This paper looks at the domestic demand for tertiary education (that is, excluding overseas students). It argues that the concept is problematic because of the dominant role of the government in provision, and discusses the factors that impinge on it: fees, returns to study and demographics. It shows how student demand has been changing and...

The growth of apprenticeships and traineeships between 1997 and 2003 is examined in this report, with a specific focus on age and sex. The research found apprenticeships and traineeships changed dramatically during this period, with the range of occupations widening, part-time apprenticeships and traineeships now common, and apprenticeships and traineeships no longer the preserve of...

Using wage data from the Student Outcomes Survey, this study examines whether there is a pay off to actually completing a vocational education and training (VET) qualification, noting that many VET students do not complete full qualifications. It is important to acknowledge that students' motiviation for undertaking VET is very varied, as is their educational...

School vocational education and training (VET) programs were introduced to provide more diverse pathways to work and further study for young people. Alison Anlezark, Tom Karmel and Koon Ong find that participation in school VET programs has a small negative impact on retention from Year 10 to Year 12 overall but that there is a...

Tom Karmel and Davinia Wood examine the influence of education and training on the participation of older people in the labour market, and the pay-off of undertaking education and training as an older-person compared to earlier in life. On the whole, the results indicate the more qualifications the better, and education, lifelong learning and training...