The TAFE report: changing young people's perceptions of TAFE and vocational education

Year13 conducted this national survey (n=1,210) in June/July 2019 in order to understand how much young people (aged 15-24) understand of TAFE and vocational education and training (VET), as well as their perceptions and pre-conceived ideas about these education pathways. The survey found that the full potential of what TAFE and VET pathways can offer students today is not as well known in many schools and households across Australia as it could be. This has fed into over a quarter (28 per cent) of young Australians feeling deterred from studying TAFE/VET courses due to a 'stigma' being attached to it. Contributing to this is how 47 per cent of young Australians do not have a well-rounded understanding of TAFE. With close to half of young Australians lacking a well-rounded understanding of TAFE as an education pathway, this report proposes that strategies to market TAFE and better educate students, teachers and parents about the full array of career options and benefits, could help to position TAFE as a first-choice education and training option and help Australia meet its demands for skilled workers moving forward into the next decade.

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