1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2009–10  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/06/2010   
   Page tools: Print Print Page  
Contents >> Education and training >> Vocational education and training (VET)

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET)

There are almost 5,000 registered training organisations in Australia. While there are around 3,700 private training providers of VET, most VET students are engaged with publicly-funded training providers. These are predominantly government administered TAFE colleges or institutes. Other publicly-funded VET can be provided by higher education institutions, secondary schools and colleges, agricultural and technical colleges, and adult and community organisations. Private providers of VET can include private training organisations, business colleges, industry associations, adult and community organisations and employers.

VET providers offer a wide range of subjects and programs including traditional trades, advanced technical training, para-professional and professional studies as well as basic employment and educational preparation. While formal VET study provides skills and nationally recognised qualifications for employment, students may complete only one or two subjects to gain specific skills, without completing a full qualification, if that is their choice.


Students and courses

Overall, the number of students in publicly-funded VET in 2008 declined by 1.5% from 2000. Over this period, male student numbers increased by 2.6% while female student numbers decreased by 3.5%. The number of publicly funded VET students increased by 2% between 2007 and 2008 (graph 12.12).

12.12 VET STUDENTS(a)
Graph: 12.12 VET STUDENTS(a)


During 2008, there were 1.7 million students enrolled in publicly-funded VET courses with 52% being males (table 12.13). Enrolments by persons aged 19 years or younger increased by 3%, between 2007 and 2008. All age groups showed an increase in enrolments from 2007 to 2008 for both sexes with the exception of females in the 40-49 age group. In 2008, 58% of male students and 48% of female students were under 30 years of age.

12.13 VET STUDENTS(a), Vocational and preparatory courses(a)

2007

2008

Males
Females
Persons(b)
Males
Females
Persons(b)
Age group (years)
'000
'000
'000
'000
'000
'000

19 years and under
247.6
196.3
444.2
254.9
201.6
456.7
20 to 24 years
163.4
112.0
275.6
167.1
112.1
279.3
25 to 29 years
90.6
72.7
163.5
94.7
75.8
170.7
30 to 39 years
147.1
140.9
288.4
149.7
141.0
291.0
40 to 49 years
113.0
144.5
257.9
113.8
144.2
258.3
50 to 59 years
68.8
85.0
153.9
69.7
87.5
157.4
60 years and over
28.1
31.1
59.4
29.6
34.0
63.7
Not stated
9.3
11.7
22.1
8.1
10.5
19.4
Total students
868.0
794.2
1 665.0
887.5
806.7
1 696.4

(a) Includes all VET delivery by TAFE and other government providers, multi-sector higher education institutions, registered community providers and publicly funded delivery by private providers. Fee-for-service VET delivery by private providers has been excluded. School students undertaking VET in schools have also been excluded. A student is an individual who was enrolled in a subject or completed a qualification at any time in 2008.
(b) Includes 'sex not stated'.
Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, data available on request, National VET Provider Collection.

VET courses are classified according to specific fields of education. Table 12.14 shows the number of course enrolments in 2008 in 11 fields of education and for mixed field programs. Since students may be enrolled in more than one VET course, the number of course enrolments is greater than the total number of students. In 2008, there were 2.1 million course enrolments taken up by 1.7 million students.

Some 21% of enrolments in VET courses in 2008 were in the Management and commerce field, while 17% were in each of Engineering and related technologies, and mixed field programs. A further 11% of enrolments were in Food, hospitality and personal services.

Male enrolments were most dominant in the education fields of Architecture and building (93%); Engineering and related technologies (89%); Agriculture, environmental and related studies (75%); and Information technology (71%). In contrast, females were in the majority in the fields of Society and culture (74%); Management and commerce (63%); Food, hospitality and personal services (62%); Creative arts (60%); Health (59%); Education (59%); and Natural and physical sciences (58%).

