AVETRA was born through a grant made available by NCVER to start a VET researcher’s association. The links between AVETRA and NCVER are strong and mutually beneficial, while each organisation has a specific and related agenda and strategy for the VET research field.

As part of the suite of AVETRA projects funded by a generous donation from Dr Ray Barker, a History of the first ten years of AVETRA – 1997-2007, was commissioned. We were pleased to award the project to Dr Cydde Miller, who has produced "The History and Achievements of the Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association" a comprehensive and lively account of our early history.