1. Using Data to Enhance Skills for Learning, Living and Working in the 21st Century An Australian Perspective
Ralph Saubern
Director, Professional Resources
DAVE

2. Outline
Introduction to the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Brief Background to the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector
Part 1: Using Data to Enhance Skills for Learning, Living and Working in the 21st Century
Part 2: Measuring Student Achievement (if time and interest!) or demo of the Core Skills Profile for Adults (CSPA)

3. Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
ACER was established in 1930 with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation to promote 'the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding'.
ACER’s mission is to create and promote research-based knowledge, products and services that can be used to Improve Learning across the life span.
As a not-for-profit organisation, independent of government, ACER receives no direct financial support and generates its entire income through contracted research and development projects and through products and services that it develops and distributes.
ACER has experienced significant growth in recent years and now has more than 300 staff located in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Dubai and New Delhi .

4. ACER Role
Data Gathering: A major aspect of ACER’s work is to assist educational decision makers at all levels in their collection, analysis, interpretation and use of reliable data. Our purpose is to assist in the development of clearer pictures and understandings of educational challenges, opportunities and progress over time. Action Planning: A second major aspect of ACER’s work is to assist educational decision makers at all levels in their identification and implementation of evidence-based policies and practices. Our purpose is to promote better outcomes for all learners through the use of approaches that have been demonstrated to be effective in practice. Delivery: A growing part of ACER’s work is to work directly in providing services such as specialised professional learning, quality assurance and monitoring of educational providers and certification and accreditation of professionals and learners.

5. ACER Research
ACER has two research divisions, each with a number of programs.
Assessment and Psychometric Research Division
Assessment and Reporting
Psychometrics & Methodology
Systemwide Testing
Educational Monitoring and Research Division
National Surveys
International Surveys
Higher Education
Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation
Teaching, Learning & Transitions

6. Examples of Major Research Projects
Program for International Student Achievement (PISA) Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (AHELO) Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) Australian National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Australian National ICT Literacy Assessment UAE National Assessment Program Financing TVET in the Pacific

7. ACER Services
ACER’s services division is called Professional Resources Division. It includes six business units:
ACER Institute (professional learning)
ACER Press (publications and resources)
Cunningham Library
School Assessment Services
Higher Education Assessment Services
Vocational and Workforce Assessment Services
Through its Professional Resources Division, ACER seeks to support and influence the work of professional practitioners and educational organisations by providing research based tools which support practitioners to analyse and understand the situations they confront (e.g., through data collection, analysis and reporting) and products and services to address identified needs (e.g., professional resources and professional learning).

8. Examples of Major ACER Services
Professional learning, conferences and seminars for educators and educational leaders Publications and resources for educators and educational leaders Monitoring and certification of student achievement in literacy, numeracy and science Admissions testing for schools and university Quality assurance and monitoring services for education and training organisations

9. Vocational, Adult and Workforce Education
ACER works with governments, industry, educational providers, trainers and learners on a wide range of vocational, adult and workforce education research and assessment services.
ACER expertise includes:
language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) testing
youth and adult literacy and numeracy assessment and surveys
careers and vocational interest assessments
curriculum and standards development
quality and benchmarking services
teaching and learning consultancies
policy and program evaluation
surveys on pathways and transitions
psychometric and statistical analysis
selection testing.

10. Vocational Research
ACER undertakes a broad range of research and program consultancies in youth and adult education, vocational and workforce  education contexts in Australia and globally for institutions, industry, governments and a wide range of stakeholders:
Apprentice Retention Evaluation
Australasian Survey of Student Engagement
Deployment of AQTF Quality Indicators
Education and training and the avoidance of financial disadvantage
Equity in VET
Expectations, Transitions and destinations of NSW Youth
Funding for Tertiary Education and Training
Indigenous Youth Transitions
Investigations of Outcomes-based Auditing
Leadership Capabilities for Australian Vocational Education and Training
On Track Annual Student Surveys
NZ Tertiary Education Commission Adult Literacy and Numeracy Assessment
Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)
Providing support for disadvantaged learners in Australian VET
Youth Career Transitions

11. Vocational Services
ACER’s Vocational and Workforce Assessment Services specialises in the design, development and operation of testing programs and quality benchmarking services for VET providers, government and industry.  This includes: large scale assessment programs; secure, high stakes selection testing services; and computer assisted, diagnostic  and workforce planning assessments.
AQTF Quality Indicator Support Services
Core Skills Profile for Adults
National Foundation Skills Assessment Tool
Vocational Selection Test

12. Background to the Australian VET sector
The vocational education and training (VET) sector is the sector in Australia responsible for education and training for work. VET in Australia provides people with the skills and knowledge they require to:
enter the workforce for the first time
train or re-train for a new job
upgrade their skills
move into further study in VET or University.
The key elements of the Australian VET system that are designed to ensure quality and national consistency in relation to qualifications and the delivery of training are:
Australian Qualifications Framework
Australian Quality Training Framework
Industry skills councils
Registered training organisations.

13. Background to the Australian VET sector - by numbers
There were 1.9 million students enrolled in the public vocational education and training (VET) system in 2011.
12.0% of people aged 15 to 64 years participated in the publicly funded VET system
32.1% of Australians aged between 15 and 19 years participated in VET (25.4% of all students were aged between 15 and 19 years.)
The number of qualifications completed in 2010 was
Total expenditure on VET in Australia in 2011 was $4.8 billion ($4.4 billion in 2010)

14. Background to the Australian VET sector – enrolments by level
AQF qualification
2010
2011
Diploma or higher
233,000
262,000
Certificate IV
254,100
305,900
Certificate III
553,300
608,100
Certificate II
312,300
314,900
Certificate I
90,000
83,900
Non-AQF
356,300
306,900

15. Background to the Australian VET sector – training organisations
VET in Australia is offered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). The largest number of these are private, for profit organisations but the largest providers are public providers (usually called TAFEs) owned and operated by state governments. Many government and independent schools are also RTOs.

