Education

VET: skills for growth

CEDA released a research report in August 2016, which examines the role of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in meeting the skills required for Australia's growth.

 


Download VET: securing skills for growth
Read media release: CEDA report calls for national review of VET sector  

Education is at the core of a thriving economy and while Australia has historically had a comparative advantage in its highly-educated workforce, this is being eroded. At the same time, the challenge of emerging technologies that threaten to make current skills obsolete pose a further threat to our workforce capabilities.

In developing an education strategy that meets the dual challenge of adapting to digital disruption and ensuring our workforce remains internationally competitive, it is important to look at all aspects of the education system, including Vocational Education and Training (VET).

VET is a crucial component of Australia’s education system and will undoubtedly play an important role in securing Australia’s future skills needs. Traditionally, the VET sector has been the domain of the public provider through the establishment of the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) system. Recent reforms have introduced competition to the sector, with a view to improve accessibility, transparency, quality and efficiency.

In the report, VET: securing skills for growth, CEDA will seek to examine the following questions:

  • What is the role of VET within the broader education strategy of Australia?
  • What role does VET play in securing Australia's future skills?
  • What outcomes do we want from the VET system?

In examining those questions, CEDA seeks to assess the current outcomes of the sector and propose ways the VET system could be improved in order to meet the skills Australia will require for growth.

Chapters and authors

Chapter one: Getting over the middle child status

Dr Damian Oliver, Deputy Director, Centre for Management and Organisation Studies, University of Technology Sydney Business School

Chapter two: Keeping TAFE the VET centrepiece

Linda Simon, Casual academic Charles Sturt University, National Convenor Women in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE) and member of Executive Committee Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA)

Chapter three: Quality and choice: securing Australia’s workforce skills

Rod Camm, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Council for Private Education and Training

Chapter four: Vocational learning in schools – an international comparison

Megan O’Connell, Policy Program Director, Mitchell Institute and Kate Torii, Policy Analyst, Mitchell Institute

Chapter five: The role of industry in VET

Martin Riordan, CEO, TAFE Directors Australia

Chapter six: VET: finance and quality

Professor Gerald Burke, Monash University

Report release events

Report launch | Melbourne | 29 August 2016 Sydney | 30 August 2016
Perth | 1 September 2016 Adelaide | 1 September 2016
Brisbane | 21 September 2016 Hobart | 7 October 2016