women-in-STEM-decadal-plan-final.pdf">Women in STEM Decadal Plan</a> and <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/australian-curriculum/support-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem/national-stem-school-education-strategy-2016-2026">National STEM School Education Strategy</a> have focused on attracting women into STEM through programs in schools. These programs have increased female enrolments, with the notable <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03043797.2017.1397604">exception of engineering</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/girls-score-the-same-in-maths-and-science-as-boys-but-higher-in-arts-this-may-be-why-they-are-less-likely-to-pick-stem-careers-131563">Girls score the same in maths and science as boys, but higher in arts – this may be why they are less likely to pick STEM careers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Our study suggests women enter STEM programs with a great deal of confidence. And yet neither increased enrolments nor their confidence as students is carried through into the STEM professions. </p>
<p>The fact remains that in addition to men dominating STEM professions such as <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320932778_Investigation_of_students'_experiences_of_gendered_cultures_in_engineering_workplaces">engineering</a>, many <a href="http://www.professionalsaustralia.org.au/professional-women/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2018/08/2018-Women-in-STEM-Survey-Report_web.pdf">women working in these industries</a> enjoy <a href="https://bcec.edu.au/assets/2019/06/AJLE212dockery.pdf">less career success</a>. Their <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-07/australias_stem_workforce_-_final.pdf">attrition rate</a> far outweighs that of men.</p>
<p>It is important to understand what happens in these professions and to consider how <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2017.1397604">gendered behaviour</a> and the <a href="http://www.professionalsaustralia.org.au/professional-women/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2014/03/2015-Women-in-the-STEM-Professions-Survey-Report.pdf">inflexibility of work</a> might be overcome.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Older male engineer and young male and female engineers discuss a project" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389168/original/file-20210312-19-lcw2he.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389168/original/file-20210312-19-lcw2he.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389168/original/file-20210312-19-lcw2he.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389168/original/file-20210312-19-lcw2he.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389168/original/file-20210312-19-lcw2he.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389168/original/file-20210312-19-lcw2he.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389168/original/file-20210312-19-lcw2he.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The confidence women have as STEM students isn’t translating into progress in the workplace.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/instructor-young-people-engineering-training-1022251501">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<blockquote>
<p><em>“What drives those women towards STEM industries? They have passion for it, a motivation to go against the odds.”</em> – Female student</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://doi.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fcou0000119">Career theory</a> can help <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001879109001249">inform</a> the solutions. In particular, self-esteem and self-efficacy predict resilience, goal-setting and persistence. These traits are critical for workers in competitive and gendered environments, and women STEM students are confident in both.</p>
<p>Positive educational and professional experiences, including gender-neutral experiences and role models, bolster students’ motivation and their commitment to study and career. </p>
<p>More student and graduate programs in industry, providing industry experience in each year of study, might reduce gendered attrition. It might also help to explain attrition among students and new professionals. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-hundreds-of-programs-to-get-women-into-science-but-are-they-working-time-to-find-out-133061">Australia has hundreds of programs to get women into science, but are they working? Time to find out</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Raising awareness of gendered behaviour and gender-neutral workplaces among all students can foster generational change. Increased flexibility within science workplaces could help to retain talented women. </p>
<p>The higher education sector also needs to monitor the confidence of STEM women across their studies. The focus should be on <a href="https://doi.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fcou0000119">social cognitive changes</a> caused by any <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1115817.pdf">gender stereotyping and discrimination</a>.</p>
<p>The gender gap in STEM careers, the high rate of attrition among STEM career women and the difficulty of attracting women to STEM courses are all well documented. Reducing the gender gap requires a concerted effort from governments, education systems and industry. We emphasise the need to focus on career transition and support prior to, during and beyond the student life cycle so early career confidence translates into longer-term career success.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155216/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Subramaniam Ananthram receives funding from the Australia Business Dean's Council (ABDC) for research into employability of university students.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dawn Bennett has received funding from state and federal governments, industry peak bodies and competitive funding bodies including the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sherry Bawa has received funding from state and federal governments in the past. </span></em></p>Women enrolled in STEM courses are often more confident than men, but it hasn’t translated into career success and they are still very much a minority. More needs to be done in workplaces and schools.Subramaniam Ananthram, Associate Professor, International Business, Curtin UniversityDawn Bennett, Incoming Assistant Provost and Director, Transformation CoLab, Bond UniversitySherry Bawa, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1481702020-10-27T18:30:58Z2020-10-27T18:30:58ZIndustry cadetships: a good but small step to tap the talents of women in STEM<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365472/original/file-20201026-17-86lkm5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=743%2C0%2C4368%2C2880&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>An overarching criticism of the recent federal budget is that it overlooked the <a href="https://theconversation.com/low-paid-young-women-the-grim-truth-about-who-this-recession-is-hitting-hardest-141892">workers hit hardest</a> by the COVID-19 pandemic, namely women. However, the budget includes one promising, albeit small, initiative that focuses on this group. The government <a href="https://budget.gov.au/2020-21/content/jobmaker.htm#sixteen">announced a cadetship program</a> to help women to upskill in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), or to build a STEM career. </p>
<p>As part of the JobMaker scheme, the budget allocates A$25 million over five years to create pathways to STEM careers for up to 500 women through industry-sponsored, <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/women-stem-cadetships-and-advanced-apprenticeships">advanced apprenticeship-style courses</a>. Collaborations between employers and VET providers and/or universities will deliver these “sandwiched programs” combining study and work. Women will be able to get career experience and a salary while obtaining an industry-relevant, advanced diploma in a STEM field.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/high-viz-narrow-vision-the-budget-overlooks-the-hardest-hit-in-favour-of-the-hardest-hats-147601">High-viz, narrow vision: the budget overlooks the hardest hit in favour of the hardest hats</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This scheme should help increase female participation in STEM-related learning and careers. Because <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/higher-education-and-vocational-education">more women than men enrol</a> in higher-level VET qualifications – diplomas or advanced diplomas – it’s expected to be attractive to them. </p>
<h2>Why is the gender gap in STEM such a problem?</h2>
<p>To be competitive in a world increasingly driven and underpinned by technology, Australia must invest in STEM skills to meet evolving industry workforce needs. STEM jobs are <a href="https://www.employment.gov.au/newsroom/stem-jobs-growing-almost-twice-fast-other-jobs">growing nearly twice as fast</a> as non-STEM jobs and the trend is set to continue.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-are-changing-and-fast-heres-what-the-vet-sector-and-employers-need-to-do-to-keep-up-118524">Jobs are changing, and fast. Here's what the VET sector (and employers) need to do to keep up</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It’s notable that people in STEM occupations <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-07/australias_stem_workforce_-_final.pdf">hold more qualifications</a> than those in non-STEM occupations. However, difficulties in recruitment for STEM jobs suggest a <a href="https://www.employment.gov.au/newsroom/stem-jobs-growing-almost-twice-fast-other-jobs">looming national shortage</a> of qualifications and technical skills. Low female aspiration for, and <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/advancing-women-in-stem-strategy/snapshot-of-disparity-in-stem/women-in-stem-at-a-glance">participation</a> in, STEM education and careers compound this problem. </p>
<p>In 2016, VET qualifications at diploma level or above were most common among women in the areas of commerce, hospitality and human welfare. Numbers in STEM areas such as <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/919-Risks-and-rewards.pdf">engineering and IT</a> were very low. Even women with certificate III/IV qualifications in engineering were <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/919-Risks-and-rewards.pdf">more likely</a> to work in sales and services than as technicians.</p>
<p>In short, Australia loses female talent at every stage of the STEM pipeline. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-keep-more-women-in-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem-61664">How to keep more women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Female robotics engineer leans on the table as she works with blueprints, documents and tablet computer to program robot arm movements." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365475/original/file-20201026-13-17bheoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365475/original/file-20201026-13-17bheoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365475/original/file-20201026-13-17bheoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365475/original/file-20201026-13-17bheoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365475/original/file-20201026-13-17bheoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365475/original/file-20201026-13-17bheoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365475/original/file-20201026-13-17bheoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Women with engineering qualifications are more likely to work in sales and services than as technicians.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/stylish-female-robotics-engineer-leans-on-1501235672">Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As the recent documentary <a href="https://theleadershipfilm.org/">The Leadership</a> shows, it’s a lost economic opportunity, as well as a serious issue of gender inequity, socioeconomic disadvantage and insecurity. Women are missing out on the many career opportunities in rapidly growing sectors underpinned by STEM, particularly in the digital economy. It’s also a huge waste of talent. </p>
<p>It’s estimated upskilling just 1% of the workforce into STEM roles would <a href="https://www.pwc.com.au/pdf/a-smart-move-pwc-stem-report-april-2015.pdf">add A$57 billion to Australia’s GDP</a> over 20 years.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/there-may-not-be-enough-skilled-workers-in-australias-pipeline-for-a-post-covid-19-recovery-140061">There may not be enough skilled workers in Australia's pipeline for a post-COVID-19 recovery</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So what has Australia been doing about it?</h2>
<p>Despite many attempts to increase female STEM participation over the years, only in the past few years have structured and co-ordinated plans been drafted. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.science.org.au/support/analysis/decadal-plans-science/women-in-stem-decadal-plan">Women in STEM Decadal Plan</a> was released in 2019. The <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/advancing-women-in-stem-strategy/2020-action-plan">Advancing Women in STEM 2020 Action Plan</a> followed this year. </p>
<p>The first <a href="https://www.science.unsw.edu.au/engagement/women-stem-ambassador-program">Women in STEM Ambassador</a>, Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, was <a href="https://womeninstem.org.au/">appointed</a> in 2018. The ambassador works to promote systemic changes that will produce a STEM sector that is diverse, inclusive and contributes to the nation’s competitiveness.</p>
<p>In spite of these efforts, a <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-07/australias_stem_workforce_-_final.pdf">snapshot</a> of Australia’s STEM workforce reveals women account for 21% of those who completed post-secondary STEM education and only 16% of the STEM-qualified (VET and university) workforce. Australia’s VET STEM-qualified workforce is overwhelmingly concentrated at the certificate level (1-4), with only 19% at the diploma/advanced diploma level. Significantly, only 8% of this VET STEM-qualified workforce is female.</p>
<p>In addition, <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/news-and-media/2020-australias-stem-workforce-report">a pay gap exists</a>. Full-time female workers earn less on average if working in engineering, science and IT fields.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/women-in-stem-need-your-support-and-australia-needs-women-in-stem-113054">Women in STEM need your support – and Australia needs women in STEM</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young female farmer use AR glasses to fix a machine with digital screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365477/original/file-20201026-21-1t9l4ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365477/original/file-20201026-21-1t9l4ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=329&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365477/original/file-20201026-21-1t9l4ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=329&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365477/original/file-20201026-21-1t9l4ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=329&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365477/original/file-20201026-21-1t9l4ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365477/original/file-20201026-21-1t9l4ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365477/original/file-20201026-21-1t9l4ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Even if women are working in STEM fields, they are still paid less on average than their male peers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/augmented-reality-glasses-technology-smart-agriculture-644196241">Zapp2Photo/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Challenges dwarf responses to date</h2>
<p>The newly announced cadetships represent a small investment compared to the scale of the challenges to be overcome.</p>
<p>In 2016, women in the workforce with VET STEM qualifications <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-07/australias_stem_workforce_-_final.pdf">numbered 95,300</a>. Of these, about 35,200 (37%) held a diploma or advanced diploma, a <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/news-and-media/2020-australias-stem-workforce-report">greater proportion than for men</a>. While the addition of 500 female VET advanced diploma holders by 2025 is an improvement, the number is small. This may reflect capacity constraints in higher education and industry.</p>
<p>The cadetship program focuses on the front end of the talent pipeline, namely attracting women into STEM and providing the requisite qualification and skill base. It is unlikely to address the equally important and long-standing problem of retaining women in STEM careers. </p>
<p>The Women in STEM cadetships are budgeted to receive more than three times as much funding as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/advanced-apprenticeships-will-boost-skills-for-future-jobs-but-not-in-time-to-counter-covid-impacts-147113">advanced apprenticeships in digital technologies</a> (Industry 4.0) pilot. </p>
<p>However, there have been <a href="https://ministers.dese.gov.au/tehan/industry-pilot-strengthen-work-integrated-learning">indications</a> some educational providers may interpret the program’s scope to include medical and health sciences (<a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/research/centres-collaborations/science-health-engineering-educational-research-centre/projects">or STEMM</a>). These are outside the STEM areas that traditionally struggle to attract women. </p>