12.14 VET COURSE ENROLMENTS(a), Vocational and preparatory courses - 2008

Males
Females
Persons(b)
Field of education
'000
'000
'000

Natural and physical sciences
3.1
4.3
7.4
Information technology
29.9
12.2
42.0
Engineering and related technologies
305.1
35.7
340.9
Architecture and building
131.8
9.8
141.7
Agriculture, environmental and related studies
63.1
20.5
83.7
Health
43.1
61.3
104.4
Education
24.1
35.0
59.2
Management and commerce
154.4
266.7
421.4
Society and culture
55.0
153.8
209.0
Creative arts
20.8
31.3
52.1
Food, hospitality and personal services
84.2
135.1
219.4
Mixed field programs
158.9
186.7
346.0
Total enrolments(a)
1 073.6
952.1
2 027.3

(a) Includes all VET delivery by TAFE and other government providers, multi-sector higher education institutions, registered community providers, and publicly-funded delivery by private providers. Fee-for-service VET delivery by private providers has been excluded. School students undertaking VET in schools have also been Excluded.
(b) Includes 'sex not stated'.
Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, data available on request, VET Provider Collection.



Apprenticeships and traineeships

Of the 426,700 apprentices and trainees in training at 31 March 2009, about two-thirds were males (66%). Some 47% of all apprentices and trainees were in the Technicians and trades workers occupational group. Within this occupation group, Automotive and engineering trades workers represented 28%, followed by Construction (27%) and the Electrotechnology and telecommunications (17%) sub-groups. Females in these three sub-groups represented only 2% of all female apprentices and trainees in 2009 (table 12.15).

Most of the Technicians and trades apprentices and trainees in 2009 were male (88%). Construction trades workers notably comprised 99% males. In contrast to Technicians and trades workers, the proportion of males among the 225,700 non-trades apprentices and trainees was less than that of females (47% males and 53% females).

The number of apprentices and trainees reduced slightly from March 2008 (427,000) to March 2009 (426,700). Over the same period, apprentices and trainees in the non-trades groups of Managers and Professionals increased by 26% and 16% respectively.

12.15 APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES, In-training - 31 March 2009

Males
Females
Persons
Occupation(a)
'000
'000
'000

Managers
2.3
5.4
7.7
Professionals
6.3
2.5
8.8
Technicians and Trades Workers
Engineering, ICT and Science Technicians
3.8
1.1
4.8
Automotive and Engineering Trades Workers
54.9
1.1
56.0
Construction Trades Workers
53.7
0.6
54.3
Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers
34.4
0.7
35.0
Food Trades Workers
14.1
5.0
19.1
Skilled Animal and Horticultural Workers
5.8
2.0
7.8
Other Technicians and Trades Workers
9.4
14.5
23.9
Total Trades Workers
176.1
24.9
201.0
Community and Personal Service Workers
14.0
34.4
48.3
Clerical and Administrative Workers
22.4
36.6
59.1
Sales Workers
16.6
28.4
45.0
Machinery Operators and Drivers
29.5
4.3
33.8
Labourers
15.6
7.4
23.0
Total
282.8
143.9
426.7

(a) Classified according to the ABS Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), First Edition, 2006 .
Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, National Apprentice and Trainee collection.



Staff

Table 12.16 provides estimates of the number of teachers working in TAFE and other VET institutes in 2008-09. Of all VET teachers 61% were employed full time. The majority of full-time VET teachers were male (69%). In contrast, 56% of part-time VET teachers were female.

12.16 VET TEACHING STAFF(a)(b) - 2008-09

Full-time staff(b)
Part-time staff
All teaching staff
'000
'000
'000

Males
16.8
6.5
23.3
Females
7.9
9.7
17.5
Persons
24.7
16.2
40.8

(a) Annual average of quarterly data.
(b) Refers to persons working 35 hours or more in the survey week.
Source: ABS Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly, Aug 2009, (6291.0.55.003).



Training courses

According to the 2005 ABS Survey of Education and Training, 5.3 million people aged 15-69 years (54% of whom were male), completed one or more work-related training courses in the previous 12 months. Of the 11.2 million work-related training courses completed, 30% were in the Management and professional field. Other commonly reported fields of training were Health and safety (21%), and Technical and para-professional (14%). Graph 12.17 shows the fields of work-related training courses completed by males and females in 2005.

12.17 Work-related training courses completed(a), Field of training - 2005
Graph: 12.17 Work-related training courses completed(a), ^Field of training—2005









Previous PageNext Page