AVETRA's annual call for OctoberVET Events is now officially open!

OctoberVET is a season of presentations, discussions and workshops coordinated by AVETRA. The goal is to showcase, disseminate and debate vocational, adult and technical education research.

We're calling on the global VET research community to participate in OctoberVET: hold an event (F2F or online), host a debate, showcase your research, attend and contribute!

AVETRA invites you to register your OctoberVET event through the form here.

We will enthusiastically promote your event through our VET research community. Want to discuss your concept or ask questions? Please email us at avetra@avetra.org.au

Researching Work and Learning Conference 2026

The RWL14 conference will be held 8 - 11 December 2026 at the Griffith University’s Southbank Campus in Brisbane as hosted by the Griffith Institute for Educational Research and the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing.

The conference theme is Researching lifelong learning and innovation for work in times of crisis. More details about the conference, its themes and critical dates are available at the conference website: https://www.griffith.edu.au/RWLC2026

We are delighted the to announce the Call for Abstracts for this years Australian Council of Deans of Education Vocational Education group (ACDEVEG)  Annual  Conference,  ‘ Leading Learning at the Frontiers of Change: The Essential Role of the VET Teaching Workforce’ on 3^rd-4^th December.

Please see attachment for details

Abstract guidelines:

Contributors should submit an abstract of between 250-350 words, following these guidelines, to ACDEVEG2020@federation.edu.au by Friday 4th September 2026. Please include the word ‘abstract’ in the subject line.

Conference details will be posted progressively at the ACDEVEG web site: https://www.acde.edu.au/networks-and-partnerships/acde-vocational-group/

ISS Institute are announcing the launch of the Skills SA International VET Research Fellowship. This new Fellowship provides South Australian VET and ACE educators with the opportunity to undertake international applied research, explore global best practice, and bring practical insights back to strengthen the South Australian skills sector.

For more information of the Fellowship, please find: https://www.issinstitute.org.au/skills-sa-fellowship

The Applied Research and Innovation (ARI) Project, in partnership with the Australasian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA), invites you to join an engaging, hands-on workshop designed to support TAFE professionals in writing with clarity, purpose, and impact.

This workshop is co-designed by the ARI Team and AVETRA, bringing together leading expertise from across the VET sector. 

Whether you are developing a proposal or sharing research outcomes, the way you communicate your ideas matters. This session will explore how to craft compelling research proposals and clearly articulate findings to influence teaching practice, policy, and future research projects.

What you will gain?

• Practical strategies to strengthen your research writing
• Insights into developing persuasive proposals 
• Techniques to communicate findings clearly and effectively 
• Confidence to share your work and amplify its impact 
  

Who should attend?

TAFE and VET staff involved in or interested in applied research, including those wanting to improve how they communicate and collaborate with industry partners.

Learn from sector leaders

We are thrilled to collaborate with highly experienced researchers and sector leaders, Kira Clarke, past president of AVETRA and Dr Karen O'Reilly Briggs, Secretary of AVETRA.

This workshop is designed to be practical, collaborative, and directly relevant to applied research practice. Whether you are new to research or looking to refine your approach, it offers an opportunity to build confidence, develop skills, and learn from peers across the sector.

Event Details:

Thursday 16th July
9:30am - 12:30pm
Venue : Conference Centre, Holmesglen Chadstone Campus
Corner Batefords and Warrigal Roads
RSVP by 2nd July to confirm your attendance

Register Here!

If you have dietary requirements, please indicate this via the RSVP form. If you require any further assistance on the day, please email appliedresearch@holmesglen.edu.au

Please feel free to share this registration link with colleagues who may be interested: register here

Fulbright VET scholarship- funded by the Department of Education.
The Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Vocational Education and Training supports outstanding Australian professionals in the VET sector to undertake research in the United States. This opportunity is for employees within the vocational education and training sector, including TAFEs, registered training organisations (RTOs), industry training bodies, and similar institutions. The successful candidate will undertake research into current vocational education and training policy or practice, the outcomes of which will inform and benefit the wider VET sector in Australia.  

The AAFC have created a flyer with information on the scholarship.
Applications for 2027/28 close 1 July 2026.

For more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the AAFC, Alex Maclaurin , or the Department of Education’s International Programs team 

The Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) and AVETRA are excited to invite scholarship applications from eligible early career researchers as part of our shared commitment to develop and support applied research capacity and capability in the VET sector.