<p>In the longer term, unless women upgrade beyond the level of advanced diploma and build deep competencies in technologies <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">relevant to the Fourth Industrial Revolution</a>, they will be unable to satisfy industry needs. Industries will then lack the talent needed to meet the challenges of disruptive technologies. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-preparing-students-for-21st-century-jobs-youre-behind-the-times-131567">If you're preparing students for 21st century jobs, you're behind the times</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Image of woman in hardhat pushing icon of media screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365478/original/file-20201026-21-249lnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365478/original/file-20201026-21-249lnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365478/original/file-20201026-21-249lnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365478/original/file-20201026-21-249lnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365478/original/file-20201026-21-249lnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365478/original/file-20201026-21-249lnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365478/original/file-20201026-21-249lnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Fourth Industrial Revolution means STEM-trained women will be needed to meet industry needs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/image-woman-hardhat-pushing-icon-media-157263362">Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The 500 women cadets may also face competition from the products of other initiatives, in particular the government’s <a href="https://www.employment.gov.au/boosting-apprenticeship-commencements#:%7E:text=The%20%241.2%20billion%20Boosting%20Apprenticeship,to%20support%20sustained%20economic%20recovery.">A$1.2 billion wage subsidy</a> for 100,000 apprentices.</p>
<p>Overall, the government deserves credit for experimenting with a scheme that involves closer collaboration between <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/word_doc/0003/254856/subir100-skills-workforce-agreement.docx">industry and education providers</a> to tackle <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7941.2012.00036.x">market failure</a> in managing talent. Rapid technological development and major uncertainty have added to the urgency of this challenge. This scheme is a first step in solving the complex problem of attracting women into industries requiring STEM talent and thereby easing skills shortages.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/148170/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australia loses female talent at every stage of the STEM pipeline. A program in which educators and industry work together to help women gain in-demand skills is one piece in the puzzle.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1471902020-10-02T22:30:06Z2020-10-02T22:30:06ZWith over 300,000 young people left in limbo by COVID, we need a job cadet program<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361254/original/file-20201002-24-7bqe0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=264%2C0%2C3161%2C2160&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/late-nightearly-morning-office-male-female-1114392698">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia should create a national job cadet program to help young people into work, according to a report released today by the Mitchell Institute.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361284/original/file-20201002-15-1uocrw3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Cover of Mitchell Institute report" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361284/original/file-20201002-15-1uocrw3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361284/original/file-20201002-15-1uocrw3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361284/original/file-20201002-15-1uocrw3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361284/original/file-20201002-15-1uocrw3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361284/original/file-20201002-15-1uocrw3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1074&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361284/original/file-20201002-15-1uocrw3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1074&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361284/original/file-20201002-15-1uocrw3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1074&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Mitchell Institute report released today.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/mitchell-institute-report-national-job-cadet-program.pdf">Mitchell Institute, Victoria University</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>In <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/mitchell-institute-report-national-job-cadet-program.pdf">the report</a>, Averting an Escalating Labour Market Crisis for Young People in Australia: A Proposed National Job Cadet Program, we highlight the extraordinary labour market challenges young people face.</p>
<p>Our analysis suggests the worst is yet to come, as young people compete for fewer available jobs in the transition from education to the workplace.</p>
<p>To help avert the crisis, we argue Australia should support employers to hire young people as cadets. The <a href="https://oecdedutoday.com/school-work-during-coronavirus-2008-global-financial-crisis/">evidence shows</a> programs such as these are effective in helping young people into viable careers, including at times of crisis.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-charts-on-how-covid-19-is-hitting-australias-young-adults-hard-147254">5 charts on how COVID-19 is hitting Australia's young adults hard</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What are cadetships?</h2>
<p>A cadetship combines formal training with practical work experience that includes some form of paid employment.</p>
<p>Like apprenticeships and traineeships, a cadetship program would mean young people train, study and earn an income. However, our proposed cadetships are aimed at jobs more often associated with diploma or bachelor degree qualifications. These cadetships will focus on areas of study – such as business, information technology and engineering – that are different to traditional trades.</p>
<p>This is similar to the <a href="https://www.bmbf.de/en/the-german-vocational-training-system-2129.html">German model of dual training</a>, which combines theory and training embedded in a real-life work environments. </p>
<p>Cadetships can take many forms. We describe two main streams in the table below.</p>
<p><iframe id="5ebrs" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/5ebrs/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>The first stream more closely resembles a traditional apprenticeship or traineeship, and draws on the relevant training provisions in industrial awards. This stream is for more unskilled and non-tertiary-qualified young people.</p>
<p>The second stream is for recent graduates, or those who already have some work experience, but who may need some further supported training to enter the labour market.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/advanced-apprenticeships-will-boost-skills-for-future-jobs-but-not-in-time-to-counter-covid-impacts-147113">Advanced apprenticeships will boost skills for future jobs, but not in time to counter COVID impacts</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why do we need a cadetship program?</h2>
<p>Our research shows the <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/supporting/jobs-ladder">already difficult labour market conditions</a> for young people are likely to get much worse.</p>
<p>Of particular concern is that fewer opportunities to enter the workforce will mean many young people will end up in the category known as “<a href="https://data.oecd.org/youthinac/youth-not-in-employment-education-or-training-neet.htm">NEET</a>” – “not in employment education or training”. It is the red flag of <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/who-are-the-persistently-neet-young-people#:%7E:text=While%20it%20is%20commonly%20accepted,months%20of%20NEET%20continuously%20and">education-to-work transitions</a> because it is associated with poor long-term outcomes.</p>
<p>These outcomes include higher rates of unemployment and underemployment, and lifetimes of insecure work and low pay.</p>
<p>The figure below shows the number of people between the ages of 15 to 24 who are in the NEET category in Australia. </p>
<p><iframe id="slcqC" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/slcqC/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>During the pandemic, about 100,000 more young people became NEET than would normally be the case. The most recent data show a reduction in their number, although it clearly remains higher than before. It is important to place these changes within a wider context.</p>
<p>Australia is experiencing the early economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8462.12386">Based on previous recessions</a>, the most negative effects on young people will come progressively as cohorts graduating from education make the transition to the workforce. With lower rates of job creation it becomes harder for them to find work. </p>
<p>Indeed, data show the negative impacts of youth unemployment can linger long after an economic downturn has passed.</p>
<p>The chart below shows the historical incidence for 15-to-24-year-olds who are NEET since 1986, using a three-month rolling average.</p>
<p><iframe id="iNfi7" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/iNfi7/4/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>These trends suggest Australia may need to tackle the problem of a “bottleneck” forming in the youth labour market. This is when waves of young people try to move from the education system into the labour force. </p>
<p>However, when fewer jobs are available, young people are unable to find employment and a “queue” forms. The result is higher incidences of NEET that can take some time to dissipate.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pupil-job-prospects-and-earnings-boosted-by-employer-links-to-schools-27548">Pupil job prospects and earnings boosted by employer links to schools </a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How much will it cost?</h2>
<p>The challenge facing Australia is to create a greater quantity and quality of employment opportunities for young people.</p>
<p>Investing in cadetships for young people will help meet this difficult challenge.</p>
<p>To support businesses to hire cadets, we argue the Australian government should subsidise their wages. Wage subsidies <a href="https://businesslaw.curtin.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/05/ajle-vol-19-no-3-borland.pdf">have been shown to be effective</a> in creating extra employment.</p>
<p>We believe subsidies up to A$28,000 will help create the extra high-quality employment opportunities young people need. This matches the <a href="https://www.employment.gov.au/supporting-apprentices-and-trainees">current support provided</a> to certain employers of apprentices and trainees. The final amount an employer receives can be adjusted according to criteria such as the size of the business or amount of skills development required to do the job. </p>
<p>While cadetships will cost money, the cost of doing nothing is enormous. The <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/society-at-a-glance-2016/neet-costs-are-significant-in-many-oecd-countries_soc_glance-2016-graph8-en">OECD estimates</a> the cost to the Australian economy of young people not being in education, training or employment is about 1% of GDP, or about A$40,000 per person per year.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the investment we make now in a job cadet program will deliver long-term rewards.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/147190/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Dawkins has received research grants. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David G. Lloyd and Peter Hurley do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The pandemic has hit young people very hard. The long-term costs of having them neither studying nor working more than justify investment in a national program to help them enter the workforce.Peter Hurley, Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityDavid G. Lloyd, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of South AustraliaPeter Dawkins, Vice Chancellor, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1471132020-10-02T02:07:50Z2020-10-02T02:07:50ZAdvanced apprenticeships will boost skills for future jobs, but not in time to counter COVID impacts<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361238/original/file-20201001-20-76k7oh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=521%2C0%2C4353%2C2835&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/on-hightech-factory-asian-engineer-talks-1335730934">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Australian government has released a series of manufacturing industry policies in the lead-up to the October 6 budget. Yesterday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/modern-manufacturing-strategy-australia-national-press-club-act">spoke about</a> a A$1.5 billion strategy to strengthen Australian manufacturing and supply chains. Last week, Education Minister Dan Tehan <a href="https://ministers.dese.gov.au/tehan/industry-pilot-strengthen-work-integrated-learning">announced</a> a A$7.2 million extension of advanced apprenticeship pilot programs across the country to teach students the high-level, specialist knowledge and skills they’ll need for industry jobs of the future. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/scott-morrison-names-six-priority-areas-in-1-5-billion-plan-to-boost-manufacturing-147213">Scott Morrison names six priority areas in $1.5 billion plan to boost manufacturing</a>
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<hr>
<p>COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerabilities of Australian manufacturing. <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/theausinstitute/pages/3332/attachments/original/1595693276/A_Fair_Share_for_Australian_Manufacturing.pdf?1595693276">Recent research</a> ranked Australia lowest in the OECD for manufacturing self-sufficiency. </p>
<p>The government wants to expand work-integrated learning. Its aim is to strengthen the link between training and future industry needs, and significantly lift workforce skills to meet the requirements of the digitally driven <a href="https://www.weforum.org/focus/fourth-industrial-revolution">Fourth Industrial Revolution</a>. </p>
<p>The investments in Australia’s future workforce, businesses and economy are welcome. However, the training program will not solve the unemployment problems and skills mismatch in the short term, given COVID-19’s impact on the economy.</p>
<h2>Where do advanced apprenticeships fit into this?</h2>
<p>The main aim of advanced apprenticeships is to strengthen relationships between universities and industry to produce highly skilled graduates for an <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/funding-and-incentives/industry-40">Industry 4.0-driven economy</a>. This is all the more important in light of the government’s <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/digital-business-plan-drive-australias-economic-recovery">JobMaker Digital Business Plan</a> to drive economic recovery.</p>
<p>Advanced (or higher) apprenticeships combine higher and vocational education. Student “apprentices” are exposed to a combination of systematic, <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/traditional-trade-apprenticeships-training-activity,-employer-incentives-and-international-practice">on-the-job (vocational) training <em>and</em> higher degree education</a>.</p>
<p>This approach is the basis of the German education and training system. In recent years, concerns about manufacturing’s decline in many developed economies have prompted governments to <a href="http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/international-relations/Pages/australia-germany-advisory-group.aspx">adopt aspects of the German model</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-uk-is-rethinking-university-degrees-and-australia-should-too-82973">The UK is rethinking university degrees and Australia should too</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In Australia, Siemens, the AiGroup and Swinburne University launched the <a href="https://www.australianmanufacturing.com.au/40304/ai-group-teams-up-with-siemens-swinburne-university-to-deliver-high-level-industry-4-0-apprenticeship-initiative">first</a> digital technologies advanced apprenticeships pilot in 2017. In a two-year Associate Degree in Applied Technologies, student-apprentices work for a host employer and attend university for periods of 6-8 weeks followed by similar periods of applied learning in the workplace. They do 22 weeks of full-time study a year, with 26 weeks in the workplace and four weeks’ annual leave. The program has <a href="https://new.siemens.com/au/en/company/press-centre/2018/australian-training-awards-2018.html">won industry awards</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361267/original/file-20201002-14-qawilb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Supervisor explains something to two students" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361267/original/file-20201002-14-qawilb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361267/original/file-20201002-14-qawilb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361267/original/file-20201002-14-qawilb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361267/original/file-20201002-14-qawilb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361267/original/file-20201002-14-qawilb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361267/original/file-20201002-14-qawilb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361267/original/file-20201002-14-qawilb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In advanced apprenticeship programs students divide their time by university and the workplace.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-young-students-technical-vocational-training-1265556712">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>The extra funding will extend the program beyond Victoria to New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia.</p>
