Australia’s vocational training system continues to deliver jobs

The results are in for Australia’s major survey of students for rating the nation’s vocational education and training (VET) system. It shows 77.6% of graduates are employed after training, with those employed full-time earning on average $57 400 per year. Those who train as part of a trade apprenticeship or traineeship fare particularly well with 91.4% employed after completion.

Published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), Student outcomes 2014 provides information on VET students’ employment outcomes, and satisfaction with their training.

The survey also identifies the benefits for VET graduates:

• 72.5% of those employed after training gained at least one job-related benefit resulting from their training.
• 59.7% improved their employment status after training.
• 44.4% of those that weren’t employed before training are employed after.
• 14.8% of those who already had a job are employed at a higher level after training.

The results are positive for student satisfaction. 87.6% of graduates are satisfied with the overall quality of their training, and 90.2% would recommend their training provider.  While 77.9% of graduates find their training relevant to their current job.

All data in Student outcomes 2014 is derived from the Student Outcomes Survey which is conducted in the first half of each year on behalf of Australian, state and territory governments.

Over 42 000 students who completed their training with government funding or with a government supported VET provider in 2013 participated in the survey.

Copies of Australian vocational education and training statistics: Student outcomes 2014 are available from www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2755.html