Collaborative research opportunities Phil Loveder Manager, Research Operations TDA-UNESCO-NCVER International Forum 31 August 2014 #150526

Presentation structure Unifying problems for international TVET research Showcasing existing research collaborations – TVET in action Future research activities and opportunities Way forward

Unifying issues for international research effort Worldwide – there is still a parity of esteem problem for TVET At all levels; people want to understand what’s in it for them from training – employers, industry, individuals, governments and providers Understanding the benefits and returns to training is seen by many as ‘the holy grail’ in research Research into TVET has frequently been country-specific sometimes with insufficient attention to sharing the results more widely Renewed interest in research partnership and sharing the resourcing load – especially on expensive projects.

Emerging areas of focus in TVET research Intelligence from our own international database identifies the following as being particularly pertinent for new research: Issues around access to TVET The role of qualifications and recognition of skills in international labour mobility Quality assurance, regulation and governance systems in TVET Youth unemployment and transitions The role of Massive Open On-line Courses (MOOCs) Work integrated learning and industry models of training.

International collaborations – a few examples A joint research project commencing in 2014 between the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and NCVER on funding and financing Apprenticeships - Particular focus is on employers and how to engage them Understanding firm-level costs and benefits for apprenticeships NCVER (Australia) and KRIVET (Korea) around eLearning - Ensuring this type of training delivers good outcomes as well as cost savings in terms of delivery

International collaborations – a few examples Central Institute for Vocational and Technical Education (China) and NCVER Australia around industry models of training - A key to success in developing TVET systems is securing the involvement of employers and industry; what works and how? Effective measures for school-to-work transitions in the vocational education system (NCVER and KRIVET) - What works for young people? TDA, NCVER and ACPET – International comparative study on regulatory frameworks: lessons from overseas Cost of compliance, effective regulation and quality assurance.

Opportunities for collaboration UNESCO-UNEVOC with its international partners are exploring a series of multi-country research projects around unifying themes: These themes relate to things like returns to investing in training, integrated learning, and training models in the workplace A particular focus around understanding return on investment from training from a range of perspectives A key feature is sharing the learnings! The UNESCO-UNEVOC network operates in all regions and can play a role in information networking.

Returns to training – an upcoming initiative Planning stages for an international study Look at a life-cycle approach Look at drivers and benefits from TVET, including: Economic costs and benefits Social and community benefits Unmet demand Environmental considerations

Probability of Employability Productivity Social outcomes Semi-qualified (certificate/diploma) = employable depending on market opportunities within location Full qualifications = highly employable within sector, beyond borders Full qualifications with advanced proficiency = employable across sectors, beyond border Short-term Poor social cohesion Social cohesion & global citizenship Disengagement & conflict Long-term within sector Lifelong across sectors Wage level Good Fair Poor Job quality/relevance Up-skilled= relevant & quality jobs Re-skilled= semi- quality & relevant jobs Skilled= jobs

Returns to training – valid considerations Different contextual underpinnings How to measure some aspects of ROI Data limitations Contra argument around private versus public provider outcomes Funding

Way forward for research collaboration Understand what the research community can contribute which isn’t already collected through other forms of intelligence How can we move beyond research to action Using international networks to facilitate change What are the appropriate forums for international research decision making – especially funding larger regional TVET research projects? importance of public-private partnerships – leveraging private sector funding cross country/agency cooperation and coordination.