<h2>Preparing skills for future jobs</h2>
<p>Advanced apprenticeships are especially relevant to rapidly changing sectors such as advanced manufacturing. Higher-level skills are increasingly in demand as <a href="https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf">emerging and disruptive technologies</a> automate lower-level tasks. </p>
<p>Jobs that draw on digital and related skills have been growing more rapidly than jobs in the so-called legacy economy. This is because the technological innovations underpinning the digital economy demand higher-level skills. These disruptive technologies include artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning and digitisation. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-are-changing-and-fast-heres-what-the-vet-sector-and-employers-need-to-do-to-keep-up-118524">Jobs are changing, and fast. Here's what the VET sector (and employers) need to do to keep up</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p><a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/coronavirus-many-stooddown-workers-will-never-get-their-jobs-back/news-story/5bd06ec322c3fa6be84a471f47b24f66">COVID-19 has accelerated this trend</a>. The need for up-skilling and training is urgent, to ensure tomorrow’s graduates, as well as the existing workforce, have the skills to take advantage of job opportunities in the digital economy. </p>
<p>The federal government believes in the power of free markets. But it recognises <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grw024">market failure exists</a> when it comes to students’ preferences for skills development versus educational institutions having the right training to meet future industry needs. As a result, many young people’s career expectations were concentrated in <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-preparing-students-for-21st-century-jobs-youre-behind-the-times-131567">ten so-called “20th century” careers</a> such as doctors, teachers, lawyers and business managers. They could struggle to find relevant and consistent work in the future.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-preparing-students-for-21st-century-jobs-youre-behind-the-times-131567">If you're preparing students for 21st century jobs, you're behind the times</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>This approach doesn’t offer a quick fix</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">Our research</a> highlights a major gap in Australia between what education and training providers are delivering and what business and industry need. Programs such as advanced apprenticeships in digital technologies will help to reduce this mismatch.</p>
<p>However, the pilot programs are not a silver bullet to solve the problems of skills and employability in Australian manufacturing, for several reasons.</p>
<p>First, this is a long-term solution. In advanced apprenticeship programs, students take two years to gain the associate degree and longer for a full university degree. Swinburne University’s first pilot intake in 2017 has only just gained undergraduate qualifications. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361269/original/file-20201002-24-1bj4ekx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two apprentices examine a component in a high-tech factory" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361269/original/file-20201002-24-1bj4ekx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361269/original/file-20201002-24-1bj4ekx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361269/original/file-20201002-24-1bj4ekx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361269/original/file-20201002-24-1bj4ekx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361269/original/file-20201002-24-1bj4ekx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361269/original/file-20201002-24-1bj4ekx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361269/original/file-20201002-24-1bj4ekx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students undertaking advanced apprenticeships take two years to complete an associate degree and longer for a full university degree.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-engineer-apprentice-examining-component-factory-1107628646">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>This training will not solve the mass unemployment due to the COVID-19 shock nor cushion the impacts of the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-25/coronavirus-job-losses-unemployment-jobseeker-jobkeeper-cut/12699028">roll-back of Jobkeeper and Jobseeker</a>.</p>
<p>Second, while the government says its manufacturing strategy will create up to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/we-make-things-in-australia-pm-s-plan-to-boost-manufacturing-20200930-p560qy.html">80,000 direct jobs and about 300,000 more indirect jobs</a>, advanced apprenticeships will not be the main training pathway. These programs have relatively small intakes and are niche in nature. </p>
<p>The first Swinburne pilot enrolled only 20 students. Similar small intakes are likely at other universities in the extended program. </p>
<p>One aim of the pilots is <a href="https://www.knoxbiz.com.au/content/2086/swinburne-advanced-apprenticeships-pilot-eoi">to involve more local firms and small to medium-sized enterprises</a>. But how many will be willing (and able) to invest in these initiatives amid the <a href="https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/news-centre/impact-covid-19-australian-businesses-part-one">economic uncertainties of the pandemic</a>?</p>
<h2>More questions than answers</h2>
<p>The lack of detail in the apprenticeship announcement raises other questions.</p>
<p>First, it is unclear to what extent the government has collaborated or consulted with the states and territories and industry bodies. This is essential because the pilots involve both vocational and higher education aspects of learning. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-keeps-talking-about-revamping-vet-but-is-it-actually-doing-it-117743">Joyce Review and the Productivity Commission</a> both emphasised the need for collaboration. </p>
<p>Second, why are only universities being targeted? And why do the extended pilots include only two dual-sector universities (Swinburne and RMIT)? </p>
<p>Perhaps the aim was to align the training element with the research element for the federally funded <a href="https://www.business.gov.au/Grants-and-Programs/Industry-Testlabs-for-Australia">Industry 4.0 Testlabs</a> in six selected universities. However, not all these universities are part of the advanced apprenticeship pilots.</p>
<p>Despite the positive spin about inter-government collaborations as a result of COVID-19, this does not appear to be happening in skills and training. Industry groups have therefore <a href="https://www.aigroup.com.au/policy-and-research/businesspolicy/industry-transformation/higher-apprenticeships-national-march-2020/">taken the initiative</a> to work directly with the states and territories and <a href="https://www.southmetrotafe.wa.edu.au/testimonial/automation-careers-are-jobs-future">with vocational education providers</a>.</p>
<p>Further details may be revealed after the budget and the Productivity Commission’s final report on its <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/skills-workforce-agreement#report">review of the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development</a>. </p>
<p>For pilot programs to be successful, especially in the context of high market uncertainty and rapid technological development, they need to be given room for <a href="https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/Creativity_paradox/4968554">experimentation</a>. The extended advanced apprenticeship pilots are welcome steps in this direction. They will help overcome the inaction of recent times on the changes needed in education, skills and training to ensure students are better able to meet the future needs of employers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/147113/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There is a growing mismatch between what education and training provide and the skills needed in workplaces being reshaped by the digital economy. Advanced apprenticeships can help close the gap.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1428182020-07-16T06:17:18Z2020-07-16T06:17:18ZJobTrainer explained: what is it, who qualifies, what does it pay?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/347844/original/file-20200716-25-1x1h41i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5184%2C3453&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Australian government has announced a A$2 billion skills package it has dubbed JobTrainer.</p>
<p>It follows JobKeeper, the wage subsidy program (<a href="https://theconversation.com/treasury-revises-jobkeepers-cost-down-by-massive-60-billion-sparking-calls-to-widen-eligibility-139231">worth about A$70 billion</a>); Jobseeker, which doubled the A$550-a-week unemployment benefit (as well as other government income payments, at a cost of A$14 billion); and JobMaker, providing <a href="https://www.arts.gov.au/departmental-news/250-million-jobmaker-plan-restart-australias-creative-economy">A$250 million</a> to stimulate work in the entertainment, arts and screen sectors. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/government-announces-2-5-billion-package-to-support-training-and-apprenticeships-142763">Government announces $2.5 billion package to support training and apprenticeships</a>
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<p>The JobTrainer package has two parts.</p>
<p>The first part, worth A$1.5 billion, is aimed at keeping those already in apprenticeships and traineeships employed.</p>
<p>The second part is aimed at school leavers and those looking for work. It provides A$500 million for vocational education and training courses. That funding is conditional on matching funds from state and territory governments.</p>
<h2>Subsidising wages</h2>
<p>The A$1.5 billion to subsidise the wages of currently employed apprentices and trainees extends a pre-existing program called <a href="https://www.employment.gov.au/supporting-apprentices-and-trainees">Supporting Apprentices and Trainees</a>.</p>
<p>It covers half the wage eligible employers pay apprentices and trainees, up to A$7,000 a quarter (A$28,000 a year). This compares to A$9,750 the Jobkeeper pays as a flat rate of A$750 a week.</p>
<p>But unlike JobKeeper, employers are not required to demonstrate reduced turnover to qualify.</p>
<p>There is a cut-off criteria according to organisation size, but it’s more generous than the scheme it extends. Previously the subsidy was only available to businesses with fewer than 20 employees. Now the limit is 200.</p>
<p>The federal government estimates about 90,000 businesses will use the scheme, supporting about 180,000 apprentices or trainees. The scheme is scheduled to run till March 31 2021.</p>
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<h2>Vocational education and training</h2>
<p>The second part of the JobTrainer announcement is expected to support an extra 340,000 free or low-cost course places from September 2020 – dependent on the states and territories matching the federal goverment’s A$500 million.</p>
<p>Funding will prioritise courses in areas the <a href="https://www.employment.gov.au/NSC">National Skills Commission</a> has identified to as likely to see job growth. Examples nominated include health care and social assistance, transport, warehousing, manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade.</p>
<p>Many of the 340,000 training places are likely to be shorter courses, known as <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/are-skill-sets-booming-an-analysis-of-training-package-skill-sets">skills sets</a>, which are parts of full qualifications.</p>
<p>These skills sets can provide students entry into new industries and also pathways to full qualifications which Australians can access through existing funding and subsidy arrangements.</p>
<p>Public, not-for-profit and private training organisations will all be eligible to apply for funding to provide these courses.</p>
<p>The vocational education and training system has <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/mitchell-institute/tertiary-education/australian-investment-in-education-vet">suffered many problems over the past decade</a> – including policies that resulted in <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-exploitation-and-corruption-continue-to-dog-australias-vet-sector-80321">widespread rorts</a> and funding cuts. </p>
<p>Even with an extra $1 billion in funding, total government support is still likely to be lower than its 2012 peak.</p>
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<h2>What’s missing from JobTrainer</h2>
<p>JobTrainer doesn’t provide any new incentives or subsidies to encourage employers to take on new apprentices or trainees.</p>
<p>In April and May 2020 the number of new apprentices and trainees <a href="http://www.naaa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Covid-19-impact-on-Apprenticeships.pdf">fell 33%</a> on the same months in 2019.</p>
<p>The Mitchell Institute <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/mitchell-institute/tertiary-education/new-modelling-warns-youth-unemployment-to-skyrocket-as-apprenticeships-disappear">has previously highlighted</a> how fewer apprenticeships and traineeships can have negative long term effects.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/trade-apprentices-will-help-our-post-covid-19-recovery-we-need-to-do-more-to-keep-them-in-work-135830">Trade apprentices will help our post COVID-19 recovery. We need to do more to keep them in work</a>
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<p>This is especially true for school leavers. About <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/school-to-work-pathways">12% of all school leavers</a> take an apprenticeship or traineeship as a pathway into the workforce.</p>
<p>Not making a successful transition from school to the workforce is associated with <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/who-are-the-persistently-neet-young-people">poor long-term outcomes</a>. These include higher rates of long term unemployment, high incidences of health problems and a lifetime engagement with the workforce characterised by low pay and precarious work.</p>
<p>Fewer new apprenticeships also disrupts the pipeline of skilled workers. An apprenticeship usually takes four years. This means a reduction in new apprentices now will result in fewer people completing their apprenticeship in four years’ time. </p>
<p>The JobTrainer policy probably won’t be enough to keep all current apprentices and trainees in their jobs. Employers faced with reduced work and uncertain conditions may still make the difficult decision to suspend or cancel a training contract. </p>
<p>But it is certainly welcome assistance to keep those losses to a minimum.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142818/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Hurley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Australian government’s JobTrainer programs provides A$1.5 billion in wage support for apprentices and trainees.Peter Hurley, Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1400582020-06-10T19:53:56Z2020-06-10T19:53:56ZUniversity students aren’t cogs in a market. They need more than a narrow focus on ‘skills’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340785/original/file-20200610-82665-1711nnr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">PRobl</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/old-people-geriatric-hospice-elderly-lady-405715708">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This essay is based on an episode of the University of Technology Sydney podcast series “<a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/partners-and-community/initiatives/impact-studios/podcasts/new-social-contract">The New Social Contract</a>”. This audio series examines how the relationship between universities, the state and the public might be reshaped as we live through this global pandemic.</em></p>
<hr>
<p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-26/key-points-from-scott-morrison-press-club-ir-skills/12287690">Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently announced</a> a revamp of the vocational education and training (VET) sector to focus more on skills needed for work. Providing training for people “who need to upskill or reskill” was also a recommendation of <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/skills-workforce-agreement/interim">an interim Productivity Commission</a> report released last week. </p>
<p>The same emphasis on skills is evident when it comes to higher education. In explaining his government’s move to embed micro-credentials in the Australian Qualifications Framework, <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/covid19-has-created-the-opportunity-for-reform-in-higher-education/news-story/bedf0e3d5943ddec536e9ab106cf9a9d">education minister Dan Tehan</a> predicted future growth in the sector would be “in part employer-driven and in part driven by the individual knowing and understanding what set of skills will best suit their employment opportunities”.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/there-may-not-be-enough-skilled-workers-in-australias-pipeline-for-a-post-covid-19-recovery-140061">There may not be enough skilled workers in Australia's pipeline for a post-COVID-19 recovery</a>
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<p>Australians are a highly educated people, with more than <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2019_f8d7880d-en">one third of the population educated to a degree level or above</a>. Yet Australia’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/14/unemployment-rate-in-australia-jumps-to-62-due-to-covid-19-as-600000-jobs-lost">youth unemployment doubled</a> to 13.8% in April, after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.</p>
