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Report on Government Services 2016

Chapter 5, Volume B

Vocational education and training

This chapter reports on government funded VET services delivered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). For further information on VET in schools see School education (chapter 4). For further information on all tertiary education (including university education) see the Child care, education and training sector overview (sector overview B).

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  • Key Facts
  • Indicator Framework
  • Indicator Results
  • Indigenous Data

This chapter reports on government funded VET services delivered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). For further information on VET in schools see School education (chapter 4). For further information on all tertiary education (including university education) see the Child care, education and training sector overview (sector overview B).

In 2014, the Australian and State and Territory governments provided $5.2 billion of recurrent expenditure for vocational education and training (VET).

Government funded programs were delivered by 2071 RTOs at 31 031 locations across Australia in 2014, which include: government VET providers (such as technical and further education institutes); community education providers; and, other registered providers (including private RTOs).

Nationally in 2014:

  • 1.4 million people aged 15-64 years (equivalent to 8.7 per cent of the Australian population aged 15-64 years) participated in government funded training
  • approximately 555 100 VET qualifications were completed by government funded VET students aged 15-64 years, of which 13.4 were at diploma level and above and 65.1 per cent were at Certificate III/IV
  • 81.9 per cent of government funded VET graduates indicated that their course helped (67.0 per cent) or partly helped (14.9 per cent) them achieve their main reason for doing the course.

The objective for the VET system, as outlined in the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development (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 2016 Report.

Indicator Framework

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

Participation rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 15-64 years, 2014

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (subject to caveats) (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 22.0 20.9 9.9 19.4 18.4 11.0 16.4 18.8 17.2
Source: Attachment table 5A.12

Effectiveness — Access indicators

Student participation in VET

Participation rate for the population aged 15-64 years, 2014

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (subject to caveats) (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 8.0 11.5 6.6 7.4 9.6 10.3 7.2 12.1 8.7
Source: Attachment table 5A.12

Effectiveness — Appropriateness indicators

Student completions and qualifications

Qualifications completed by working aged VET students, per 1000 people aged 15-64 years, 2014

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (subject to caveats) (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 28.8 47.3 35.4 27.2 40.0 32.3 33.5 31.4 35.6
Source: Attachment table 5A.28

Efficiency — Inputs per output unit indicators

Government recurrent expenditure — per annual hour

Government recurrent expenditure per government funded annual hour, 2014

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
$ 12.76 7.80 13.55 15.08 13.98 16.67 17.01 19.25 11.40
Source: Attachment table 5A.34

Government recurrent expenditure — per load pass

Government recurrent expenditure per government funded load pass, 2014

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
$ 15.83 9.40 14.80 18.87 16.07 20.84 20.34 26.56 13.66
Source: Attachment table 5A.35

User cost of capital — per annual hour

User cost of capital per government funded annual hour, 2014

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
$ 2.98 0.87 0.78 2.35 2.22 2.79 2.60 3.16 1.72
Source: Attachment table 5A.36

User cost of capital — per load pass

User cost of capital per government funded load pass, 2014

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
$ 3.70 1.05 0.85 2.94 2.55 3.48 3.11 4.35 2.07
Source: Attachment table 5A.36

Outcome indicators

Student employment and further study outcomes

Proportion of government funded VET graduates who were employed and/or continued on to further study in 2014 after completing their course in 2013

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 87.6 ±0.9 85.5 ±1.0 87.5 ±1.3 89.3 ±1.5 89.0 ±1.3 89.1 ±2.3 91.3±1.8 91.0 ±3.0 87.4 ±0.5
Source: Attachment table 5A.40

Proportion of government funded VET graduates who improved their employment circumstances after training, 2014

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 59.0 ±1.4 55.9 ±1.7 62.0 ±1.8 63.0 ±2.4 59.2 ±2.1 62.6 ±3.4 68.0 ±3.2 69.1 ±4.7 59.3 ±0.8
Source: Attachment table 5A.56

Student achievement in VET

Load pass rate (government funded VET), 2014

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 80.2 81.3 92.3 82.4 85.9 80.2 85.0 74.6 82.9
Source: Attachment table 5A.65

Proportion of graduates with improved education/training status after training, of all AQF qualifications completed, 2014

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 51.1 76.2 69.7 58.2 47.6 61.5 38.6 61.5 63.6
Source: Attachment table 5A.69

