International Students in the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) Sector: Study Purposes, Learning Practices and Institutional Responses

The number of international students enrolled in the VET sector increased by 45.7% through 2007. It has been claimed much of this increase is due to immigration policies that favour immigrants with specific skills and training. The project will analyse how the reasons that inform international students decisions to study their chosen VET courses influence their adaptation to institutional practices and the ways in which VET institutions shape teaching programs. Detailing these variables is central to the reputation of the VET sector and its capacity to provide for the needs of international students and the Australian educational export agenda