A stocktake of the economics of vocational education and training in Australia: some implications for career development.

C. Selby Smith, Australian Journal of Career Development, v. 11, n.2, 2002, pp.22-29.

Four aspects of a recent stocktake of the economics of vocational education and training in Australia are addressed in this article. They are the changing skill requirements of Australian industry; modelling industry's demand for vocational education and training; enterprise accounting for skills; and provision of vocational education and training in secondary schools. For those concerned with career development, the stocktake identified a need to consider movement of individuals in and out of occupations and regions, and the importance of up-to-date information and advice. Analysis in the final section of the paper reveals that the profile of students undertaking VET in senior secondary schools over the past decade has been relatively stable, and that it is unlikely that there will be an sudden upsurge in demand for VET. The implications of these results are that VET will remain an important avenue for acquiring necessary skills and knowledge, and that as vocational students are more likely to come from non-metropolitan, lower socioeconomic backgrounds, changes in the cultural attitudes and expectations of parents, students, teachers and career advisers involved in VET are necessary.