Report on Government Services 2015

Chapter 5, Volume B

Vocational education and training

The Vocational education and training (VET) chapter (chapter 5) of the Report on Government Services reports on government funded VET services delivered by government and private Registered Training Organisations.

It includes training activity funded under the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development (NASWD). The scope of this chapter does not extend to VET services provided in schools (which are within the scope of School education, chapter 4) or university education.

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Key Facts
Indicator Framework
Indicator Results

In 2013, the Australian and State and Territory governments provided $5.8 billion of recurrent expenditure for vocational education and training (VET).

Nationally in 2013, 1.5 million people participated in government funded training. The national participation rate in government funded training for 15-64 year olds was 8.4 per cent. (These figures do not include all students undertaking accredited training. For example, many students undertake training not funded by government).

In 2013, government funded students participated in 460.1 million hours of VET delivered by technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, other government providers, universities, community organisations and private providers, at 25 027 locations.

The Student Outcomes Survey identified that nationally in 2013, 83.0 per cent of all government funded VET graduates indicated that the course helped or partly helped them achieve their main reason for doing the course.

Nationally in 2012, 587 755 VET qualifications were completed by both government and non-government funded VET students, and 77.6 per cent of qualifications completed by students aged 15-64 years in 2012 were at the certificate III level or above.

The objective for the VET system, as outlined in the NASWD, is a system that delivers a productive and highly skilled workforce and which enables all working age Australians to develop the skills and qualifications needed to participate effectively in the labour market and contribute to Australia's economic future; and supports the achievement of increased rates of workforce participation.

Success in meeting the objective for the VET system is underpinned in the NASWD by the following target outcomes:

the skill levels of the working age population are increased to meet the changing needs of the economy
all working age Australians have the opportunity to develop skills
training delivers the skills and capabilities needed for improved economic participation for working age Australians.

The performance indicator framework provides information on equity, efficiency and effectiveness, and distinguishes the outputs and outcomes of VET services. The performance indicator framework shows which data are complete and comparable in the 2015 Report.

An overview of the VET performance indicator results are presented. Information to assist the interpretation of these data can be found in the indicator interpretation boxes in the VET chapter and attachment tables.

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Equity — Access indicators

VET participation by target group

Data for this indicator are not directly comparable (chapter 5).

Participation rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 15-64 years (2013).
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	21.5	22.4	10.2	20.2	20.8	9.5	19.4	18.3	17.4

Source: Attachment table 5A.10.

Effectiveness indicators

Participation in government funded VET

Data for this indicator are not directly comparable (chapter 5).

Participation rate for the population aged 15-64 years (2013).
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	8.4	12.6	6.4	8.1	13.4	9.0	8.0	11.6	9.4

Source: Attachment table 5A.9.

Efficiency indicators

Government recurrent expenditure

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 5).

Per government funded annual hour (2013).
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	14.07	9.36	17.40	14.87	11.09	16.71	17.28	23.85	12.60

Source: Attachment table 5A.19.

Per government funded load pass (2013).
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	17.98	11.13	20.10	18.74	12.42	21.33	20.28	30.26	15.23

Source: Attachment table 5A.20.

User cost of capital

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 5).

Per government funded annual hour (2013).
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	2.96	1.25	2.48	2.15	1.69	3.05	2.81	3.73	2.05

Source: Attachment table 5A.21.

Per government funded load pass (2013).
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	3.79	1.49	2.87	2.72	1.89	3.90	3.30	4.73	2.48

Source: Attachment table 5A.21.

Outcome indicators

Student employment and further study outcomes

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 5).

Proportion of government funded VET graduates who were employed and/or continued on to further study in 2013 after completing their course in 2012.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	86.7 ±0.8	86.5 ±1.6	87.9 ±1.1	90.0 ±0.8	89.6 ±1.1	87.9 ±1.7	91.2 ±1.6	91.8 ±2.0	87.5 ±0.6

Source: Attachment table 5A.25.

Proportion of government funded VET graduates who improved their employment circumstances after training.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	58.6 ±1.2	57.7 ±2.2	64.7 ±1.5	64.8 ±1.3	60.6 ±1.8	61.4 ±2.5	65.0 ±2.9	67.0 ±3.3	60.3 ±0.9

Source: Attachment table 5A.41.

Student achievement in VET

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 5).

Load pass rate (government funded VET), 2012.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	78.6	83.3	89.4	81.6	87.1	80.1	84.7	79.3	82.9

Source: Attachment table 5A.50.

Proportion of graduates with improved education/training status after training (2012).
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	14.9	22.3	17.8	15.4	13.8	14.4	15.8	14.0	18.0

Source: Attachment table 5A.54.

Student satisfaction with VET

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 5).

Proportion of government funded VET graduates who were satisfied with the quality of their completed VET course (2013).
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	88.7 ±0.8	85.4 ±1.6	87.8 ±1.1	89.1 ±0.9	88.4 ±1.2	89.2 ±1.5	85.7 ±2.1	88.3 ±2.3	87.5 ±0.6

Source: Attachment table 5A.70.

Skill profile

This indicator has multiple measures and data comparability and completeness vary (chapter 5).

Annual change in the number of qualifications completed (2011 to 2012) by government and non-government funded VET students.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	8.2	32.6	-6.8	–	22.9	6.0	14.7	-3.1	12.7

Legend: – Nil or rounded to zero
Source: Attachment table 5A.79.

Change in the combined number of units of competency and modules completed between 2012 and 2013.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	-8.8	-4.7	-12.0	-2.0	30.1	-15.1	-12.0	-6.4	-4.4

Source: Attachment table 5A.86.

Employer engagement with VET

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 5).

Proportion of employers who in the last twelve months had employees with formal vocational qualifications as a requirement of their job (2013).
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	35.8 ±3.1	29.8 ±3.4	32.5 ±3.5	36.3 ±3.9	30.9 ±3.9	33.7 ±4.4	30.8 ±4.0	38.6 ±4.0	33.3 ±1.6

Source: Attachment table 5A.92.

Employer satisfaction with VET

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 5).

Proportion of employers who were engaged with the VET system in the last 12 months, and were satisfied with VET in meeting their skill needs (2013) — Satisfaction with formal vocational qualifications as a job requirement.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	79.2 ±4.7	80.2 ±5.8	74.2 ±5.4	78.2 ±6.0	79.8 ±6.0	79.5 ±6.2	77.8 ±7.5	71.9 ±6.5	78.3 ±2.5

Source: Attachment table 5A.92.

Some results reported here include 95 per cent confidence intervals (for example, 80 per cent ± 2.7 per cent).