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Vocational education and training (VET) has been seen to be an important element of school education for some time now. More recently, school-based apprentices and trainees have been given more prominence as an element of VET in Schools, partly as a response to skill shortages in a wide range of areas. The purpose of this short paper is to provide data on school-based apprentices and trainees to enable a judgement to be made about how this policy push is unfolding. After providing some context on the policy environment relevant to school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, this paper provides data on how many and what areas are covered, and goes on to look at attrition and completion rates. To provide a comparison group, data on apprenticeships and traineeships among young people are also given, noting that they form a very important entry point into the labour market for a large proportion of young people. The study found that despite a concerted policy push, the number of school-based apprentices and trainees is small and highly concentrated in Queensland and Victoria, among retail and hospitality training packages, and at the certificates I and II level. Attrition is lower among school-based than all young apprentices and trainees, both within the first six months and year, and at both certificate I and II and certificate III and above levels. With regard to the proportion completing their training, completion rates for certificates I and II are higher for school-based contracts than for all young apprentices and trainees, but substantially lower for certificates III and above. Completion rates in hairdressing, metal and engineering, and automotive certificates III and above are particularly low among school-based apprentices and trainees. Show less

The issue addressed in the research study reported here is whether school vocational education and training (VET) programs have been successful. The study focused on two aspects: Year 12 retention (and its vocational equivalent) and post-school pathways. The data set for the analysis is young people who were in Year 9 in 1998, surveyed for the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY). These data are ideal for this purpose because of their richness in capturing demographic, attitudinal and student outcomes information. The analysis is extended by linking these data with unpublished NCVER National VET Provider Collection data (2000-2003), enabling a more thorough examination of school and post-school VET activity and offering a comparison between VET in Schools courses and VET courses undertaken post-school. This report first provides some context and looks at the characteristics of those students most likely to participate in school VET programs in Year 11. It then looks at the impact of VET on student retention to Year 12 (or its vocational equivalent). The next section examines whether participation in school VET programs plays a role in successful post-school outcomes, defined as engagement with learning or employment one year out from Year 12, or within the same time frame for those who leave school before Year 12. Then there is an assessment of whether school VET programs establish post-school VET pathways, in particular, whether there is a relationship between the VET courses studied at school and those studied subsequently. Outcomes were looked at in terms of retention to Year 12 and post-school engagement with learning and employment. It was found that VET at school is undoubtedly a clear pathway for some students. In particular, a reasonable number of boys continue in the same field with their post-school vocational studies. However, the fields of education offered at school do not line up particularly well with those offered outside school that are more likely to reflect labour market demands, and girls tend to shy away from the VET subjects they studied at school. In comparing VET offerings inside and outside school, one note of discord is that the school VET subjects are at a lower level, even for the same age groups. Show less

This webinar presents the findings of recent research by Paul Miller and Mike Dockery on the pay-off to education for people who secure jobs that are a good match for their level of qualification, and the pay-offs to those who end up in jobs for which they are under-qualified or over-qualified. The effects of credentialism - the trend towards increasing general levels of education unrelated to job requirements - is also explored and the implications this has for labour market and education policy.

Published summary. Show less

This paper documents and finalises some work undertaken for the Apprenticeships for the 21st Century Expert Panel. It aims to explain the extent to which variation in apprenticeship completion rates can be attributed to factors relating to 'culture' of the employer and apprentice. 'Culture', in this case, refers to employer size, type (government, private or group training) and intensity of trades workers in the apprentice's home suburb. The authors find that all of these have an effect on apprenticeship completion rates. Show less