Two VSA-AVETRA scholarships will be provided to Victorian early career VET researchers (or researchers who focus on VET as their subject matter, or practitioners seeking to transition to more research-focused roles) to attend the 2026 AVETRA Conference (to be held in Brisbane on 23-24 April 2026).

Each scholarship package will include a financial component of $2,500 plus a ticket to the conference and in-kind contributions from AVETRA.

DETAILS

• Scholarship recipients will each receive $2,500 to cover travel and other costs associated with attending the conference. They will each also receive a ticket to AVETRA’s 2026 annual conference.
• Through consultation between AVETRA and the scholarship recipients, additional opportunities for capability development may be created, such as:
• Dedicated one-on-one meeting time at the conference with a leading researcher, AVETRA member or conference speaker
• Opportunity to participate in a panel discussion at a future AVETRA conference
• Support in preparing an abstract for a future AVETRA conference
• The preparation of a short reflective piece on the conference for a future edition of the AVETRA magazine, Research Today
• Support in preparing an abstract for a future edition of Research Today.
• Funds will be paid as an up-front lump sum and scholarship recipients will be responsible for making their own travel and accommodation bookings.

ELIGIBILITY

To apply for a VSA – AVETRA Scholarship you must:

• Be a paid up AVETRA member
• Be an early career researcher or VET practitioner researcher, researching VET or VET-aligned issues
• Be an Australian citizen or have Australian work rights
• Live and work in Victoria

CONDITIONS

Within 4 weeks of attending the conference, scholarship recipients commit to providing a written reflective report back to the VSA and AVETRA covering:

• Your key highlights / takeaways from the conference
• How attendance at the conference has / will shape your research practice
• How you have started to share your learnings from the conference with your peers / colleagues.
• Your report may – by agreement – form the basis of a paper for AVETRA’s Research Today magazine.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants must complete the application form HERE and provide the following information and email to avetra@avetra.org.au 

1. Evidence of meeting the eligibility criteria
2. A reflective written piece covering:

• Your research career / research trajectory to date
• Evidence of research activity and dissemination
• How your research / research practice would benefit from attending the conference
• How you intend to disseminate what you learn at the conference to your peers and colleagues.

Applications will close at COB on Wednesday 15 April 2026.

Applications will be judged by representatives of VSA and AVETRA, against the published criteria. No further correspondence will be entered into.

Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 17 April 2026.

Calling all AVETRA members, VET researchers and stakeholders!

Share your research with your colleagues and peers through AVETRA’s Research Today magazine.

AVETRA is Australasia's only national, independent association of researchers in vocational education and training (VET). Amongst the range of services AVETRA offers, we produce VET research publications including Research Today – an electronic magazine that shares and celebrates VET practitioner research. This may be research about VET or research and innovation with and for VET’s industry and community partners.

Guidelines:

• Articles should be of around 1000-1500 words and on topics of interest to AVETRA members and the wider VET community (including researchers, academics, VET practitioners and other stakeholders).
• Articles on VET practitioner-led and applied research are especially welcome.
• Articles should include the aims of the research, how information was collected, and key findings.
• If you refer to academic literature, your piece should include the references and a reference list.
• If you refer to information owned by your industry or community partner, it is vital that the partner has granted permission for you to submit your article.
• The addition of diagrams or a picture is also welcome. 

Those preparing their first article may find the attached guide, useful.

Contributions are due by Friday 8 May 2026.

If you or your colleagues would like to contribute to the magazine, then please contact AVETRA at avetra@avetra.org.au  

Notice is given that the next Annual General Meeting of the Australasian Vocational Education & Training Research Association will be held on Thursday 23^rd April 2026 commencing at 5.00 PM AEDT. The meeting will be held in person (and via Zoom) 66 on Ernest at TAFE QLD South Bank campus, South Brisbane 

Members can also attend via Zoom, with a link to be sent out nearer the time.
We look forward to seeing you then!  

AVETRA
avetra@avetra.org.au 

Nominations are open for the AVETRA Journal Article of the Year Award 2026, for journal articles authored by an AVETRA member and published in the previous year. Please find a link to the nominations form, below.

The aim of this award is to recognise excellent scholarship on the part of an AVETRA member, and to help to raise the profile of the scholarly work being done by AVETRA members.

This ongoing award is presented annually at the AVETRA conference. The awardee will receive a certificate from AVETRA.

Nominations close 20 March 2026.

Nomination and award details, including a nomination form, are available below:

Nomination Form