<p>Something is going wrong in the relationship between education and employment. Trying to narrowly focus education and training on equipping young people with specific skills for work isn’t going to fix it. We need to fundamentally <a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---sro-bangkok/documents/publication/wcms_650239.pdf#page=145">change our approach</a>.</p>
<p>Education should equip people not just with specific skills, but also with the knowledge they need to be citizens, parents, community members, and for occupations in which they can grow and develop across the course of their lives.</p>
<h2>What are skills?</h2>
<p>When people talk about skills they might mean different things. “Skills” can refer to specific or technical skills needed to execute tasks in particular jobs. Or it can mean more generic skills such as communication or problem solving, which everyone needs for work. </p>
<p>The emphasis on skills in Australia began in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a <a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A21463">series of key reports commissioned</a> by the Hawke and Keating Labor governments. The aim was to increase capacity and participation in VET and higher education and ensure Australian workers had both a wider range and higher level of skills. </p>
<p>First the focus was on “generic” and “employability” skills in vocational education and, somewhat later, <a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A18283">“graduate attributes” in higher education</a> such as critical thinking, effective communication and problem solving skills. More recently we have begun to hear an emphasis on <a href="https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/21st-century-skills">21st century skills for everyone</a>. </p>
<p>An influential report by the <a href="http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFUSA_NewVisionforEducation_Report2015.pdf">World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group</a> defines 21st century skills in three broad categories: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>foundational literacies, which include literacy and numeracy</p></li>
<li><p>competencies, which include critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration</p></li>
<li><p>character qualities, which include curiosity, initiative and persistence.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>But people are more than an assembly of skills, and skills mean different things in different contexts. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340787/original/file-20200610-82625-94bop8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340787/original/file-20200610-82625-94bop8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340787/original/file-20200610-82625-94bop8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340787/original/file-20200610-82625-94bop8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340787/original/file-20200610-82625-94bop8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340787/original/file-20200610-82625-94bop8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340787/original/file-20200610-82625-94bop8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340787/original/file-20200610-82625-94bop8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Problem solving for a childcare educator is very specific to the context.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-beautiful-teacher-toddlers-playing-building-1690362274">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>“Problem solving”, for example, means something completely different to the childcare worker trying to deal with a room of two-year-olds having meltdowns, than it does to the oil worker trying to put out a fire on an oil rig. Each requires distinctive knowledge and expertise to deal with the problem in their own occupation.</p>
<p>This is why it is not possible to teach problem solving or other skills independently of occupations or the people who do them.</p>
<h2>From employment to employability</h2>
<p>Increasing the nation’s stock of skills, governments believe, will lead to economic efficiency and a more productive economy. If educational providers clearly specify the skill they are teaching, and if employers clearly identify which skills they want in their employees, students will be able to decide what they should learn (and pay for). </p>
<p>What this means is that the social contract between education and the world of work has shifted from one that emphasises employment (a pathway to a meaningful job), to one that emphasises employability (the attributes that might enable a person to find and keep a job). </p>
<p>The consequence is that it is now up to individuals to prepare themselves for something called “the job market”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-have-gone-from-being-a-place-of-privilege-to-a-competitive-market-what-will-they-be-after-coronavirus-137877">Universities have gone from being a place of privilege to a competitive market. What will they be after coronavirus?</a>
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<p>Students entering university are encouraged to “invest” in themselves by first anticipating, and then acquiring, the skills and qualities future employers might want. They are encouraged to understand themselves in a culture of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0268093022000043065">continual calculation</a> and risk management. </p>
<p>As the economy changes and work becomes more uncertain, the risks of someone making a bad decision increase and employers’ demands for skills become <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02680939.2018.1549752">more narrowly focused</a>.</p>
<p>That’s why it is not surprising that, as the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-24/centrelink-minister-stuart-robert-not-anticipate-coronavirus/12080612">queues at CentreLink</a> have grown longer, Dan Tehan has encouraged <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/covid19-has-created-the-opportunity-for-reform-in-higher-education/news-story/bedf0e3d5943ddec536e9ab106cf9a9d">more Australians to invest in short courses to reskill</a> themselves.</p>
<h2>Occupations instead of skills</h2>
<p>But skills are not the only way to think about the relationship between education and employment.</p>
<p>A whole set of preconditions <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/dimensions-of-expertise-9781847062680/">enable a person to be a good worker</a>. These extend beyond that person’s ability to execute a task and include the broad range of factors that make it possible for them to feel respected, connected and that the work they do is meaningful. </p>
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<iframe src="https://webplayer.whooshkaa.com/episode/670130?theme=light&visual=true&enable-volume=true" height="190" width="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay"></iframe>
<p>Subscribe to the New Social Contract podcast on your favourite podcast app: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-new-social-contract/id1510173684">Apple Podcast</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2ltBYx6bVMrpqGAWlSpMV5">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-new-social-contract?refid=stpr">Stitcher</a></p>
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<p>People need to live in safe, inclusive communities and they need to be able to have a say in the kind of society we share. People, after all, are more than job seekers.</p>
<p>People study and go to work so they can sustain themselves and their families and because they find these activities meaningful. They do not study and go to work because it contributes to the creation of markets. This may be the outcome of their activity, but for most people it is not the purpose of their lives. </p>
<p>An education system focused on skills misses this bigger picture, in which the whole person is developed for an occupation, which is part of a broader network of occupations in society.</p>
<p>Occupations are composed of many specific jobs. They are underpinned by both theoretical and practical knowledge. Occupations have histories, face ethical dilemmas and are part of a complex web of other occupations that work with each other. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/students-striking-for-climate-action-are-showing-the-exact-skills-employers-look-for-113546">Students striking for climate action are showing the exact skills employers look for</a>
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<p>Electricians, for example, frequently work with engineers. And social workers often work alongside health workers. Research shows people are <a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A53815">more likely to move within occupations</a> or to other occupations where they require similar knowledge, skills and attributes, than they are to move to entirely new fields of work.</p>
<p>We need to think more broadly about occupations, and what it means to prepare people to work in them. Rather than focusing on skills, government policies on education and training might focus on <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13636820.2016.1275031">supporting occupational pathways</a> (for example, from aged care worker to nurse). </p>
<p>They might ensure graduates can go to good quality jobs with employers who will support their continuing professional development.</p>
<h2>Training for work that anchors communities in transition</h2>
<p>Preparation for the workforce has long been crucial to the relationship universities have with governments on the one hand, and different elements of society on the other.</p>
<p>It will become all the more important as our economies and societies are transformed, not just by new technology, but also by the changes that will come under the pressures of climate change.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-the-most-important-mission-for-universities-of-the-21st-century-139214">Climate change is the most important mission for universities of the 21st century</a>
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<p>We now need an education system <a href="http://www.johncainfoundation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TAFE_social_settlement_report_s0213043.pdf">that will anchor communities in transition</a>. Adaptable, qualified graduates who have deep knowledge of their field, who can see a pathway to their future and who feel connected to, and respected in, the society they inhabit, will be able to respond to these challenges more effectively than those forced to continually second guess an uncertain job market.</p>
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<p><em>The next article linked to <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/partners-and-community/initiatives/impact-studios/podcasts/new-social-contract">The New Social Contract</a> podcast will look at universities and the communities they serve.</em></p>
<p><em>Universities and the nation’s workforce was made by <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/partners-and-community/initiatives/impact-studios/about-us">Impact Studios</a> at the University of Technology, Sydney - an audio production house combining academic research and audio storytelling.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/140058/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leesa Wheelahan has received funding from an Insight Grant from the Social Sciences and Human Research Council of Canada which explores the relationship between education and the labour market.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tamson Pietsch receives funding from the Australian Research Council</span></em></p>Education should equip people not just with specific skills, but also with the knowledge they need to be citizens, and for occupations in which they can develop across the course of their lives.Leesa Wheelahan, Professor & William G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership, University of TorontoTamson Pietsch, Associate Professor, Social & Political Sciences, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1400612020-06-05T01:24:39Z2020-06-05T01:24:39ZThere may not be enough skilled workers in Australia’s pipeline for a post-COVID-19 recovery<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339751/original/file-20200604-67364-1ii7wfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/silhouetteteams-businessman-engineer-looking-blueprint-building-660890023">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Scott Morrison wants to overhaul the skills workforce to ensure a better post-COVID-19 recovery. But there may not be enough people with the necessary skills to do so. And travel restrictions, which will reduce migration, will only compound the issue.</p>
<p>A Productivity Commission <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/skills-workforce-agreement/interim">interim report released today</a> found the proportion of people without qualifications at a Certificate 3 level or above decreased from 47.1% in 2009 to 37.5% in 2019. This will not be enough to meet a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) target of 23.6% set for 2020. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/morrisons-vet-reforms-offer-the-same-old-promises-with-no-more-money-139761">Morrison's VET reforms offer the same old promises, with no more money</a>
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<p>The report also found while the number of higher-level qualifications (diplomas and advanced diplomas) sharply increased between 2009 and 2012, it has since fallen to its 2009 level.</p>
<p>The 2020 target was set out in the 2012 National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development (<a href="https://www.employment.gov.au/national-agreement-skills-and-workforce-development">NASWD</a>), which identified long-term federal and state objectives in skills and workforce development.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1268665368093945857"}"></div></p>
<p>The report noted the skills agreement is no longer fit for purpose, and the A$6.1 billion governments spend annually on vocational education and training can be better allocated to improve outcomes. </p>
<h2>What the report found</h2>
<p>The National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development was intended to significantly lift the skills of the Australian workforce and improve participation in training, especially by students facing disadvantage. Several targets, performance indicators and outcomes were agreed to.</p>
<p>These included to:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>halve the proportion of Australians aged between 20-64 without qualification at certificate 3 level and below, from 47.1% in 2009 to 23.6% by 2020</p></li>
<li><p>double the number of advanced diploma and diploma completions nationally from 53,974 to 107,948 in 2020.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The commissioners admit some of the targets agreed to were arbitrary and ambitious. </p>
<p>The report says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If targets are unattainable, they quickly become irrelevant for policymakers. The NASWD’s performance indicators were reasonable general measures but needed to be linked to specific policies to allow governments to monitor progress.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339703/original/file-20200604-67377-ws7and.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339703/original/file-20200604-67377-ws7and.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339703/original/file-20200604-67377-ws7and.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339703/original/file-20200604-67377-ws7and.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339703/original/file-20200604-67377-ws7and.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339703/original/file-20200604-67377-ws7and.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339703/original/file-20200604-67377-ws7and.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The NASWD’s targets will not be met.</span>
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</figure>
<p>The commissioners state the failure to meet the targets is not an indication the national agreement has failed overall. This is because the targets only looked at those with formal education.</p>
<p>It noted a large proportion of the workforce aged over 25 are more likely to do informal training to increase skills for their current occupation, as opposed to formal training to get a new job. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/most-young-people-who-do-vet-after-school-are-in-full-time-work-by-the-age-of-25-133060">Most young people who do VET after school are in full-time work by the age of 25</a>
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<p>About 85% of workers’ non-formal learning is paid for by employers, but government policies are largely silent about this kind of training.</p>
<p>Noting these caveats, the report identified factors that contributed to the failure to meet the targets. These included:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>a lack of uniform commitment and execution to meet the reform directions set as part of the original national agreement. This was meant to improve training accessibility, affordability and depth of skills through a more open and competitive VET market, driven by user choice</p></li>
<li><p>the reputational damage of the VET FEE-HELP scheme that facilitated rorting of the system</p></li>
<li><p>a reduction in governments’ commitment to a competitive training market. This includes a lack of accessible course information for students and inadequate sector regulation</p></li>
<li><p>unclear pathways to jobs through the VET system – for example through lack of proper employment advice through school career advisors.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The fall in VET participation also coincided with an increase in university enrolments. This suggests students were choosing university over VET. VET and traineeship funding also tightened from 2014.</p>
<h2>What the report recommends</h2>
