A comprehensive picture of the overall vocational education and training (VET) market combined with an updated profile of the VET workforce is essential to informing policy development and workforce planning to ensure the sector has the capacity to meet the skill development needs of industry in a rapidly changing economy. This report presents…

Vocational education has a crucial role in regional labour markets, providing skills to meet local employment demand. In many regional areas of Australia, there has been a transition in employment from manufacturing and agriculture to service industries. The increase in employment has been most evident in the health and community services sector…

Background: Nurses provide technical and relational skills that are integral to the care of people with intellectual disability (ID) in Australia. However, little is known about the demographic profile of this section of the nursing workforce. Method: Administration of a survey to nurses whose primary role it is to care for people with ID…

Contributions from and innovation in science and technology over many decades have resulted in dramatic improvements to American lives, including enhanced living standards and life expectancy, better access to information and connectivity across the globe, and increased access to and affordability of consumer goods. The analysis in this report is…

Around 2.2 million Australians aged 15-64 years have a reported disability. Of these, some 1.8 million have a specific limitation or a schooling or employment restriction. This is a sizable proportion that does not always feature in thinking about career choice. The purpose of this brief research report is to provide some background information on…

In recent years, the level of participation and attainment by Indigenous Australians in education and training has improved, yet substantial gaps still exist between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians. Education has to be a key focus if the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous employment rates is to be closed. This report…

Youth unemployment in Australia has risen steadily with recession and the end of the long period of labor scarcity. Recent unemployment rates now rival the high rates among U.S. youth. (Author/SK)

Reports on a study to identify and quantify the major forces driving changes in the occupational structure in Australia from 1971 to 1986 to provide a foundation for occupational projections for the beginning of the next century. (Author)

Discusses the changes in how labor markets are conceptualized and changes in them monitored in Australia. Describes the Australian Bureau of Statistics revised occupational classification system. (JOW)

Debates on skill shortages and the aging of the population have markedly increased the attention given to Vocational Education and Training (VET) and to Technical and Further Education (TAFE). New roles for VET include new products, pedagogy and partnerships with industry, all with implications for staff development. TAFE has particular…

Analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data from 1987-2001 identified patterns in nursing employment. Overall, the Australian labor force increased 29%; nursing occupations increased only 18%. The number of nursing workers per 100,000 population has steadily declined. The average age of nursing workers increased significantly; the proportion…

Despite wide publicity and common usage, the concept of skills shortage has different meaning to different people depending on their perspective. Understanding the different concepts of skills shortages, their measurement and the causes of skill shortages is important if sound policies are to be developed in the areas of employment, education,…

This report presents the findings of a study into the experiences of non-English speaking background (NESB) migrant women in the Australian workforce. The fieldwork, which involved interviewing over 100 immigrant women living and working in Sydney, was carried out in 1988 and 1989. The study also involved an extensive review of Australian and…

The report on women with non-English-speaking backgrounds (NESB) in the Australian labor force was prepared to review the experience and needs of this population in recent years and to examine the various available sources of information. The first section reviews the standard statistical sources and their research methodologies. The second and…

The demand for and supply of skills in the automotive repairs and service trades in Australia were examined to identify skill shortages in the industry. Special attention was paid to the following items: (1) the industry's demand for skills (employment levels; growth; and prospects); (2) the supply of skills to the industry's existing work force…