The Transition from Initial Education to Working Life: A Status Report on Australia's Progress.

Australia's system for helping youths make a successful transition from initial vocational education and training (VET) to working life was assessed through an analysis that focused on the following features that were identified by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as contributing to successful transitions: learning pathways and qualifications frameworks; learning in real work settings; provision of a broad range of general and vocational skills; "youth-friendly" labor markets; safety nets and reintegration; information and guidance; effective institutional frameworks; and monitoring tools. The following were identified as being among Australia's significant achievements in establishing a system to support successful transitions from VET to working life: establishment of the Australian Qualifications framework; active engagement of industry in development of competency standards; and efforts to increase learners' participation in real work settings through the New Apprenticeships and VET in Schools programs. The issues identified as being among the five most significant remaining to be addressed were: developing effective programs for identifying potential dropouts and reintegrating dropouts into the educational system; developing integrated approaches to career guidance; improving opportunities for learning in real work settings; and taking steps to ensure that existing structures and frameworks serve the interests of both learners and employers. (MN)