<p>Treasurer Josh Freydenberg asked the Productivity Commission to undertake the <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/skills-workforce-agreement#draft">review</a> of the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development in November 2019, before the bushfires and COVID-19 hit the economy. </p>
<p>The request came a few months after former New Zealand skills minister Steven Joyce <a href="https://pmc.gov.au/domestic-policy/vet-review">released a report</a> and recommendations of his review of Australia’s VET system. </p>
<p>The findings of the Productivity Commission’s interim report appear to dovetail well with those of the Joyce review. This recommended the formation of the National Skills Commission, which can facilitate an overarching national and consistent approach to vocational education and training. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-keeps-talking-about-revamping-vet-but-is-it-actually-doing-it-117743">The government keeps talking about revamping VET – but is it actually doing it?</a>
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<p>The interim report’s main recommendation is for governments to consider reforms to make the VET system a more efficient, competitive market. This must be driven by informed choices of students and employers, with the flexibility to deliver a broad suite of training options.</p>
<p>The commissioners also advocate for the use of common methods of measurement among states and territories to achieve nationally consistent VET funding and pricing. </p>
<p>For example, one of the most popular VET courses in Australia is the Certificate 3 in individual support — the course you’d study to work in aged or disability care. Standard subsidies for this course vary by as much as A$3,700 across Australia. </p>
<p>The report calls for more submissions and consultation as part of the next phase of the review. </p>
<p>The initial assumption of the commissioners was that the <a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-are-changing-and-fast-heres-what-the-vet-sector-and-employers-need-to-do-to-keep-up-118524">changing nature of work largely driven by new technology</a> would be the main driver of changes to VET requirements. </p>
<p>But given the disruptions to the economy, and learning delivery having moved online, the commissioners note that while their current options and recommendations are unlikely to change in the general sense, COVID-19 is probably <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-economy-must-come-out-of-icu-scott-morrison-139347">driving longer-term changes to the economy</a>. </p>
<p>They say the pandemic may lead to structural changes in the VET sector which will also be relevant to any future agreements between governments.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/140061/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Productivity Commission has released a report of its review of a national agreement on the skills workforce and the VET sector.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1397612020-06-03T02:54:03Z2020-06-03T02:54:03ZMorrison’s VET reforms offer the same old promises, with no more money<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339344/original/file-20200603-133910-vwx87s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teacher-helping-college-student-studying-carpentry-284521790">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Prime Scott Morrison <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-26/key-points-from-scott-morrison-press-club-ir-skills/12287690">last week outlined</a> a plan to create jobs and revitalise the economy post COVID-19. Part of this so-called Jobmaker plan <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/jobmaker-scott-morrison-s-skills-overhaul-to-drive-coronavirus-recovery-20200525-p54w9v.html">includes an overhaul</a> of the “bewildering”, “unresponsive” and “fundamentally flawed” skills sector. </p>
<p>Morrison’s reforms are based on <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/resource-centre/domestic-policy/vet-review/strengthening-skills-expert-review-australias-vocational-education-and-training-system">Steven Joyce’s 2019 review</a> of Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) system, of which all recommendations were accepted by the federal government. </p>
<p>But actors in the sector may be sceptical of the “overhaul” based on their experience of past changes. Reforms in 2014 were similarly aimed at making VET more responsive to industry needs and cutting red tape, all the while pulling funding from the sector. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-keeps-talking-about-revamping-vet-but-is-it-actually-doing-it-117743">The government keeps talking about revamping VET – but is it actually doing it?</a>
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<p>The end result was a substantial contraction of the sector, as well as significant rorting by private organisations.</p>
<h2>What’s happened since the last reforms?</h2>
<p>Governments from both parties have introduced <a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/vet-knowledge-bank-timeline-australian-vet-policy-initiatives">33 significant sector reforms</a> since 1998. And the Coalition has made a number of attempts to reorganise VET since being elected in 2013.</p>
<p>The result is an industry suffering from “<a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/a-vet-reform-every-two-and-a-half-weeks-20190908-p52p42">reform fatigue</a>”, and teachers experiencing <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/staff-would-not-recommend-tafe-as-a-good-place-to-work-20191202-p53g0y.html">dissatisfaction with their work and low morale</a>.</p>
<p>The sector has also shrunk. Between 2013 and 2018 total <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/government-funded-students-and-courses-2018">full-time equivalent student hours</a> decreased by 30% – while total student numbers decreased from 1.9 million to fewer than 1.1 million. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/most-young-people-who-do-vet-after-school-are-in-full-time-work-by-the-age-of-25-133060">Most young people who do VET after school are in full-time work by the age of 25</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A43376">Apprenticeships</a> were particularly impacted by the changes. While 214,000 apprentices completed their training in 2013, this went down to 89,000 in 2018. This was accompanied by a substantial drop in <a href="http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Australian-Investment-in-Education-VET.pdf">financial support from government</a> – from A$6.8 billion to A$5.3 billion. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, efforts to decrease regulation to make the sector more responsive to the market resulted in <a href="https://theconversation.com/privatisation-of-vocational-education-isnt-working-37788">substantial rorts by private providers</a>, who greatly tarnished the reputation of the sector as a whole.</p>
<h2>How Morrison’s reforms compare</h2>
<p>Morrison’s disparaging rhetoric towards VET harks back to federal industry minister <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/macfarlane-makes-good-start-on-needed-vocational-training-changes-20140915-jeoh8">Ian Macfarlane’s</a> attempts at reform in 2014, when he aimed to update a “fractured, unwieldy and overly bureaucratic” sector to be “streamlined and effective”. </p>
<p>Morrison outlined three key problems to overcome in the VET system. First, the system is too complex and unresponsive to industry demand. Second, it does not offer clear information about the skills needed for the future. And third, the system is inconsistent between states and there is poor accountability over how money is spent.</p>
<p>To solve these problems, the government will establish pilot <a href="https://www.employment.gov.au/SO">Skills Organisations</a> to “enhance the […] leadership of industry in the skills pipeline”, by giving industry more control over the contents of qualifications. </p>
<p>These organisations are reminiscent of <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/macfarlane/media-releases/governments-second-tranche-vet-reforms-deliver-industry-led-and">Macfarlane’s 2014</a> Industry Skills Councils. These were aimed at giving industry “the freedom to design the type of training they’re after”. </p>
<p>Given this still a recurring issue, it appears previous efforts to give industry more voice in training package design have not achieved their goals. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-are-changing-and-fast-heres-what-the-vet-sector-and-employers-need-to-do-to-keep-up-118524">Jobs are changing, and fast. Here's what the VET sector (and employers) need to do to keep up</a>
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<p>Morrison also announced the establishment of the National Skills Commission to provide a countrywide view of Australia’s skills needs and coordinate state VET activities. </p>
<p>This draws from another past VET reform. Paul Keating established the Australian National Training Authority in 1992. It had a very similar remit to this new skills commission but was dissolved by the Howard government in 2005.</p>
<p>A final feature Morrison’s skills overhaul shares with its predecessors is a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/jobmaker-scott-morrison-s-skills-overhaul-to-drive-coronavirus-recovery-20200525-p54w9v.html">lack of commitment</a> to increasing funding to the sector. Morrison said he wanted to better target A$1.5 billion of federal funding to the sector, rather than committing to providing additional financial support. </p>
<p>While <a href="https://theconversation.com/reforms-to-vet-are-a-good-thing-but-nowhere-near-enough-31620">funding was raised</a> as a key issue during the 2014 reforms, it remains relevant. Vocational education is still <a href="https://theconversation.com/vocational-education-and-training-sector-is-still-missing-out-on-government-funding-report-88863">comparatively underfunded compared to schools and higher education</a>.</p>
<p>Without increasing funding to the sector, it is hard to imagine it achieving the goals set up for it by Morrison and the Joyce review.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139761/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Patrick Locke is an employee of the NSW Department of Education. This article reflects his own personal views, rather than the position of the NSW Department of Education.</span></em></p>Reforms in 2014 were similarly aimed at making VET more responsive to industry needs and cutting red tape, all the while pulling funding from VET.Patrick Locke, Research Associate, LCT Centre for Knowledge-Building, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1330602020-05-14T19:52:04Z2020-05-14T19:52:04ZMost young people who do VET after school are in full-time work by the age of 25<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334557/original/file-20200513-82403-123u6vc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teacher-helping-student-training-be-car-284521325">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>More than 80% of young adults who did a short spell of post-school education or training (such as a certificate or diploma), or went directly into work, were in full-time work by the time they were 25. This was compared to 64% of those who studied at university first.</p>
<p>A report by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER),
<a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/school-to-work-pathways">School-to-work pathways</a>, outlines the transitions young people aged 16-25 make between school and employment. </p>
<p>This is based on the 2006 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (<a href="https://www.lsay.edu.au/">LSAY</a>). The LSAY follows cohorts of young people from the age of 15 as they transition from school to further study and work, until they are 25. </p>
<p>School-to-work pathways is one of 14 reports summarised recently in the book <a href="https://www.lsay.edu.au/publications/search-for-lsay-publications/25-years-of-lsay-research-from-the-longitudinal-surveys-of-australian-youth">25 years of LSAY: research from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth</a>.</p>
<p>The report shows most of the cohort of 3,186 young people – who completed every survey from 2007-2016 – followed a simple university to work pathway or early entry into work after school. The latter generally includes some vocational education and training (VET). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-you-have-a-low-atar-you-could-earn-more-doing-a-vet-course-than-a-uni-degree-if-youre-a-man-121624">If you have a low ATAR, you could earn more doing a VET course than a uni degree – if you're a man</a>
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<p>But the remaining 17% had varied and complex transitions including frequent switching between higher education and VET, episodes of part-time work and repeatedly disengaging from the labour market. </p>
<p>Another report <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/who-are-the-persistently-neet-young-people">examined</a> more closely the group of people aged 15-24 who weren’t in any work, education or training for six months or more.</p>
<p>It found those who were persistently not employed, and not in any education or training (including school) as teenagers (aged 15-19) were three to five times more likely to be so at 20-24 than those who were studying or employed during their teenage years. These teenagers were also more likely to have poorer education outcomes when they were 20-24. </p>
<h2>VET and university before work</h2>
<p>The first report identifies five different pathways young people took on the way from school to further study or work. These were: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>higher education and work</p></li>
<li><p>early entry to full-time work </p></li>
<li><p>mix of higher education and VET</p></li>
<li><p>mixed and repeatedly disengaged from work or education</p></li>
<li><p>mostly working part-time.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Of the study sample, 60% chose a university pathway. But the early entry to full-time work pathway was the quickest route to employment. Nearly every young adult (97%) who took this pathway (which usually involves some VET) were employed full or part-time by the age of 25. </p>
<p>Out of young people who took the first, higher education to work pathway, 92% were employed in full or part time work by 25. </p>
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<p>We looked at outcomes at the age of 25, which means many young people were still catching up in terms of full-time employment. This includes those who took a university pathway and studied full-time for longer.</p>
<p>About 23% of the study sample had left school early and were in full-time work shortly after – most of them were doing a vocational education and training course. About 69% of young people in this group had VET qualifications as their highest qualification by 25. </p>
<p>About half of this group did apprenticeships and traineeships as an express pathway to work. </p>
<p>The top three occupation groups for those who took this pathway and were employed by 25 were: technicians and trades workers, clerical and administrative workers, and community and personal service workers including child- aged- and disability-carers.</p>
<p>The top three occupation groups for those employed by 25 who first went to university were: professionals, clerical and administrative workers and community and personal service workers.</p>
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<p>The other pathways reveal a more complex tapestry with lots of switching between having work, training or education, or being neither in work, or training or education. </p>
<p>Most (82%) of those who did a mix of university and VET, as well as most (66%) who worked part-time, experienced 6 to 15 transitions between the ages of 15 and 25.</p>
<p>Most (70%) young people in the mixed and repeatedly disengaged pathway went through 11 or more transitions. These included a frequent change in employment status, an unstable employment record and long periods of unemployment.</p>
<p>Young people who were less academically inclined (having lower maths and reading scores) had a higher likelihood of following the early entry to full-time work pathway. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/employer-incentives-may-not-be-the-most-cost-effective-or-fair-way-of-boosting-apprenticeship-numbers-114986">Employer incentives may not be the most cost-effective or fair way of boosting apprenticeship numbers</a>
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<p>Taking vocational education and training subjects at school decreased the likelihood of following the university pathway and increased the likelihood of an early entry to full-time work pathway. </p>
<p>Young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds were also less likely to engage in the university pathway, and more likely to follow the early entry to full-time work pathway.</p>
<h2>What about those who aren’t in work or study?</h2>
<p>Not all pathways led to employment by age 25.</p>
<p>About 5% of young people were in the mixed and repeatedly disengaged pathway. They were mostly unemployed after school and experienced long or multiple periods of not being in any education, employment or training.</p>
<p>The second report looked specifically at young people who were not working or studying. It showed the main predictors for being persistently out of work and not in any education or training were: leaving school early, having a child (particularly for those under the age of 20) and coming from a disadvantaged background.</p>
<p>Conventional wisdom holds going to university after school leads to better outcomes in terms of a full-time job with a good salary. But this does not hold true for all young people.</p>
<p>For some, doing an apprenticeship or going into full-time work straight after school may be a more suitable option than finishing school. </p>
