1 The role of VET in Australia’s agrifood industry innovation system:

Australia’s agrifood industries are well served by a network of research and development organisations that represent strong partnerships between government, industry and providers of research & education services. A key feature of this network are cooperative research centres (CRCs) and research and development corporations (RDCs). The innovation system for Australia’s agrifood industries relies to a large extent on the effectiveness of these organisations. However, in general terms, leading Australian commentators have identified the link between industry innovation and VET. This paper presents the findings of recent research conducted in late 2006 for the AgriFood Skills Council (AFSC). The paper outlines the findings of the research and recommends strategies for VET organisations wishing to play a more important role in industry innovation