Getting research around VET in schools on the agenda

In April this year, the Australian Vocational Education Training Research Association (AVETRA) held its 9th annual conference – Global VET: Challenges at the Global, National and Local Levels – at the University of Wollongong. Endeavouring to explore questions pertaining to the international, national and local context of Vocational Education and Training (VET), the conference had three themes: global VET research, reform and change in Australian VET and their implications for VET research, and VET at the local level. The conference program included keynote addresses by Professor Michael Singh from the University of Western Sydney; Aurora Andruska, representing the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST); and Barry Peddle, the president of TAFE Directors Australia and the Institute Director of the Illawarra Institute of TAFE. It also included panel presentations chaired by Michael Singh, Fran Ferrier and Jenny Ferber; and a number of individual presentations, workshops and three symposia