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.
There is already a substantial list of research reports, reviews and inquiries into issues in the vocational education sector which could be used to build an action plan.
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We already have all the research reports, reviews and inquiries we need to make reform to the VET sector happen. What we need is proactive leadership and action.
Vocational education and training can help increase workforce participation by offering opportunities to disadvantaged groups, including women and people from rural communities.
April Fonti/AAP
Schools can’t equip students with all the skills they need once they start work, especially STEM and digital skills. Here’s one way they can better prepare their students for life after school.
Even with higher fees, higher education will still be worthwhile for most young people.
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Earnings data suggest higher education remains financially attractive for most students, and the small proposed fee increases should not materially affect that.
Artisans are crucial for any economy.
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The history of artisanal training and employment in South Africa has been one of systematic social exclusion and inequality.
Graduates of a 2015 Tertiary Entry Program, which paves the way into university courses, with lead author and CQUniversity’s Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Engagement, Bronwyn Fredericks (fourth from left) and Provost Hilary Winchester (far right).
Peter Lawrence/CQUniNewsPICs
If we’re serious about closing the gap in Indigenous education, our new research shows the value of building better bridges into universities and vocational education.
Maintaining community confidence in the value of VET qualifications is essential for a functioning labour market.
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Damian Oliver, University of Technology Sydney and Serena Yu, University of Technology Sydney
Lured by government subsidies, registered training organisations are enrolling people into VET courses that do not match their needs and for which there is a dubious case at best for taxpayer support.
A bust of Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid. Verwoerd believed that black people should know their place – and that included staying away from ‘white’ jobs.
Juda Ngwenya/Reuters
Vocational training is regarded as “low status” in South Africa. Much of the negativity around technical and vocational work seems to lie in the country’s history.
Vocational training shouldn’t be dismissed as an easy, lazy alternative to completing formal schooling.
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Modern vocational programmes must prepare students for complex work which demands a skills and knowledge mix that is different but not necessarily easier than school subjects.
VET in schools won’t necessarily get you a job right out of school, but it’s a good start.
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The South Australian government has decided to largely limit funding for government-subsidised vocational courses to TAFE South Australia, the sole public training provider.
IBM has pioneered P-TECHs.
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Before the government tries a third time to secure support for university fee deregulation, it needs to learn from past mistakes in the tertiary education sector and come up with a plan.
Vocational education is underfunded, understood by too few, and too specific to allow students to go on to further education.
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The Australian government is reviewing vocational education and training qualifications. The aim is to streamline a system that has educators, employers and government baffled by its complexity. The government…
The case for apprenticeships – to a degree.
John Giles/PA Wire
It’s a lovely word: apprenticeship. It conjures up images of halcyon days gone by, when young men learned their skills from a master craftsman or technician over a lengthy period of time. Apprenticeships…
It’s high stakes when the education minister announces South Africa’s matric results.
GovernmentZA
In South Africa, as in many countries, the release of senior secondary school exam results, referred to locally as “the Matric”, causes a media furore every year. At 18-years-old, students either pass…
Treasurer Joe Hockey joins a long line of leaders unable to close the gap between promise and reality.
Dave Hunt/AAP
Governments are notorious for missing targets. Look no further than France or Spain’s recent fiscal calumny, despite the European Union’s excessive deficit procedure. Closer to home, the Association of…