This report by Kate Barnett and John Spoehr explores the role that the vocational education and training (VET) system can play in assisting people relying on social security income to move into the workforce.

The researchers examined the experiences of VET students from the relevant welfare groups and sought the views of other key stakeholders such as TAFE and Centrelink personnel. Conclusions include that VET can play a positive role but that there needs to be collaboration between VET and income support sectors to ensure that potential barriers are overcome.

The report has been published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research and is available at http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1987.html.