Complex not simple: The vocational education and training pathway from welfare to work
Dr Kate Barnett and Associate Professor John Spoehr, Australian Institute for Social Research, University of Adelaide
NCVER
978 1 921412 06 6 print; 978 1 921412 07 3 web
The Welfare to Work initiative aims to move people from income support to paid work.While the primary emphasis of this policy has been on getting people into jobs, many of those targeted need to undertake training in order to get sustainable employment, thus posing a new challenge to vocational education and training (VET) providers. Full Image (6.58K)
The welfare-to-work policy aims to encourage certain welfare recipients to pursue pathways that lead to paid employment. This report explores the role that the vocational education and training (VET) system can play in assisting people move from welfare to work. The researchers examined the experiences of VET students from the relevant welfare groups and sought the views of other key stakeholders such as TAFE staff and Centrelink personnel. Conclusions include that VET can play a positive role but that there needs to be collaboration between VET and income support sectors to ensure that potential barriers are overcome.