16. Background to the Australian VET sector – training packages
Training Packages are a key feature of Australia's national vocational education and training (VET) system.
A training package is a set of nationally endorsed standards and qualifications for recognising and assessing people's skills in a specific industry, industry sector or enterprise. They are developed by national Industry Skills Councils (ISCs).
Training Packages do not describe how people should be trained. Rather, they provide the nationally endorsed industry standards against which training can be developed and flexibly delivered to meet particular local, individual, industry and enterprise requirements.
Training Packages are developed with industry and are not owned by an individual training provider. ISCs consult widely with the industry across Australia to define exactly what skills industry will need, now and in the future. This consultation ensures that Training Packages reflect the skills that employers need, and ensures that the qualifications are valued by industry.
All Training Packages contain three major components:
Qualifications
Units of competency
Assessment guidelines

17. Part 1:
Using Data to Enhance Skills for Learning, Living and Working in the 21st Century

18. From Inputs to Outcomes
How can notions of system quality in VET be refocused to drive outcomes crucial to addressing the needs of individuals, employers and society in the 21st Century?
Funding levels
Staffing
Enrolments
Inputs
Certificates/qualifications
Module completion rates
Outputs
Broader student learning
Outcomes

19. Skills for Learning, Living and Working in the 21st Century
What are the skills that have been identified as key to success in the 21st century workplace and society?
Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) skills are now recognised as fundamental to improved workforce participation, productivity and social inclusion… International research shows that a one per cent increase in a country’s literacy score leads to a 2.5 per cent increase in labour productivity. Skills Australia, 2010 The importance of strong foundation skills in a modern, knowledge-based society is well established. These skills underpin workforce participation, productivity and social inclusion. People with higher LLN skills are more likely to be employed, participate in their community, experience better health and engage in further training… [F]oundation skills are increasingly important for effective participation in modern workplaces and contemporary life. Standing Council on Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, 2012

20. Skills for Learning, Living and Working in the 21st Century
What are the skills that have been identified as key to success in the 21st century workplace and society?
Australian Core Skills Framework
Learning
Reading
Writing
Oral Communication
Numeracy
Core Skills for Work Framework
Cluster 1 - Navigate the world of work
Manage career and work life
Work with roles, rights and protocols
Cluster 2 - Interact with others
Communicate for work
Connect and work with others
Recognise and utilise diverse perspectives
Cluster 3 - Get the work done
Plan and organise
Make decisions
Identify and solve problems
Create and innovate
Work in a digital world

21. Skills for Learning, Living and Working in the 21st Century
What are the skills that have been identified as key to success in the 21st century workplace and society?

22. Australia’s Core Skills Gap
What do we know about current levels of core skills in the Australian workforce and general population? How does this compare with other countries?
ALL Scale (2006)
Number of adults with skill levels 1 and 2
Percentage of adults with skill levels 1 and 2
Prose literacy
7.0 million
46%
Document literacy
7.1 million
47%
Numeracy
7.9 million
53%
PIAAC Scale ( )*
# adults with skill levels 1 and 2
% adult population with skill levels 1 and 2
Literacy
7.3 million
44%
8.9 million
55%
Employed with skill levels 1 and 2
Unemployed, with skill levels 1 and 2
38%
48%
57%
* Preliminary results

23. Australia’s Core Skills Gap
What do we know about current levels of core skills in the Australian workforce and general population? How does this compare with other countries?
Literacy
Satherley, P. et al (2008) The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey: Overview and International Comparisons, NZMoE

24. Australia’s Core Skills Gap
What do we know about current levels of core skills in the Australian workforce and general population? How does this compare with other countries?
Numeracy
Satherley, P. et al (2008) The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey: Overview and International Comparisons, NZMoE

25. Implications and Impacts
What do we know about current levels of core skills in the Australian workforce and general population? How does this compare with other countries? What is the impact?
In Australia, those with a skill level of 1 had a median income of $205 less per week than those with a skill level of 2. This gap in income potential remained fairly steady as people moved up the skill levels. (ABS, 2007)
In the UK, individuals who increase their literacy and numeracy levels:
improve their chances in the labour market (better jobs, better security)
suffer less from poor physical and mental health
more active citizens
more liberal and less discriminatory. (Bynner, et al, 2001)
If the UK met its literacy and numeracy targets it would generate nearly £3 billion per annum (in 2001 prices) to the taxpayer (Bynner, et al, 2001)

26. Using data to improve learning outcomes
How can data be used to enhance 21st century skill development in VET?
How can evidence of broader student learning outcomes be collected?
How can evidence of broader learning outcomes be used to improve teaching and learning outcomes for individual students?
How can evidence of broader learning outcomes be used to monitor progress and evaluate program effectiveness at an instruction and system level?

27. Using data to improve learning outcomes
How can evidence of broader student learning outcomes be collected?

28. Using data to improve learning outcomes
How can evidence of broader learning outcomes be used to improve teaching and learning individual students?
* Preliminary results

29. Using data to improve learning outcomes
How can evidence of broader learning outcomes be used to monitor progress and evaluate program effectiveness at an instruction and system level?
Provider level:
Planning, resourcing and delivery
Monitoring outcomes of learning programs
Monitoring the impact of specific strategies
System level:
Assessing the success of policies and initiatives
Monitoring goals

30. Questions? Comments?
What would a VET system look like that addressed broader learning and social outcomes at the centre of its policy and practice?