The research, focused on parents with children in years 5-10 in three low-socioeconomic rural and regional communities, drew on an understanding of educational aspiration as culturally and socio-spatially embedded to develop practical strategies for parents to engage with their children as they made education and career pathways choices. It draws…

Widening higher education participation can deliver benefits to individuals, societies and economies but rural populations experience factors which inhibit their aspiration for and participation in higher education. When designing outreach programs, universities need to consider this landscape of factors, many of which are socio-cultural. This…

The paper explores the processes by which two Australian rural communities established Community Learning Plans (CLPs). It acknowledges the role of CLPs as contributors to social and economic change through influencing employment rates, income equity, social cohesion and reduction in poverty. In addressing the research question: What factors…

Many small rural communities have a flow of skilled people through the community, including employees from the government, non government and private sectors on fixed-term contracts, and a range of professionals, often attracted by amenity and seeking a sea change or tree change. The aim of the study reported in this paper was to investigate how…

This paper examines the skills required of volunteers in the voluntary sector organisations that operate in three rural Tasmanian communities. It reports how volunteers acquire those skills and reveals the challenges faced by voluntary sector organisations in rural communities whose industries and, following from this, community members have a…

Analysis of the experiences of four farmer groups set up to learn how to jointly manage local natural resource issues shows that the groups are going though two simultaneous processes. One builds technical competency in natural resource management and the other is the underpinning social process that allows the groups to make decisions and work…

Data from interviews with Australian training providers, employers, community organizations, and trainees were analyzed thematically and assessed against quality assurance standards for apprentices/trainees ("vocational learning checkpoints"). Results reflect many of the problems addressed by the checkpoints in the areas of…

Case studies of training brokers who match clients with appropriate training reveal different outcomes for clients of for-profit, market-focused brokers and nonprofit, client-focused brokers. Results suggest the need for public support of training and development of clients as informed consumers of vocational education and training. (Contains 28…

Seasonal work is crucial for the many rural regions reliant on seasonal industries such as agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and tourism. This report examines the diverse nature of the seasonal workforce in two locations and the approaches used in their training. The report finds that the seasonal workforce is diverse and has varied training…

This document was produced by the authors based on their research for the report "Pathways from Rural Schools: Does School VET Make a Difference?" [ED495178], and is an added resource for further information. The original report investigated the medium-term outcomes of vocational education and training (VET) programs delivered by rural schools.…

There are clear signs that community learning is the way to a more sustainable future for Australian communities, especially rural ones. There are also indications that policymakers now recognize that the people who live in communities should play an important role in determining the future of their own communities. Policy must use the best…

The Centre for Research and Learning in Regional Australia is investigating the elements of social capital and developing a set of indicators that show when social capital is building. The indicators can be used where groups or organizations with a shared purpose engage in productive interactions that benefit not only the individual member groups…

This paper reports findings from a survey of former students from six Australian rural school clusters. It compares the experiences and outcomes of students who had participated in a school vocational education and training (VET) program with those who had not. School VET courses intended to provide a pathway to local employment appear to be…

A case study in a rural Australian township sought to determine the nature of the interactive productivity between the local networks in a community. Participants were chosen based on recommendations of community members concerning to whom they turn for help, advice, or information. Community interactivity was recorded using interviews,…

This paper reports some of the main lessons learnt from a collaborative project titled "Generating jobs in regional Tasmania: a social capital approach" investigating how two small rural Tasmanian communities could better match local training needs with training provision. The project was conducted within the context of the wider social,…