Student satisfaction in VET

Proportion of government funded VET graduates who were satisfied with the quality of their completed VET course, 2014

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 89.7 ± 0.9 84.4 ± 1.2 88.0 ± 1.2 89.0 ± 1.7 89.1 ± 1.3 90.2 ± 2.0 84.8 ± 2.7 85.9 ± 3.9 87.6 ± 0.5
Source: Attachment table 5A.85

Employer engagement with VET

Proportion of employers who in the last twelve months had employees with formal vocational qualifications as a requirement of their job, 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 39.6 ± 3.8 31.2 ± 3.5 39.5 ± 4.1 38.3 ± 4.0 30.7 ± 3.7 34.8 ± 4.7 33.2 ± 3.5 42.7 ± 4.8 36.6 ± 1.9
Source: Attachment table 5A.94

Employer satisfaction with VET

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 — Satisfaction with formal vocational qualifications as a job requirement, 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 5)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 73.7 ± 5.7 79.1 ± 5.2 75.9 ± 5.8 78.9 ± 5.6 77.7 ± 6.1 79.6 ± 5.8 77.9 ± 5.8 76.1 ± 6.4 76.2 ± 2.8
Source: Attachment table 5A.95

Legend

a Caveats for these data are available in chapter 5 and attachment 5A. Refer to the indicator interpretation boxes in chapter 5 for information to assist with the interpretation of data presented in this table.

b These data are derived from detailed data in chapter 5 and attachment 5A.

c Some percentages reported in this table include 95 per cent confidence intervals (for example, 80 per cent ± 2.7 per cent).

Performance indicator data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this chapter are available in the attachment tables listed below. Contextual data and further supporting information can be found in the chapter.

Indigenous vocational education and training data
Table number Table title
Table 5A.6 AQF VET enrolments, all students
Table 5A.7 AQF VET enrolments, students aged 20-64 years
Table 5A.12 VET participation by target age group and Indigenous status
Table 5A.18 VET participation by Indigenous status (per cent)
Table 5A.19 VET participation in Certificate III and above, by target age group and Indigenous status
Table 5A.20 VET participation in diploma and above, by target age group and Indigenous status
Table 5A.25 VET qualifications completed by students, by course level and Indigenous status — all ages
Table 5A.26 VET qualifications completed by students, by course level and Indigenous status — students aged 18-24 years
Table 5A.27 VET qualifications completed by students, by course level and Indigenous status — students aged 20-64 years
Table 5A.28 VET qualifications completed by students, by course level and Indigenous status — students aged 15-64 years
Table 5A.29 Qualification Equivalents, by course level and Indigenous status
Table 5A.33 Number of units of competency and modules completed, by Indigenous status
Table 5A.41 Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander government funded VET graduates in employment and/or continued on to further study after completing a course (per cent)
Table 5A.42 Proportion of non-Indigenous VET graduates in employment and/or continued on to further study after completing a course (per cent)
Table 5A.50 Labour force status after the course of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander VET graduates who were unemployed prior to the course (per cent)
Table 5A.51 Labour force status after the course of non-Indigenous VET graduates who were unemployed prior to the course (per cent)
Table 5A.55 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander VET graduates who undertook their course for employment related reasons, by job related benefits (per cent)
Table 5A.58 Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander VET graduates who improved their employment circumstances after training, (per cent)
Table 5A.59 Proportion of non-Indigenous VET graduates who improved their employment circumstances after training, (per cent)
Table 5A.60 Proportion of VET graduates who improved their employment circumstances after training, by Indigenous status (per cent)
Table 5A.62 Proportion of VET graduates aged 20-64 years who improved their employment circumstances after training, by Indigenous status (per cent)
Table 5A.65 Load pass rates by Indigenous status (per cent)
Table 5A.69 VET qualification completions with improved education/training status after training, by Indigenous status, all students
Table 5A.70 VET qualification completions with improved education/training status after training, by Indigenous status, students aged 20-64 years
Table 5A.77 Whether course helped graduates achieve their main reason for under taking training, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates
Table 5A.78 Whether course helped graduates achieve their main reason for undertaking training, non-Indigenous graduates
Table 5A.86 Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates who were satisfied with the quality of their completed course, by purpose of study
Table 5A.87 Proportion of non-Indigenous graduates who were satisfied with the quality of their completed course, by purpose of study