<p>Policies should better reflect young people’s choices by providing more opportunities to pursue vocational education and training pathways, such as by giving secondary school students better access to VET.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-change-negative-views-of-the-jobs-vet-serves-to-make-it-a-good-post-school-option-101388">We need to change negative views of the jobs VET serves to make it a good post-school option</a>
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<p>Vocational education and training can also be a viable alternative among young people vulnerable to being disengaged, such as early school leavers who cannot find work. For others, such as those who are not in the labour force due to parenting responsibilities, a variety of social supports may be required. </p>
<p>The analysis here presents a useful categorisation of transitions but, due to constraints with the data, the proportions can’t be applied generally to the youth population.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the initial LSAY sample is representative of the Australian population and remains useful in providing insights on youth transition pathways.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133060/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There are five transitions young people aged 16-25 make between school and employment. Most involve some vocational education and training. Some involve university and others no education at all.John Stanwick, Senior Research Officer, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)Cameron Forrest, Data Analyst, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)Emerick Chew, Data Analyst, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1315672020-02-16T18:56:07Z2020-02-16T18:56:07ZIf you’re preparing students for 21st century jobs, you’re behind the times<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315434/original/file-20200214-10980-1cs9qsc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/italy-female-pilot-airplanes-cockpit-435560257">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every year, the Australian Taxation Office <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Media-centre/Media-releases/2016-17-Tax-Stats-released/">releases a report</a> that includes the highest earning occupations in Australia. These are mostly in the medical, legal and financial sectors.</p>
<p>This information is commonly used by school career advisers, together with <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-blueprint-career-development">other career development material</a>, to help teenagers make career choices. </p>
<p>But the nature of work is changing rapidly under the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/focus/fourth-industrial-revolution">fourth industrial revolution</a>. This is driven by disruptive technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning and digitalisation.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-are-changing-and-fast-heres-what-the-vet-sector-and-employers-need-to-do-to-keep-up-118524">Jobs are changing, and fast. Here's what the VET sector (and employers) need to do to keep up</a>
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<p>The change is expected to lead to the complete loss of some jobs (such as those in repetitive, production-line manufacturing), the need for significant re-skilling in other jobs (such as pilots and radiologists) and the creation of completely new ones (such as robot trainers and big data analysts).</p>
<p>So, what should career guidance counsellors be doing to ensure today’s children have the skills for jobs of the future, not of the past?</p>
<h2>What teenagers want</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/dream-jobs-teenagers-career-aspirations-and-the-future-of-work.htm">recent OECD survey</a> showed teenagers’ career expectations were concentrated in ten so-called “20th century” careers. These include doctors, teachers, lawyers and business managers. </p>
<p>These choices have remained unchanged for almost two decades. For girls, they have become even more popular since 2000. This suggests a significant gap between teenagers’ career knowledge and choices, and the reality of the rapidly changing nature of work.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-subjects-do-i-choose-for-my-last-years-of-school-126194">'What subjects do I choose for my last years of school?'</a>
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<p>It’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1787/2e2f4eea-en">estimated</a> on average, 14% of jobs across OECD countries are prone to becoming automated and another third could face substantial changes in how they are performed. Nearly half of the jobs in OECD countries are at significant risk of being automated over the next ten to 15 years.</p>
<p>Careers related to how humans and machines or computers complement each other <a href="http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/wiso/11480.pdf">will provide new employment opportunities</a> across different sectors. Commercial passenger airliner pilots, for instance, will <a href="https://www.oliverwyman.com/content/dam/oliver-wyman/v2/publications/2018/november/2018_Flight_Ops_Survey_The_Pilot_of_the_Future_web.pdf">steadily adjust</a> to new supervisory roles due to autonomous flight.</p>
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<p>While most of the top ten jobs (such as in the health care, law enforcement and education) in the OECD survey are at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1787/d36cddc4-en">low risk of automation</a>, other nominated jobs outside this list (such as those in production manufacturing, office support and sales) are at higher risk. </p>
<p>The report characterises “jobs with a future” as those having higher growth prospects with a low risk of automation. In addition to those above, these include jobs in technology such as software engineers, data analysts and supervisors of automated operations.</p>
<p>In the Australian part of the survey, about 35% of jobs selected by teenagers are at risk of automation. This suggests teenagers and career advisers in Australia aren’t fully aware of how the market is shifting and what the “jobs with a future” are. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-benefits-of-job-automation-are-not-likely-to-be-shared-equally-90859">The benefits of job automation are not likely to be shared equally</a>
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<p>This misalignment between educational and career aspirations is most pronounced among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Around 6% are more likely to select jobs more at risk of automation than their more advantaged counterparts.</p>
<p>Also, teenage Australian boys are more likely to select careers in science and engineering. Paradoxically, they are 8% more likely to select jobs at risk of automation than girls of their cohort who are more likely to choose health sector professions.</p>
<h2>What should be done</h2>
<p>The fourth industrial revolution is already having an impact on current jobs. Despite young people generally completing more years of formal education than their parents, many are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/auar.12256">struggling to find relevant</a> and consistent employment. </p>
<p>Governments are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grw024">increasingly worried</a> about the mismatch between what societies and industries demand versus what education systems supply. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
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<span class="caption">Jobs in production line manufacturing are likely to disappear in the next 15 years.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/workers-sort-biscuits-on-conveyor-belt-792336616">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The <a href="https://www.oecd.org/newsroom/teenagers-career-expectations-narrowing-to-limited-range-of-jobs-oecd-pisa-report-finds.htm">OECD calls</a> for a <a href="https://oecdedutoday.com/youth-employment-journeys/">partnership</a> between employers and school career advisers. Guidance that starts early, challenges stereotyping (based on gender and socioeconomic status), is well informed and delivered in the workplace in partnership with employers will be most effective. Successful career guidance <a href="https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Presentations/Publications/Careers_review.pdf">results in better economic</a>, education and social outcomes. </p>
<p>The Australian government developed a <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/school-work-transitions">National Career Education Strategy</a> in 2019, after working with the state and territory education, business and industry, and career education groups. This aims to support school students to make better informed future study and career choices.</p>
<p>While this is a good first step, we need better support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those in <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/01218_independent_review_accessible.pdf">regional, rural and remote locations</a> – as well as male students interested in participating in science, technology and engineering jobs.</p>
<p>The OECD study found countries like Austria and Germany, which had much lower concentration of 20th century careers, had high-quality vocational education and training (VET) programs available for people from a young age. This reinforces <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">research</a> findings and <a href="https://pmc.gov.au/domestic-policy/vet-review">policy reviews</a> that call for closer collaboration between the Australian VET sector and industry. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fewer-australians-will-have-uni-or-tafe-skills-if-governments-dont-reform-tertiary-education-117903">Fewer Australians will have uni or TAFE skills if governments don't reform tertiary education</a>
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<p>It also shows the importance of higher government investment in the sector in terms of training and developing skills relevant for disruptive technologies. </p>
<p>Exposing school students to relatively simple and low-cost career development activities, like attending <a href="https://doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en">job fairs</a>, has been shown to significantly increase awareness of different occupations and reduce career concentration.</p>
<p>There isn’t a <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/news-and-events/media-releases/training-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution">consensus</a> among employers on how disruptive technologies will impact on their organisations. And they are wary of investing heavily in specific skills and training. </p>
<p>But they still have a pivotal role in preparing students with the skills to succeed in the future. The OECD study actively encourages employer engagement in education. Suggested activities include careers-insight talks, subject talks, enterprise competitions, mentoring, workplace visits, job shadowing and short work placements.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131567/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There is a significant gap between teenagers’ career knowledge and choices, and the reality of the rapidly changing nature of work.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1280912019-12-10T01:40:41Z2019-12-10T01:40:41ZWhy the profit motive fails in education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/305579/original/file-20191206-183360-1o6rl16.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C428%2C5499%2C3688&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The disastrous experience of vocational education and training in Australia holds many lessons about trying to fit education into a for-profit market model.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Morrison government’s waiving of <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/morrison-government-wipes-500-million-in-dodgy-debt-from-students-20191130-p53fnk.html">almost A$500 million</a> in dodgy vocational education and training debts holds many lessons about the nature of education and public services being provided by for-profit enterprises.</p>
<p>The debts were collected by about 38,000 students unwittingly locked into federal VET FEE-HELP loans by dodgy for-profit education providers. Thousands more complaints seeking to have debts waived <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/morrison-government-wipes-500-million-in-dodgy-debt-from-students-20191130-p53fnk.html">have yet to be processed</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-national-set-of-priorities-for-vet-would-make-great-social-and-economic-sense-101516">A new national set of priorities for VET would make great social and economic sense</a>
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<p>One of the lessons from the disastrous mix of public funding and private profits in the VET sector is that policymakers infatuated with the dogma of “reform” are incapable of learning from experience. </p>
<p>That’s true of both sides of politics.</p>
<h2>Victorian reforms</h2>
<p>A brief history of the “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/morrison-government-wipes-500-million-in-dodgy-debt-from-students-20191130-p53fnk.html">most disastrous education rort in Australia’s history</a>” illustrates the point. </p>
<p>The story begins in about 2008.</p>
<p>Historically, vocational education and training was the domain of the government-run Technical and Further Education (TAFE) colleges. To create an expanded demand-driven sector, the Labor government of John Brumby in Victoria made two key “reforms”.</p>
<p>One was to open up the TAFE system to private-sector competition. The other was to shift costs <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/tafe-shakeup-shifts-cost-burden-to-students-20080826-430t.html">to students</a>, through a fee loans scheme similar to the one federal Labor introduced to fund university education expansion.</p>
<p>These reforms were embraced by Brumby’s Liberal successor, Ted Baillieu, who <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/deeper-tafe-cuts-revealed-in-secret-documents-20120913-25v7o.html">severely cut TAFE funding</a>, and by both Liberal and Labor federal governments.</p>
<h2>How not to reform</h2>
<p>But what Victoria provided, in the words of education policy researcher Leesa Wheelahan, was “a great template in <a href="https://theconversation.com/victorian-tafe-chaos-a-lesson-in-how-not-to-reform-vocational-education-7296">how not to reform vocational training</a>”. </p>
<p>As Wheelahan noted in 2012, problems emerged almost immediately. For-profit providers enticed students (and therefore the money flowing from the government) with sweeteners such as “free” iPads. Diplomas requiring 600 hours of work were granted on the basis of 60 hours. And so on.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/victorian-tafe-chaos-a-lesson-in-how-not-to-reform-vocational-education-7296">Victorian TAFE chaos: a lesson in how not to reform vocational education</a>
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<p>In <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/__data/assets/file/0020/9920/structures-in-tertiary-education-2616.pdf">an essay</a> published in 2013, I wrote: “Attempts by for-profit firms to enter (what they perceive as) education markets have almost invariably ended either in failure or in fraudulent exploitation of public subsidies.”</p>
<p>But the Victorian template was embraced federally first by the government <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1617a/17bd041">of John Howard</a>, which extended the Higher Education Loan Program to VET, and then those of <a href="https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/administration-vet-fee-help-scheme">Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard</a>. </p>
<p>It grew even more under Tony Abbott, increasing at triple-digit rates <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/birmingham/press-conference-vet-fee-help">between 2012 and 2015</a>, until evident problems forced government action. The Australian National Audit Office’s <a href="https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/administration-vet-fee-help-scheme">scathing assessment</a> of the scheme in 2016 led to it <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-02/parliament-passes-bill-to-scrap-troubled-vet-loans/8085860">being scrapped</a>.</p>
<h2>Examples of failure</h2>
<p>Policymakers could have learned not only from the initial failures of VET reform but from examples of for-profit education at all levels. </p>
<p>Australian universities have dabbled unsuccessfully with the for-profit tertiary model exemplified by the University of Phoenix. It and other for-profit universities have been accused of rorting federal education funding provided for military veterans, by spending <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1USxgmt2o5tI3hZ5WOVaRnvzJTEDRKWfo/view">15% or less of the fees received on instruction</a>.</p>
<p>It’s perhaps a good thing that Australian universities rooted in the traditions of public education have routinely failed with for-profit ventures such as as Melbourne University Private. It closed in 2005 after losing an estimated <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2005/s1386873.htm">A$20 million</a> over the previous seven years.</p>
<p>At the level of school education, the US has plenty of failed experiments. One is <a href="https://www.hepg.org/her-home/issues/harvard-educational-review-volume-75-issue-4/herbooknote/the-edison-schools_3">Edison Schools</a>, which at its peak in the early 2000s had hundreds of school contracts. It has since lost the great majority due to not <a href="https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/education-commercial-mindset-samuel-abrams-review">delivering on promises</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/do-we-want-for-profit-schools-in-australia-7015">Do we want for-profit schools in Australia?</a>
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<p>In the realm of early child education, Australia’s for-profit child-care operators funded by government subsidies have a similarly problematic record.
