To mark the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) brought together policy, industry and academic leaders to reflect on the role that research and statistics have played in the development of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector. This publication includes the original papers by the speakers at the event, accompanied by discussant reflections. The publication will be of interest to those wishing to understand the development of a VET statistical and research capacity in Australia. After an official welcoming from the current Chairman of the NCVER Board, Peter Grant, a former NCVER Managing Director, Chris Robinson, now Head of the Department of Education and Children's Services in South Australia, reflected on NCVER's role in promoting quality research and statistics in the Australian VET sector. Peter Kearns of Global Learning Services, discussant, highlighted the need for greater attention to regions and to the international context. Berwyn Clayton from the Canberra Institute of Technology reflected on the development of a VET research capacity in Australia, highlighting the need to raise the profile of the research effort and make connections to policy and practice. Professor Andrew Smith of Charles Sturt University responded by warning of a potential future shortage in research capacity in VET due to "greying" of the existing research community. Mark Cully of NCVER and Brian Knight of the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training discussed the development and growth of a mature program of VET statistics. The present national statistical program needs to continue to evolve, and challenges outlined by the speakers include obtaining more information on total VET effort and developing meaningful activity and output measures for VET. The discussant, Michelle Bruniges, Chief Executive of the Department of Education and Training in the Australian Capital Territory, agreed thatthe collection of training statistics had come a long way, but that we need to do more to respond to local and community needs. Finally, Tom Karmel, current Managing Director of NCVER, closed the forum by anticipating NCVER's future, stating that NCVER must continue to feed into policy by understanding the VET sector and how it fits into Australian economy and society. These proceedings will be relevant to those interested in the development and growth of a VET research and statistical capacity in Australia. (Contains 3 tables, 3 figures, and 3 boxes.)