The focus of much of Lyn’s research has been on post-compulsory education and the transition from school.

Lyn has undertaken various projects that involve tracking the destinations of school leavers, both at state and national levels, and investigating their experiences over both the short and longer term. Most recently at CPELL, she has had responsibility for a sample survey of SA school leavers, looking at their initial post-school destinations. She has also produced a report, based on analyses of longitudinal data, on the experiences of Victorian Year 12 students several years after their exit from school.

Prior to joining CPELL, Lyn was employed at the Australian Council for Educational Research for more than 13 years, during which time she worked extensively on the program of longitudinal surveys. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, and its precursor, Youth in Transition, followed large national samples of students as they moved from school to further education, training and employment. One project she completed, drawing on LSAY data, was a detailed empirical investigation of the incidence and effects of part-time work on secondary school students. She also took part in a project reviewing the growth of VET in schools across all Australian states during the 1990s, and managed a national survey of programs involving school-industry partnerships.

Lyn is now contributing to policy-relevant research on transition through her involvement in preparing How Young People are Faring 2009, an annual report on the learning and earning circumstances of young Australians – their levels of participation in education and training, and the state of the youth labour market.

BA, Dip Ed, Grad Dip Urban Research & Policy, PhD

• Post-compulsory education and training, and student retention
• School students and part-time work
• VET in Schools
• Student transition from school: post-school destinations and pathways
• Student outcomes - gender, socio-economic and regional differences
• Equity issues in education

Robinson, L. & Lamb, S. (2009) How Young People are Faring 2009. Melbourne, Victoria: Foundation for Young Australians.

Robinson, L. & Lamb, S. (2009) How Young People are Faring 2009 At a Glance. Melbourne, Victoria: Foundation for Young Australians.

Robinson, L. & Lamb, S. (2009) On Track Longitudinal 2008 Results. The 2004 cohort 4 years on. Melbourne: Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Victoria.

Robinson, L. (2009) 2008 Sample Survey of South Australian Year 12 School Leavers. Report to future SACE Office, Department of Education and Children’s Services, SA.

Helme, S., Teese, R., Dulfer, N., Robinson, L., & Jones, T. (2009). Provision, Participation and Achievement: A Study of the Western Metropolitan Region (draft report to DEECD). Melbourne: CPELL.

Lamb, S., Robinson, L., Rice, S., & Thomas, A. (2008) School Behaviours and Student Outcomes Project: Phase 2: Behaviours of High-performing Schools. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Victoria

Robinson, L & Keating, J. (2005) Regional education and training networks: lessons from Victoria’s LLENs. Occasional Paper No 4. Centre for Post-compulsory Education and Lifelong Learning, University of Melbourne.

Robinson, L & Keating, J. (2005) Networks and governance: the case of LLENs in Victoria. Occasional Paper No 3. Centre for Post-compulsory Education and Lifelong Learning, University of Melbourne.

Robinson, L & Keating, J. (2004) What can LLENs achieve? A preliminary exploration of their impact. Occasional Paper No 2. Centre for Post-compulsory Education and Lifelong Learning, University of Melbourne.

Robinson, L & Keating, J. (2003) Networks and LLENs: Policy and practice. Occasional Paper No 1. Centre for Post-compulsory Education and Lifelong Learning, University of Melbourne.

Long, M., Robinson, L. & Malley, J. (2001) Graduate satisfaction and entry-level training in office skills. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research.

Malley, J., Ainley, J. & Robinson, L. (2001) Witnessing Evolution: A report on the growth of workplace learning in Australian schools. Sydney: Enterprise and Career Education Foundation.

Malley, J., Keating, J., Robinson, L. & Hawke, G. (2001) The quest for a working blueprint: Vocational education and training in Australian secondary schools. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research.

Harvey-Beavis, A. & Robinson, L. (2000) Views and influences: Tertiary education, secondary students, and their advisers. Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Evaluations and Investigations Program.

Malley, J., Robinson, L. & McKenzie, P. (2000) 1999 Survey of school-industry programs in Australian schools. Report to the Australian Student Traineeship Foundation.

