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.
Ahead of the 2022 budget, the government is investing in male-dominated apprenticeships rather than women-dominated care roles. Has anything really changed in how we value the work of women?
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.
Michelle Circelli, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) dan Josie Misko, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)
Around 45% of secondary students do VET for employment reasons, while 30% do it for further study.
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.
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.
Somayeh Parvazian, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) dan Ronnie Semo, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)
LSAY is one of the biggest and oldest surveys of its kind in the world. It follows young Australians from the age of 15 to 25 to find out what helps and hinders them along the way.
Increases in unemployment result in a decrease in apprentice numbers, as well as employers taking on fewer new apprentices. Australia can’t lose the workforce we might need for our recovery efforts.
For post-secondary students, work-integrated learning experiences offer opportunities to gain that first experience on the resumé while planning a transition from school to work.
Both major parties have promised more money to help boost apprenticeship numbers, including by providing incentives to employers. But history shows this isn’t the best way to spend public dollars.
If you’re confused about all the millions and billions thrown around for education by the two major parties, here’s the low-down on what the policies actually mean.
While the purpose of education can’t be reduced to promoting economic growth, every child out of school represents both lost opportunities — and huge economic costs — for countries.
The so-called ‘crisis’ has united both sides of politics, employers and trade unions, but wrongly conflates apprenticeships and traineeships to skew the picture.
Senior Research Fellow in Youth, Research & Policy Centre, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Honorary Fellow in Education Policy, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne