We uncovered some significant and often devastating insights into how young Australians – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – have experienced the ‘push’ towards university.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on VET
Displaying 1 - 20 of 56 articles
Around 45% of secondary students do VET for employment reasons, while 30% do it for further study.
Even before the pandemic added to their financial stresses, a survey of international students suggests more than 20,000 were renting beds that are available to them for only certain hours.
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.
A higher proportion of Islamic-school students in years 11 to 12 are enrolled in science and maths than other students in Australia. But they may not all get the careers they want.
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.
Many African parents push their children to go to university regardless of their preparedness or interest. But more find happiness and success in VET.
Students in Australia and overseas are actively comparing their experiences during the pandemic. Countries that support them well will gain an edge in a competitive global education market.
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.
Of the students with jobs, 60% lost them and and two-thirds of the rest had hours cut. As they struggled, and often failed, to get rents and tuition fees reduced, precarious lives became even harder.
In this first of a series of “vision statements” Albanese has sought to send the messages that Labor under his leadership is focused on jobs, is looking to the future and is not afraid of change.
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.
In April 2019, the government-commissioned Joyce review made 71 recommendations to reform the VET sector. Here’s what the report said, and what the government is doing about it.
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.
VET’s role in employable skill development is critical. But we also need to strongly support the role VET plays in getting disadvantaged groups into education and work.
Teacher preparation has been identified as a key factor in the quality of education. To improve the quality of the VET sector, we need to ensure teachers and trainers are qualified to teach.
Many young Australians and their parents don’t consider VET as a potential post-school pathway, even if it might be more suitable for them than university.
VET needs a new set of priorities and operating principles that are fit for the future.
Politics Podcast: Bill Ferris on Australia’s innovation mission
CC BY46.8 MB (download)
Innovation and Science Australia chair Bill Ferris launched a report this week setting out a plan that seeks to put Australia into the top tier of innovation nations by 2030.
Top contributors
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Mitchell Professorial Fellow, Victoria University
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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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
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Policy Analyst, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University
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Education Lecturer and Researcher, Monash University
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Alan Morris is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor, Institute for Public Policy and Governance, University of Technology Sydney
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Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan University
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Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University
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Senior Research Fellow, specialising in big data, The University of Melbourne
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Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University
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Honorary Senior Fellow, The University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne
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Adjunct Professor, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, OISE, University of Toronto
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Professor of Policy and Society, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney
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Adjunct Fellow, Sociology, Macquarie University