The similarities include using the types of lures pioneered by shonky operators in the VET sector – enticing parents (and their federal subsidies) with offers of “free” <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/education/early-years/childcare-centres-offer-giveaways-as-fees-soar/news-story/40c5b738b095cc1163e2db1665acf85a">iPads and gift cards</a>. </p>
<h2>The limits of market liberalism</h2>
<p>The failures of for-profit education reflect both the specific characteristics of education that make a market model inappropriate and more fundamental failings of market liberalism. </p>
<p>Students, by definition, don’t know enough to be informed consumers. Whether the course is good or bad, they are unlikely to be repeat customers. In these circumstances, relying on consumer choice and competition between providers is a recipe for superficial, low-quality courses and exploitation.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-are-changing-and-fast-heres-what-the-vet-sector-and-employers-need-to-do-to-keep-up-118524">Jobs are changing, and fast. Here's what the VET sector (and employers) need to do to keep up</a>
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<p>As centuries of experience has shown, only the dedication and professional ethos of teachers can ensure high-quality education. Reliance on incentives and markets is inconsistent with that ethos.</p>
<p>The broader problem with the reform agenda is that for-profit businesses paid to provide public services are more tempted to make profits by exploiting loopholes in the funding system than by innovating or providing better services. </p>
<p>This point is apparently yet to sink in with agencies such as the Productivity Commission, which remains enthusiastic about applying “<a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/human-services/reforms/report">increased competition, contestability and informed user choice</a>” to human services “to improve outcomes for users, and the community as a whole”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128091/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This article draws on work undertaken with funding from the National Council for Vocational Education and Research in 2012. The opinions presented do not reflect the views of NCVER.</span></em></p>Market forces don’t work well in education. For-profit businesses are more tempted to exploit loopholes than provide quality service.John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1231342019-09-30T11:24:05Z2019-09-30T11:24:05ZFor male students, technical education in high school boosts earnings after graduation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294465/original/file-20190926-51405-11q406e.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Students in the electrical program at H.C. Wilcox Technical High School in Meriden, Connecticut practice their skills.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Connecticut Technical Education and Career System</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Job prospects for young men who only have a high school diploma are particularly <a href="https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm">bleak</a>. They are even worse for those who have <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2018/beyond-bls/mens-declining-labor-force-participation.htm">less education</a>. When young men experience joblessness, it not only threatens their financial well-being but their <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2019/02/12/why-are-out-of-work-men-so-unhappy-in-the-us/">overall well-being</a> and <a href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2012/12/how-does-employment--or-unemployment--affect-health-.html">physical health</a>.</p>
<p>Could a high quality and specialized technical education in high school make a difference?</p>
<p>Based on a <a href="http://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai19-112">study</a> I co-authored with 60,000 students who applied to the Connecticut Technical High School System, the answer is: yes.</p>
<p>To reach this conclusion, we studied two groups of similar students: Those who barely were admitted to the Connecticut Technical High School System and those who just missed getting in. Students apply to these high schools and submit things such as test scores, attendance and discipline records from middle school. Then, applicants are ranked on their score and admitted in descending order until all seats are filled. We compared those whose score helped them get the last space in a school, to those who just missed being admitted because the school was out of space.</p>
<p>This enabled us to determine whether there was something special about Connecticut’s Technical High School System education that gave students an advantage over peers who also applied, but didn’t get into one of the system’s 16 technical schools across the state. </p>
<h2>Widespread appeal</h2>
<p>Connecticut Technical High School System is a popular choice for students - about 50% more students <a href="http://www.cttech.org/admissions.html">apply</a> than can be admitted.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294464/original/file-20190926-51463-ipmcs5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294464/original/file-20190926-51463-ipmcs5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294464/original/file-20190926-51463-ipmcs5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294464/original/file-20190926-51463-ipmcs5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294464/original/file-20190926-51463-ipmcs5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294464/original/file-20190926-51463-ipmcs5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294464/original/file-20190926-51463-ipmcs5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294464/original/file-20190926-51463-ipmcs5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students in the Precision Machining program at Vinal Technical High School in Middletown, Conn., gather around their teacher for instruction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Connecticut Technical Education and Career System</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>The system functions such that students can apply to attend a school in the tech system instead of their assigned public school. Statewide, the system schools – which offer specialized instruction in a variety of career fields – serve about 10% of the high school students. Most students who don’t get into the tech schools stay in their public high school.</p>
<p>What we found is that students who were admitted to the Connecticut Technical High School System went on to earn 30% more than those who didn’t get admitted. We also found that the tech school students were 10 percentage points more likely to graduate from high school than applicants who didn’t get in – a statistically significant finding.</p>
<p>Our research suggests that expanding a technical high school system like the one in Connecticut would benefit more students. I make this observation as <a href="https://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/bio/shaun-dougherty">one who examines</a> outcomes associated with career and technical education.</p>
<h2>The track record</h2>
<p>Career and technical education has already been shown – at least on an individual or small scale level – to positively impact <a href="https://www.mdrc.org/publication/career-academies-long-term-impacts-work-education-and-transitions-adulthood">earnings</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775718300876">high school graduation rates</a>. </p>
<p>Career and technical education does this without taking away from <a href="https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/10.1162/EDFP_a_00224">general learning</a> in traditional subjects like math and English. But based on my experience, it has never been clear as to whether career and technical education makes a difference on a system-wide level rather than at just one or among a few select schools.</p>
<p>Our recent study finally answers that question because we studied an entire state technical high school system. Specifically, it shows that, yes, career and technical education can give students the same benefits that it has already been shown to give on a smaller level even if it’s scaled up. This has implications for school districts and states, especially as <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/education/429661-is-career-and-technical-education-more-than-another-fad">growing interest</a> in what works in career and technical education.</p>
<h2>The appeal of technical education in Connecticut</h2>
<p>Once admitted into the Connecticut technical high school system, all students take career and technical education coursework instead of other electives, such as world languages, art or music. Typically, coursework is grouped into one of 10 to 17 programs of study, such as information technology, health services, cosmetology, heating ventilation and air conditioning, and production processes, among others. Traditional public high schools in the state, on the other hand, tend to offer at most four career and technical programs through elective courses.</p>
<p>In the Technical High School System schools in Connecticut, students explore various programs of study during their first year. Then – with help from an adviser – students select a program of study. Within these programs, students take at least three aligned courses and often more. They also have more opportunity to align academic and technical coursework materials, so that math and English content can often be integrated into technical courses. Chances for work-based learning and job exposure can also be enhanced in these settings, which may contribute to their impact.</p>
<h2>Better outcomes</h2>
<p>To figure out if these technical schools were making a difference, we looked at admissions from 2006-2007 through 2013-2014 for 60,000 students.</p>
<p>We found that – compared to students who just missed being admitted – technical high school students <a href="http://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai19-112">had</a>:</p>
<p>• Better 9th grade attendance rates; absenteeism rates fell by 14%</p>
<p>• Higher 10th grade test scores (like moving from the 50th to the 57th percentile, which is a <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/mkraft/files/kraft_2019_effect_sizes.pdf">significant jump</a> for high school test scores)</p>
<p>• A greater likelihood of graduating from high school, about 85% versus 75% for those who just missed being admitted</p>
<p>• Higher quarterly earnings, over 30% higher</p>
<p>• While we found a lower likelihood of attending college initially, no differences were seen by age 23</p>
<p>As educators, elected officials and parents search for more effective ways to give young men in high school a better shot at being able to earn a living, our study suggests that Connecticut might have already figured it out.</p>
<p>[ <em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123134/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shaun M. Dougherty receives funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A180511 to Vanderbilt University. The study team and project are part of the CTE Research Network, which seeks to expand the evidence base on the impact of CTE programs on student outcomes. The network is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education with funds provided under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act through Grant R305N180005. The study was conducted in cooperation with the State of Connecticut Departments of Education and Labor through the P20Win Process.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen L Ross receives funding from receives funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A180511 to Vanderbilt University. The study team and project are part of the CTE Research Network, which seeks to expand the evidence base on the impact of CTE programs on student outcomes. The network is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education with funds provided under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act through Grant R305N180005. The study was conducted in cooperation with the State of Connecticut Departments of Education and Labor through the P20Win Process.</span></em></p>Students who get admitted to Connecticut’s career and technical education high schools are more likely to graduate and earn significantly more than peers who barely missed the cut.Shaun M. Dougherty, Associate Professor of Public Policy & Education, Vanderbilt UniversityStephen L Ross, ProfessorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1216242019-08-11T20:05:22Z2019-08-11T20:05:22ZIf you have a low ATAR, you could earn more doing a VET course than a uni degree – if you’re a man<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/287584/original/file-20190810-144868-t52vhz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Once qualified, men who did a popular engineering-related VET course often worked in high-paid fields such as construction or manufacturing.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2019/08/08/pm-tafe-vocational-training-coag/">said in recent days</a> that “TAFE is as good as university”, and in many cases leads to better pay. </p>
<p>TAFE plays a vital role, but for most university students, a TAFE course is not going to increase their income. University graduates usually have <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/mapping-australian-higher-education-2018/">higher rates of pay and employment</a> than non-graduates.</p>
<p>But a new report from the Grattan Institute – <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/risks-and-rewards-when-is-vocational-education-a-good-alternative-to-higher-education/">Risks and rewards: when is vocational education a good alternative to higher education?</a> – looked at the employment outcomes for students leaving school with a lower Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (<a href="https://www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/atar">ATAR</a>) (their main entry criteria into most undergraduate university programs). </p>
<p>It found men with a lower ATAR have options among vocational educational and training (VET) courses that can get them a job faster, and often higher earnings, than if they do a university degree. But these VET options are less attractive for women. And women who choose them often have poor outcomes, such as being denied a job in a male dominated industry like engineering.</p>
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<p>ATAR is not everything. It does not perfectly predict university results or outcomes after university. But compared to graduates with a high ATAR, graduates with a lower ATAR have, on average, worse academic results, lower rates of high-skill employment and less earnings.</p>
<p>The Grattan Institute report looked at VET courses offered as a potential alternative to university. Especially once the income effects of lower ATAR are taken into account, the report found some bachelor degrees led to lower earnings than some VET <a href="https://www.aqf.edu.au/aqf-qualifications">diplomas</a> and <a href="https://www.aqf.edu.au/aqf-qualifications">Certificate III/IV</a> courses. </p>
<h2>How ATAR can affect employment outcomes</h2>
<p>Over the last decade, <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/university-report-card">more school leavers</a> have been starting university with an ATAR below 70. Before an enrolment boom that began in 2009, about 20,000 school leavers with ATARs between 30 and 70 started university each year. In more recent years, the reported number is around 34,000. </p>
<p>But the true figure is higher, as universities <a href="https://andrewnorton.net.au/2018/06/07/how-big-an-obstacle-is-low-atar-to-university-admission/">don’t always record an ATAR </a> when it is not used to admit the student. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-students-are-going-to-university-than-before-but-those-at-risk-of-dropping-out-need-more-help-118764">More students are going to university than before, but those at risk of dropping out need more help</a>
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<p>Employment outcomes usually improve over time, but slow career starts can have long-term consequences. The Grattan Institute report used data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (<a href="https://www.lsay.edu.au/">LSAY</a>), which tracks young graduates up to age 25.</p>
<p>Graduates with a lower ATAR are more likely than those with a higher ATAR to fail subjects during their degree. But fail rates differ between courses. In education and nursing, for instance, graduates with ATARs below 60 failed 5% of all the subjects they took. This was half the fail rate of disciplines such as science, engineering, IT and commerce. </p>
<p>With fails on their academic transcripts, graduates with a lower ATAR have more trouble finding full-time work within four months of finishing their studies, and the jobs they find are less likely to use their skills. </p>
<p>But when it comes to employment options, the course matters more than the ATAR. In the months after graduation, humanities, science and commerce graduates with higher ATARs struggle more than nursing or education graduates with lower ATARs to find a job. </p>
<p>ATAR and annual income are connected within each university course. For example, male science graduates with ATARs of 90 earn about 13% more than graduates with ATARs of 60. </p>
<h2>Men’s VET options could make them better off</h2>
<p>To be considered a potential better choice, a course must <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0963721414522812">plausibly interest</a> the student and have better employment outcomes. There is no point telling a potential performing arts student an accounting diploma would improve their job prospects. </p>
<p>Few people are interested in both these courses. University applications, which often include <a href="http://www.vtac.edu.au/applying/courses.html">preferences for multiple courses</a>, reveal what other fields students are interested in.</p>
<p>One in five of all men whose first preference university course was science had a lower preference for engineering. Science is a high-risk university course, as rapid enrolment growth has <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/mapping-australian-higher-education-2016/">led to graduates significantly outnumbering jobs</a>. </p>
<p>Young people with lower ATARs considering science would receive a university offer, but could potentially earn more enrolling in a VET diploma (as shown in the chart below). </p>
