In their words: learner 'choice' in fully-contestable training markets

Now in the developmental stage, this study aims to investigate the drivers influencing student behaviour, and their impact on choice of provider and course in competitive training markets. Based in Victoria, the research will work closely with three [registered training organisations] RTOs to understand (a) the extent to which young people's choices are restricted by local training supply and labour market needs; and (b) how the [vocational education and training] VET system and underpinning RTO practices are equipping young people with information needed to make an 'informed choice' in a marketised training environment.

There are five research questions: What are the main drivers influencing student behaviour and choice of provider and course? To what extent are young people (15-24 year olds) aware of the various entitlements and eligibility criteria concerning their participation in VET? What are their attitudes towards them, and what impact do they have? What role does 'choice' have when explaining the patterns in training participation and outcomes among groups of young people? What are the perspectives of the target group (and the practitioners who train them) on the opportunities and 'freedom to choose' their provider, course, and occupation in their particular region? How can current approaches to measurement and reporting in VET be broadened to reflect more comprehensive outcomes for young people?

Using a mixed methods approach, the focus will be on identifying three distinctive markets of Victoria in which young people participate in VET at a higher rate than in other parts of Victoria (and Australia) and where there are high rates of youth unemployment. The initial stage of the research will involve mapping what VET options are available in these three regions for young people through a detailed document analysis, followed by a comprehensive analysis of archival quantitative data. The findings from these strands will then be explored in more detail by working closely with three RTOs, each catering to different segments of the 'youth' or 'school leaver' market. At each RTO, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with practitioners and managers, and a selection of focus groups will be conducted with VET learners. The multi-level approach to data collection will capture new information and different perspectives on these issues while retaining a focus on the learner perceptive. This project is one of seven grants awarded in 2015 through [National Centre for Vocational Education Research's] NCVER's National Vocational Education and Training Research (NVETR) program. The principal researcher is Justin Brown, Senior Research Fellow (VET) at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in Melbourne.

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