Role of international networks in informing TVET policy and practice

Rod CammManaging Director

UNESCO-UNEVOC Regional Forum31 August 2014

#150526

Presentation structure

• Funding TVET projects: A problem or opportunity?

• The policy and decision making environment

• The importance of research to advise investment and resourcing decisions

• Role of networks in mobilising research effort and supporting evidence-based policy and practice

NCVER’s vision

To inform and influence vocational education and training in Australia through credible, reliable and

responsive research and statistical services.

The policy environment

• The growth of evidence-based decision making and policy

• A trend toward donors and governments funding what can be measured – the impact of aid and investment in light of public accountability for funds

• Attention to ‘Value for Money’ propositions in deciding on official development assistance (ODA) or government expenditure

• Multiple countries and agencies are involved in funding and supporting educational development programs in countries and regions; cooperation can be ‘hit and miss’

A problem or opportunity?

• Lack of understanding of the sum of individual aid/funding allocation decisions on national and global development goals – a role for research?

• Certain areas of education are under-funded; for example TVET despite its close connection to economic objectives in most countries

• Research evidence on the benefits of investment in TVET is ‘scratchy’ and understanding what it means for the individual, employer, community, country, regions and international community is difficult

• A gap still exists between TVET policy and practice and TVET research – how to connect?

Impact versus Publication

Connecting research and policy

• Research is important to help: Learners to make better choices Providers to ensure they have capacity to meet demand Industry and employers to have confidence they have

access to appropriately qualified labour Governments to make wise investment decisions Training markets Entitlement Quality Role of industry

Connecting research and policy• Researchers are often naïve about how policy development and funding

decisions are made- Independence versus Independence

• Relevance and timeliness of research is important in aiming to provide the evidence base for policy – understand the cycles

- Synthesis pieces- Engagement

• Producing research in a way that decision makers understand – layering the message

• Adopt multi-disciplinary approaches – not just an educational problem!

• Determining priorities and projects

Assessing the impact of NCVER’s research

• Quantitative and qualitative measures to identify where research has made a difference in terms of:

- knowledge production- capacity building- informing policy, and- informing practice.

Good practice guide for measuring and maximising research impact in social science research settings

• Approach to measuring impact across four domains:

- producing knowledge- building the capacity of researchers and end users- influencing policy, and- influencing practice.

A regional and global perspective

• Need to make best use of research to understand the multiple benefits of investing in TVET

• International interest in understanding common issues; for example funding and financing challenges, recognition and mobility, attractiveness of TVET, returns to investing in training

• Need for pooling of resources and information sharing; especially around what works in different contexts

A regional and global perspective

A regional and global perspective

• Increasingly, a regional approach to TVET development; mobility, recognition of qualifications, transferability of skills

• Need for whole-of-region approaches rather than country-specific interventions

• Need for pooling of resources and information sharing on some issues; especially around what works in different contexts

• Big issues sometimes require harnessing global research resources

A regional and global perspective

• Considerable interest in funding and financing issues – current joint study between Australia and Germany looking at ways of encouraging employer investment

• Funding and financing TVET in the Pacific Island region (an AusAID initiative)

• Understanding returns to investing in TVET – UNESCO initiative (to be discussed later in the forum)

What is needed

• Harnessing better the research talent in the international community

• Focussing research around real solutions to big issues

• Provide leading evidence of the extent to which certain models and interventions work or make a difference

• Share the results widely through available networks

• Impact versus Publication

International TVET research networks

• UNESCO-UNEVOC network - regional clusters

• European Research Network in Vocational Education & Training

• SEAMEO centres

• International Education Research Network

• Country specific – NCVER, AVETRA (Australia), FERA (U.K)