This article examines the occupational aspirations of 15-year olds. [The authors] first determine the drivers of occupational aspirations before comparing aspirations with actual employment outcomes a decade later. Whilst actual jobs held at age 25 years do not quite meet young people's initial aspirations, they compare favourably with the overall job distribution of the Australian workforce, particularly for young women. It is suggested that these positive outcomes reflect the higher education levels of young cohorts, compared to older ones. One likely reason why young women exceed young men regarding occupational status is the higher proportion of women completing university studies.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Thirteen opinion pieces were released in 2010: (1) 'Lifting the lid on the issues confronting TAFE providers and their workforce' by Hugh Guthrie (released 22 April); (2) 'ACE: re-engaging young learners for success' by Alison Anlezark (released 23 April); (3) 'Traversing the education sectors and the Australian Qualifications Framework' by Ron Mazzachi and Ashlea Bartram (released 11 May); (4) 'Have green skills become browned off?' by Tom Karmel (released 24 May); (5) 'Credentialing everyone: is it realistic or necessary?' by Michelle Circelli (released 21 June); (6) 'Staying on course: making learning relevant' by Ashlea Bartram (released 16 July); (7) 'Would you like to dance? creating partnerships in adult literacy' by Bridget Wibrow (released 16 July); (8) 'The impact of VET in schools on young people's intentions and achievements' by Nhi Nguyen (released 1 September); (9) 'What's in a completion rate?' by David Roberts (released 6 September); (10) 'The future of VET: a medley of views' by Peter Shergold (released 24 September); (11) 'Is higher education vocational?' by Tom Karmel (released 30 September); (12) 'Contemplating the future of VET' by Karen Webber (released 14 October); (13) 'Diversity and excellence: prompts from the history of the tertiary education sector' by Francesca Beddie (released 18 October). Show less

Compared with many countries, Australia has relatively few young people who are unemployed. This conference paper examines the features of Australia's education system and labour market to see the extent to which they contribute to this outcome. These features include: recent increases to the school leaving age and an emphasis on post-school education; the apprenticeship and traineeship system; the vocational stream of education within the schooling system; and the high proportion of students undertaking part-time work. The paper argues that there are two key factors behind Australia's good record of employment for young people: high levels of post-school education with the consequence that there is not a large cohort of people in their mid-to-late teens flooding on to the labour market; and a flexible education system which gives individuals multiple choices. However, these factors are not sufficient and are unlikely to be effective without a strong economy: it is very difficult to absorb teenage and young adults' labour in a depressed labour market. Show less

We have seen very significant declines in [vocational education and training] VET activity since 2015 and a further decline as [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 emerged in 2020, however the declines in completions were more muted (that is, much of the decline in student numbers was in those not completing a full qualification). Of course, this decline in VET activity reflects structural change that was responding to the needs of the labour market. Certainly, university education has been expanding at VET's expense and we have seen degrees become the entry level qualification for many occupations. In looking at the impact of COVID-19 on apprentices and trainees the government appeared to have addressed any short-term declines in numbers, however we are not so optimistic about the rest of VET. This paper concentrates on VET qualification completions at the diploma or higher level, and Certificates III and IV. Lower level and non-AQF [Australian Qualifications Framework] qualifications were assumed to be preparatory in nature and of less relevance to skills formation.

Abstract from publisher's website. Show less

Skill shortages in the trades are of growing concern as Australian industry emerges from the global financial crisis. Although such shortages are often attributed to the inability of the training system to supply enough skilled tradespersons, they are just as much affected by the rate at which individuals leave their occupations. In this paper, using professional occupations as comparators, the authors investigate attrition in the trades and the extent to which this is affected by good or bad economic times. They also ponder the question of whether a trade is a good start to a career by tracking the occupational destination of those who exit their trades. The report concludes that attrition in the trades is no higher than in the professions; the rate of leaving particular occupations may vary, but overall the results between the two are very similar. The economic climate also makes little difference to the attrition rate. Show less

Based on data from the Graduate Destination Survey, we look [at] how the outcomes of graduating overseas students compare with those of Australian students, and how these outcomes have changed over time. The recent experience is that the proportion of overseas graduates in full-time employment is about 30 per cent of the proportion of Australian graduates in full-time employment. Furthermore the employment of overseas graduates is split reasonably evenly between those with jobs in Australia and those with jobs in their home countries. All up we are talking about 15 per cent of overseas graduates obtaining a full-time job four months after graduation. This suggests that the overseas graduates are struggling in the labour market. Associated with this very low proportion of overseas graduates in full-time employment we have seen very large percentages going on to full-time study, at over four times the rate of their Australian counterparts in management and commerce, for example.

Abstract from publisher's website. Show less