Training and labour market outcomes of VET in Schools students with analysis of ABS microdata

Vocational education and training (VET) has a long association with school education. From the technical schools of the 1970s, to the development of VET in Schools programs in the 1990s and the integration into the high school certificate in the early 2000s. Currently, around 40 per cent of students in Years 11 and 12 enrol in at a VET in Schools subject. But what is the impact of VET in Schools and what outcomes does it help to achieve? This presentation reports on a collaboration that has allowed a look at the destinations of VET in Schools students five years down the track. This...  [+] Show more

Vocational education and training (VET) has a long association with school education. From the technical schools of the 1970s, to the development of VET in Schools programs in the 1990s and the integration into the high school certificate in the early 2000s. Currently, around 40 per cent of students in Years 11 and 12 enrol in at a VET in Schools subject. But what is the impact of VET in Schools and what outcomes does it help to achieve? This presentation reports on a collaboration that has allowed a look at the destinations of VET in Schools students five years down the track. This research project aimed to facilitate detailed analyses of the training and labour market outcomes of students who have undertaken VET in Schools programs. These outcomes were investigated by looking at a range of personal and training characteristics. A supplementary aim of the project was to foster closer working relationships between [National Centre for Vocational Education Research] NCVER and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in areas of mutual interest.

NCVER used a number of datasets for this research project, including the integrated VET in Schools data with 2011 Census of Population and Housing (Census) produced by ABS. The integrated dataset facilitated more detailed analysis of the longitudinal outcomes of young people who participated in VET in Schools. In order to access the integrated data, the ABS collaborated with NCVER to release a detailed microdata file to authorised researchers through the DataLab. The DataLab is a data analysis solution provided by the ABS for high-end data users who want to undertake complex analysis of unit record files (microdata). This approach provides an example of how the ABS is transforming its approach to expanding microdata access to better support research and decision-making.

Using the extensive data available from the census, NCVER was able to investigate a range of education and employment outcomes for students five years after undertaking a VET in Schools course. The analysis covers outcomes such as labour force status, income, non-school qualifications and occupation and student characteristics such as Indigenous status, remoteness and characteristics of their VET in Schools study. The analytical results from this project will be of interest to researchers and policy makers such as those who are interested in outcomes from participation in VET. In addition, those interested in how the ABS is transforming access to microdata will be benefit from this presentation.

Published abstract.