Role of lower-level qualifications in Australia's vocational education and training system

This report considers the role of lower-level qualifications (Certificate I and II) in Australia's national vocational education and training system. It was prepared for the former Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency by the Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET), Faculty of Education, Monash University in collaboration with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The report includes a review of the research literature, analyses of relevant data and policy documents and accounts of the views of industry skill councils (ISCs) and state training authorities (STAs) gathered by questionnaire and consultations for the purposes of this report. Key messages are that: (1) lower-level qualifications have multiple roles and are designed to meet both industry needs and social goals; (2) stakeholders broadly agree that lower-level qualifications will continue to perform these roles in the medium term; new funding arrangements may affect some roles, particularly that of providing entry-level occupational-specific qualifications for existing workers; and (3) recent enrolment patterns in lower-level qualifications point to growth in enrolments, especially in VET in Schools (VETiS); the volatility in enrolments resulting from changes in funding arrangements, especially in Victoria and South Australia, makes it difficult to forecast trends; enrolment patterns do, however, demonstrate the sensitivity of enrolments to changes in funding arrangements.

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