Transforming futures for students
NSW Department of Education | Program Evaluation | New South Wales, Australia | 2021
Independent evaluation of the NSW Regional Industry Education Partnership (RIEP) Program
Assessed program outcomes, economic value and stakeholder experience
Strengthened industry-school partnerships supporting workforce pathways
Secured continued ongoing funding and informed future program delivery
The Challenge
The NSW Department of Education engaged Sparrowly Group to undertake an independent evaluation of the Regional Industry Education Partnership (RIEP) Program and provide recommendations for future delivery.
The Program builds partnerships between industry and high schools to increase awareness of career pathways and employment opportunities. The evaluation needed to assess effectiveness, demonstrate economic and social impact and identify improvements to strengthen future outcomes.
Key challenges included
Clarifying program outcomes and impact across diverse regions
Measuring economic and social value and benefit
Capturing stakeholder experience and program effectiveness
Identifying opportunities to strengthen delivery and outcomes
Our Approach
To deliver the RIEP evaluation we undertook a mixed-methods approach.
Our methodology included
Development of a program logic model clarifying objectives, inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes.
Outcome, economic and process evaluations for each objective.
Qualitative insights through consultation with RIEP officers, schools and employers.
Social cost-benefit analysis to assess economic and social impact using program data linked with ACARA datasets.
Develop strategic recommendations covering program strategy, measurement, branding and marketing, and ways of working.
Outcomes and Impact
Key Outcomes
Continued permanent funding secured from the NSW Government
Immediate adoption of strategic recommendations
Improved program clarity and performance measurement
Strengthened delivery and stakeholder engagement
Economic and Social Impact
Stronger industry-education partnerships supporting workforce pathways
Increased student awareness of career opportunities
Insights informing broader education program evaluations
Expanded impact across workforce development initiatives
