Abstract
This paper presents an example of successful collaboration between researchers and policy-makers as potential users of research. The example involves a collaborative venture between the School of Education at Murdoch University and the Western Australian Department of Training. The processes underlying the development of this partnership reflect the importance placed by the two parties on genuine collaboration, reciprocal understanding of each others' culture, and sustained efforts to ensure that mutual benefits would emerge out of the project. In this example, the collaborative venture led to an enhanced conceptual understanding of issues of critical importance to the vocational education and training (VET) sector. The work has had immediate practical applications with potential for major policy changes. It is argued that the success of this partnership stems from a genuine desire to address the issues from an integrated practice-research framework through sustained interactivity between the participants and general commitment to fostering solid long-term professional relationships.