Vocational institutions, Undergraduate degrees

An ARC Discovery Project

Project overview

This is an Australian Research Council funded study of undergraduate degrees in vocational institutions in Australia and runs between 2017-2020.

The project aims to identify effects on equity of broadening participation to undergraduate degrees through the recent expansion of higher education in vocational institutions and understand the effects of these degrees on enabling the higher education system to respond to the global drivers for social and economic restructuring through new forms of distinction. The intended outcome will provide policy relevant knowledge for institutions, States and national government about the effects of this expansion on creating opportunities for more equity groups to obtain degrees and for the higher education system to better drive national innovation and economic restructuring in ways that gives a fairer chance to all equity groups to participate.


Watch the Project Team explore the findings and contribution of the project

See the project's Dissemination Report at close in May 2020.

Download the project's Interim Report from October 2019.

Read about the publications from the project to date.

See the planned publications from the project.

Project design and impact

The research contributes to strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric, examining the expansion of higher education by increasing the choice of degrees offered in vocational institutions and fairer chances for equity groups to access high level employment. The research will impact and inform the activities of vocational institutions offering degrees, and inform Australian government strategies in reforming higher education to meet national innovation needs for economic restructuring. The project research will be based in a number of case study sites and the research design includes:

  • analysis of public statistical data and documents
  • interviews with staff and sector representatives
  • focus groups with students and graduates
  • survey of students.
  • focus groups with employers, career counsellors and migration agents.

Project updates

Our project is supported by a project reference group who meet bi-annually to give feedback and receive reports on project progress. A project update is released at the time of these meetings and you can download these:

Project Update 1- September 2017 (pdf download, 500kb)

Project Update 2 - March 2018 (pdf download, 599kb)

Project Update 3 - September 2018 (pdf download, 385kb)

Project Update 4 - March 2019 (pdf download, 363kb)

Project Update 5 - October 2019 (pdf download, 599kb)

Project Update 6 - March 2020 (pdf download, 421kb)


Project collaborators

Academic project team

The research team includes researchers from Australia, England and Scotland. The core team is based in Australia.

The project is managed by Research Fellow Dr Lizzie Knight - Monash University (lizzie.knight@vu.edu.au) and Research Coordinator Mrs Leah Micallef (leah.micallef@monash.edu) and has been also supported by Research Fellows Dr Alice Sinclair and Dr Stephen Parker (stephen.parker@glasgow.ac.uk).

Project reference group

The project team work with a project reference group which draws on expertise from vocational education, higher education and careers education. There are invited members on the group from the vocational education sector, higher education sector and national student careers organisations.

Contact us to find out more.

Project funding

This project is funded by a number of organisations:

  • Australian Research Council (Discovery Project DP170101885 2017-2020: $396,500)
  • Monash University
  • Deakin University
  • Griffith University
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of Birmingham

Last updated 05.08.2019