OctoberVET Fellowship Forum 
Sharing Knowledge and enhancing VET through international insights.

International Specialised Skills Institute and The VET Development Centre applied research conference

Friday 18th October | 9.30am - 4.30pm | VET Development Centre | Level 8/379 Collins Street, Melbourne.

Join us for an insightful day as our recent International VET Practitioner Fellows share their global perspectives and innovative findings.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn and engage with the latest international ideas that are advancing the VET sector.

The forum is hybrid and can be attended In Person or Via Zoom
In person at the VDC.
Level 8, 379 Collins Street Melbourne VIC 3000

For more information and to Register Now

Tuesday 29th October 1-2pm

Title: Researching for VET policy and practice: insights from the AVETRA-VSA partnership projects

AVETRA has been engaged by the Victorian Skills Authority (VSA), an Administrative Office of the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions for a two-year programme to commission Australian VET researchers to produce ‘Research Insights’. These Research Insights will translate findings and evidence from existing research into critical policy facing outputs. This webinar will feature a panel of researchers who have led the first three projects completed as part of the partnership. The panel will share key learnings from their projects and share reflections on the experience of working in partnership with government to prepare research insights that speak to implications for VET policy and policymaking.

More Information

Recently, we called for applications for the inaugural AVETRA Conference Scholarships, offered by Victorian Skills Authority and AVETRA. We are pleased to announce that the two scholarships have been awarded to:

Emily Barter

Emily is a PhD candidate at Melbourne University, focussing her research on the experiences and impact of compliance on new VET teachers in Victorian TAFEs. She has many years of experience in the VET sector and in roles that intersect with it. Emily’s hopes her research will elevate the voice of VET teachers and increase knowledge relating to new VET teachers and compliance.

Vikki Millar

Vicki is a PhD candidate at CQ University and works as a VET Specialist at Deakin University. Her research aims to understand how space can improve outcomes for students impacted by trauma. Vicki draws from her prior roles within TAFE and VET and her current engagements with VET, schools, students and teachers.

Congratulations, Emily and Vikki!

Thank you to all those who applied for the scholarships. We were impressed by the calibre of the researchers who applied and the diversity of their research activity.  

These VSA – AVETRA scholarships are another dimension of the flourishing relationship between the two organisations, committed to supporting early career researchers.

We look forward to celebrating VET research with you all at the upcoming 2024 AVETRA Conference.

The full program for the AVETRA 24 Conference has just been released! Check out the wonderful line-up of key note speakers, researcher presentations and interactive panel and discussion sessions, as well as our free pre-conference workshops.

Check out our discount accommodation options.  Please note that the NRL Grand final is on 6 October in Sydney - so we encourage you to book your accommodation asap! 

To learn more about the conference (including scholarships available thanks to the VSA/AVETRA partnership), visit the conference website.

Registrations Close - 22nd September so book now!!

Nominations are now open for the Berwyn Clayton Award for Practitioner Research.

AVETRA members are invited to nominate an early career or practitioner researcher whose research is making a positive impact when applied to VET practice.

Berwyn Clayton is a legend in the Australian VET research scene and has a long and distinguished association with AVETRA. From 1989 to 2014 Berwyn actively encouraged and supported VET teachers to undertake research.

AVETRA has presented the Berwyn Clayton Award on a bi-annual basis at the AVETRA Conference since 2012. Over the years, the criteria for this award have changed, reflecting the broad impact that Berwyn has had on our sector.

All nominees and those nominating them must be current AVETRA members.

Nominations close COB Friday 20 September 2024.

Nomination Form

More information about the Berwyn Clayton Award for Practitioner Research, including contact details, are here: https://avetra.org.au/Berwyn-Clayton-Award

The Victorian Skills Authority (VSA), in partnership with AVETRA, is now calling for formal Expressions of Interest from Australian Vocational Education and Training researchers or a research team for Project 5 "Supporting the VET workforce to respond to the changing needs of VET learners."

This project will deliver research insights about the impact of the changing needs of the VET student cohort on the VET teaching and learning workforce, and the individual, institutional and sectoral approaches being implemented to support the VET workforce in their engagement with learners.

Funding up to $75,000 is available for this project. EOI's are due on Friday 6 September 2024.

Learn more 

The Victorian Skills Authority (VSA), in partnership with AVETRA, is calling for formal Expressions of Interest from Australian Vocational Education and Training researchers or a research team for Project 5 "Supporting the VET workforce to respond to the changing needs of VET learners." Expressions of interest This project will deliver research insights about the impact of the changing needs of the VET student cohort on the VET teaching and learning workforce, and the individual, institutional and sectoral approaches being implemented to support the VET workforce in their engagement with learners.

The Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) in partnership with AVETRA is seeking to commission a research team / researcher to provide research insights about the impact of the changing needs of the VET student cohort on the VET teaching and learning workforce, and the individual, institutional and sectoral approaches being implemented to support the VET workforce in their engagement with learners.

This project aims to provide policymakers with a high-level overview of the ways in which the VET student needs may be changing and the contextual factors that may be impacting this (i.e. a representation of the current state). The project will critically also provide a reflection on how the changing needs of the student cohort may impact on (1) the knowledge, capabilities and dispositions needed by VET teachers (2) the workload of VET teachers, and (3) the institutional support systems needed by VET teachers.

It will inform the development of the Victorian VET Workforce Strategy (Action 9 of the 2022 into 2023 Victorian Skills Plan) by identifying strategies that support the VET teaching and learning workforce to manage the range of student needs they are now facing and are likely to experience in the future.

Learn more

The Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) and AVETRA are excited to announce a new initiative 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 2024 AVETRA Conference (to be held in Sydney on 3-4 October 2024).

Each scholarship package will include a financial component of $2,000 plus a ticket to the conference and in-kind contributions from AVETRA.

Details

Scholarship recipients will each receive $2,000 to cover travel and other costs associated with attending the conference. They will each also receive a ticket to AVETRA’s 2024 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.

Learn more and apply 

Call for Abstracts are now open for the 2024 AVETRA conference being held on the 3 & 4th October at the Aerial UTC Function Centre, University of Technology, Broadway in Sydney.

This years theme: Impetus and Impact: Research that Challenges and Shapes VET Policy and Practice.

Abstract submissions close on 24th June 2024.