<iframe title="Men's lifetime median earnings ($millions) with an ATAR 65, 2016 " aria-label="Column Chart" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/3cUbS/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="100%" height="473"></iframe>
<p>Similarly, about one in five men whose first preference is arts (another high-risk field) have a lower preference for commerce. </p>
<p>For men, with a lower ATAR, a commerce-related VET diploma would give them better employment prospects than an arts degree. These and other possible alternatives can be seen in the chart. Often a diploma is acquired after first completing a Certificate III/IV course. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-change-negative-views-of-the-jobs-vet-serves-to-make-it-a-good-post-school-option-101388">We need to change negative views of the jobs VET serves to make it a good post-school option</a>
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<h2>Women should stick with uni</h2>
<p>Women make up the majority of students who enrol into university with a lower ATAR. For them, a commerce diploma can sometimes be a good alternative to university, too. But otherwise women’s realistic choices differ from men’s – for both positive and negative reasons – in ways that make VET less attractive.</p>
<p>A positive reason is that two popular courses for women with lower ATARs – education and nursing – have good outcomes. Rates of professional employment for graduates of both courses are high across the ATAR range. </p>
<p>Nurses and teachers with higher ATARs who went to university tend to earn more than those with lower ATARs but the differences aren’t large enough to not recommend a bachelor degree over a VET course (as the chart shows). </p>
<iframe title="Women's lifetime median earnings ($millions) with an ATAR 65, 2016" aria-label="Column Chart" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/9Lsm7/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>A negative reason why vocational education is less attractive for women is that they show little interest in engineering-related fields that are popular for men. Once qualified, these men often work in construction, manufacturing, electrical and maintenance related fields. </p>
<p>But even when women have the relevant qualifications they often work in other occupations that pay less but offer more flexible working conditions. </p>
<p>VET fields popular with women, such as child care, nursing, aged care and hospitality have a large number of job vacancies, but don’t pay as well as most graduate occupations. </p>
<p>Vocational education does get overlooked in careers advice. But VET is less attractive for women than for men, if pay is a significant factor in course choice. Women have been a <a href="https://blog.grattan.edu.au/2019/07/the-gender-divides-at-university/">majority of university students since 1987</a>. Given the nature of the labour market, it is not hard to see why.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121624/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Norton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Students with lower ATARs generally have lower lifetime earnings. But a Grattan Institute report found low ATAR men could earn more doing a VET course than a bachelor degree in their chosen field.Andrew Norton, Higher Education Program Director, Grattan InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1211792019-08-04T20:06:26Z2019-08-04T20:06:26ZIndigenous art centres that sustain remote communities are at risk. The VET sector can help<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286697/original/file-20190802-169676-32x2iq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Most Indigenous art works are produced in around 90 Indigenous art centres located in very remote regions of Australia.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cameliatwu/9399321912">CameliaTWU/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Among the many touching gifts following the March 2019 shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-26/aboriginal-community-gives-gifts-of-sorrow-after-christchurch/11137812">were two paintings</a> by artists from South Australia’s remote Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. </p>
<p>The paintings showed a honey grevillea shrub, a native Australian plant that produces long spikes of striking yellow and green flowers in winter. These canvasses depicted the sorrow of a people separated by sea and culture, but united in humanity.</p>
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<p>Artworks such as these are an important source of <a href="https://nintione.com.au/resource/CW010_ArtEconomiesProject_LiteratureReview.pdf">creativity and identity</a> for <a href="https://apo.org.au/taxonomy/term/52231">Indigenous Australians</a> (a term used here to refer to Australia’s First Peoples or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples). </p>
<p>They <a href="https://apo.org.au/taxonomy/term/52231">date back</a> around 40,000 years and <a href="http://www.oric.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/06_2013/11_0327_Corp_Visual_Arts_Sector_v3-3.pdf">include paintings</a>, drawings, etchings, sculptures, screen printing, weaving, pottery, jewellery and other traditional artefacts such as spears, boomerangs, canoes and fish traps.</p>
<p>Indigenous art also provides important economic benefits. When the art market peaked in 2007, Indigenous art was <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/indigenousarts/report/index">estimated</a> to generate some A$400-500 million a year. This supported 110 Indigenous art centres and about 5,000 art workers (artists). </p>
<p>Most Indigenous artworks are produced in around 90 art centres <a href="http://www.nintione.com.au/resource/PB009_AboriginalTorresStraitIslanderArtEconomies.pdf">located in very remote regions</a> of Australia. These centres represent a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.02.003">viable pathway</a> to address the extreme economic exclusion experienced by residents of Australia’s remote Indigenous communities. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286711/original/file-20190802-169672-lw2o3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286711/original/file-20190802-169672-lw2o3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286711/original/file-20190802-169672-lw2o3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286711/original/file-20190802-169672-lw2o3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286711/original/file-20190802-169672-lw2o3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286711/original/file-20190802-169672-lw2o3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286711/original/file-20190802-169672-lw2o3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286711/original/file-20190802-169672-lw2o3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Indigenous artworks date back 40,000 years.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
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<p>A 2012 government <a href="http://www.oric.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/06_2013/11_0327_Corp_Visual_Arts_Sector_v3-3.pdf">report noted</a> “art sales (were) the primary or only source of non-government income” for remote Indigenous communities.</p>
<p>The art centres also provide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2018.1528556">meaningful employment opportunities</a> for Indigenous women – who make up around 70% of artists.</p>
<p>But Indigenous art centres are facing significant challenges. Due to <a href="https://nintione.com.au/resource/CR004_AEVC_Synthesis.pdf">issues including</a> the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0392192112452081">global financial crisis</a> and quality control, average prices for paintings have <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/desert-artists-draw-a-line-in-the-sand-20130503-2iyew.html">almost halved</a> since their peak. The Indigenous Australian art market is still rebuilding.</p>
<p>There is also a lack of appropriate apprenticeship programs for Indigenous artists, and effective management and salesmanship. The vocational education and training (VET) sector must work together with key members of remote Indigenous communities and the art sector to deliver training that addresses the needs of remote Indigenous artists.</p>
<h2>Staffing issues and culture clashes</h2>
<p>Remote <a href="https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/145184/1/Altman_Myer_2005_0.pdf">Indigenous art centres are typically incorporated organisations</a> whose members are artists. Members elect a governing body that employs staff. There is limited commercial experience among members. </p>
<p>This fact, combined with the nature of the Indigenous art market, which is volatile and reliant on one-to-one agreements between art centres and city galleries, means the board normally employs <a href="http://www.nintione.com.au/resource/CRC-REP_ExitReport.pdf">non-Indigenous managers</a> to manage art centres.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/for-aboriginal-artists-personal-stories-matter-113029">For Aboriginal artists, personal stories matter</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>Most Indigenous art centres are in remote regions. The <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/">Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)</a> <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4714.0Main+Features12008">classifies</a> “remote” as four hours’ drive or more from an urban centre and “very remote” as more than four hours’ drive from a range of services with restricted accessibility by ordinary vehicles.</p>
<p>This poses challenges for attracting, <a href="http://www.nintione.com.au/resource/DKCRC-Report-21-Staff-Attraction-and-Retention.pdf">retaining and training suitably qualified art centre managers</a>. Most managers work for around two to three years before leaving. </p>
<p>They are mainly young women with fine arts degrees who have lived most of their lives in urban settings. They find it <a href="https://nintione.com.au/resource/WhittleM_ManagersNon-IndigenousBackgroundsWorkinginRemoteAustralia.pdf">challenging to work across cultures</a>. And these managers are often ill-prepared for their role, which includes many non-art-related tasks like developing viable business models.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286710/original/file-20190802-169672-1p3ah4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286710/original/file-20190802-169672-1p3ah4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286710/original/file-20190802-169672-1p3ah4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286710/original/file-20190802-169672-1p3ah4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286710/original/file-20190802-169672-1p3ah4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286710/original/file-20190802-169672-1p3ah4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286710/original/file-20190802-169672-1p3ah4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286710/original/file-20190802-169672-1p3ah4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Most Indigenous art centres are located hours away from an urban centre.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Art centre managers are also responsible for <a href="http://www.crc-rep.com.au/resource/CR013_DesertPerspectivesAboriginalArtsWorkers.pdf">training Indigenous artists</a>. A small minority of Indigenous artists do formal, vocationally related training with certificates in arts administration or visual arts. </p>
<p>But artists are more likely to do non-formal, on-the-job training and participate in workshops and artist-in-residence programs. </p>
<p>Much of this training adapts traditional skills of Indigenous Australians to produce commercial artworks. For example, artists from the <a href="https://tjanpi.com.au/">Tjanpi Desert Weavers</a> adapt traditional women’s skills such as spinning human hair to weaving in contemporary materials. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-tjanpi-desert-weavers-show-us-that-traditional-craft-is-art-30243">The Tjanpi Desert Weavers show us that traditional craft is art</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How VET can help</h2>
<p>Indigenous Australian artists are still <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.02.003">heavily connected to traditional knowledge systems and practices</a> and serve long cultural apprenticeships. But these are often not compatible with, nor recognised by, mainstream education or training systems. </p>
<p>Research <a href="https://nintione.com.au/resource/CR015_AEVC_ArtCentreFinances_Update.pdf">shows the overwhelming majority</a> of Indigenous artists receive irregular incomes and, over the course of their careers, small returns. For instance, only just over 5% of Indigenous artists receive A$100,000 or more over the length of their careers. </p>
<p>The often lengthy time it takes to make art, sell it and get paid for it also means some Indigenous artists have had <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2016/04/apo-nid75766-1178096.pdf">negative experiences</a> of the art market. This includes being exposed to exploitative art dealers who promise dubious incentives outside of the art centre system.</p>
<p>While most of the training of Indigenous artist is non-formal, governments and Indigenous art peak bodies have also recognised the importance of formal learning. </p>
<p>Most states offer VET-level qualifications in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts but mainly at the certificate level. And not all these courses are available in remote communities and <a href="https://www.myskills.gov.au/courses/details?Code=CUA30515">not all states</a> subsidise students. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/rise-of-indigenous-art-speaks-volumes-about-class-in-australia-23032">Rise of Indigenous art speaks volumes about class in Australia </a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2018.1528556">small number of artists</a> aspire to become art centre managers. So they need more formal training in higher-level administrative and management positions. The VET sector should <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-keeps-talking-about-revamping-vet-but-is-it-actually-doing-it-117743">collaborate</a> with various stakeholders to <a href="https://www.esperanceexpress.com.au/story/3658976/indigenous-art-project-a-huge-success/">help more artists</a> upgrade their skills via diploma and degree programs. </p>
<p>Over time, these artists can move into management positions in art centres (or other arts and cultural organisations). This would also help reduce the turnover problems experienced by the sector.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286709/original/file-20190802-169710-12hzmkp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286709/original/file-20190802-169710-12hzmkp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286709/original/file-20190802-169710-12hzmkp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286709/original/file-20190802-169710-12hzmkp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286709/original/file-20190802-169710-12hzmkp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286709/original/file-20190802-169710-12hzmkp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286709/original/file-20190802-169710-12hzmkp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286709/original/file-20190802-169710-12hzmkp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Indigenous art market generates millions of dollars a year.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXAmXpPBDvM">Arnhem Land Aboriginal Injalak Arts & Crafts Centre (Screenshot)</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A <a href="https://pmc.gov.au/domestic-policy/vet-review">recent review</a> of the Australian vocational education and training sector recognised the challenges Indigenous Australians face when engaging with vocational education, particularly in rural and remote areas. Some factors in this included low levels of basic literacy and numeracy, and training methods not tailored to meet the needs of some Indigenous Australian learners, particularly in remote areas.</p>
<p>Without waiting for the government to carry out the <a href="https://pmc.gov.au/resource-centre/domestic-policy/vet-review/strengthening-skills-expert-review-australias-vocational-education-and-training-system">review’s recommendations</a>, some Indigenous arts bodies have already implemented innovations, working with art centres and the VET sector to reconcile accredited and non-accredited training. </p>
<p>One example is <a href="https://desart.com.au/">Desart</a> (Alice Springs, NT), a peak body for Central Australian Indigenous art centres, which facilitates the <a href="https://desart.com.au/what-we-do/training-and-employment/">Aboriginal Arts Worker Program</a>. This coordinates training and provides support for artists in the area. </p>
<p>Desart’s Art Worker Program offers these artists a customised program that includes accredited training co-designed and delivered in partnership with the <a href="https://www.batchelor.edu.au/">Batchelor Institute</a> over four weeks per year. This is supplemented by non-accredited training, which includes workshops delivered at the art centre.</p>
<p>Initiatives such as these, which involve collaboration between the Indigenous art industry, the VET sector and government, are ideal examples for government-funded <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/cash/delivering-world-class-vocational-education-and-training-system">pilot programs in remote Indigenous communities</a>. These models will be increasingly important if we want to help keep remote communities afloat.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Tim Acker, Principal and Lead Consultant with Tracker Development, was also a co-author for this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121179/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pi-Shen Seet receives funding from the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation (CRC-REP) which was managed by Ninti One.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janice Jones receives funding from the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation (CRC-REP) which was managed by Ninti One.</span></em></p>Most Indigenous art works are produced in around 90 Indigenous art centres located in very remote regions. But there are staff and management issues, which can be solved by better VET programs.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.