Long, M., Robinson, L. & Malley, J. (2000) Graduate satisfaction and entry-level training in office skills. Melbourne: ACER.

Lamb, S., Robinson, L. and Fleming, N. (2000) Youth Allowance and participation in education, training and work: results from the first wave of the Youth Allowance longitudinal survey. Melbourne: ACER.

Malley, J., Frigo, T. and Robinson, L. (1999) Case studies of Australian school-industry programs. Volumes 1 and 2. Sydney: Australian Student Traineeship Foundation.

Robinson, L. (1999) The effects of part-time work on school students. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth Research Report No 9. Melbourne: ACER.

Robinson, L. (1998) Skills usage and destination study: A survey of Victorian TAFE graduates. In Faraone, M. & Romuld, G. (1998) A destination study and skills formation improvement program. Melbourne: Business Skills Victoria

Robinson, L., Fleming, M. & Withers, G. (1998) Evaluating the educational progress of young people returning to education and training. Melbourne: Victorian Department of Education.

Robinson, L. & Batten, M. (1996) An indexed guide to data collection indicators. Chapter 6 in Yates, L. & Leder, G. Student pathways. A review and overview of national databases on gender equity. Canberra: ACT Department of Education and Training.

Robinson, L. (1996) School students and part-time work. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth Research Report No 2. Melbourne: ACER.

Robinson, L. & Ainley, J. (1995) The availability of baseline data on equity in Australian schools. Report commissioned by Targeted Programs Branch, Schools and Curriculum Division, DEET. Canberra: DEET.

Ainley, J., Robinson, L., Harvey-Beavis, A., Elsworth, G. & Fleming, M. (1994) Subject choice in years 11 and 12. Canberra: AGPS.

Ainley, J. & Robinson, L. (1994) Subject choice by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in year 11 and year 12. Report commissioned for the National Review of Education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Camberwell, Vic: ACER.

Robinson, L. & Long, M. (1992) Student Workers. New data on gender and education differences. Youth Studies Australia Vol 11, No 3. (p14-24).

Robinson, L. (1990) Perceptions of the relevance of secondary schooling. In McKenzie, P, & Alford, K. (Eds) The labour market relevance of secondary schooling: Perspectives from year 12 school leavers who do not enrol in higher education. Hawthorn, Vic: ACER.

Robinson, L. (1990) The after year 12 survey. In McKenzie, P, & Alford, K. (Eds) The labour market relevance of secondary schooling: Perspectives from year 12 school leavers who do not enrol in higher education. Hawthorn, Vic: ACER.

Masters, G., Lokan J., Doig, B., Khoo, S. T., Lindsey, J., Robinson, L., & Zammit, S. (1990) Profiles of learning. The basic skills testing program in New South Wales 1989 Hawthorn, Vic : ACER.

Current projects
• How Young People are Faring 2009: collating and analysing administrative and research data from a variety of sources (including ABS, NCVER, and SSDA) to produce the 11th annual report in this series, commissioned by the Foundation for Young Australians.
• SA School Leavers Survey: tracking the destinations in 2009 of a sample of the 2008 cohort of Year 12 school leavers, for the future SACE Office, South Australia, to provide a state wide and school level reports.

Previous projects at CPELL:
• Victoria’s On Track Longitudinal survey: this involved analysis of longitudinal survey data collected over four years, to complete a final report to the DEECD on the post school destinations up until 2008 of the 2004 cohort of school leavers.
• SA School Leavers Survey: this survey of the destinations in 2008 of a sample of the 2007 cohort of Year 12 school leavers was commissioned by the future SACE Office of South Australia. Analysis of the cross-sectional data collected via telephone survey was used to provide both school level reports and a state report.
• Educational Provision in the Western Metropolitan Regions of Melbourne: analysis of data for the component of this project that was concerned with the costs of post-compulsory educational provision across the region.
• Governance implications of Victoria’s Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLENs): ARC funded research which investigated interactions within LLENs and relationships between LLENs and government. The project sought to chart the evolution of networks and their impact on education and training providers at a local level, as well as analyse the response of government and its bureaucracy to the location of policy processes at local level.