1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2003   
   Page tools: Print Print Page  
Contents >> Education and Training >> Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Institutions

Most VET in Australia is provided in government-administered colleges. In some states and territories these are referred to as TAFE colleges or institutes. To a lesser extent, VET may also be provided by Institutes of Technology, some higher education institutions, schools and agricultural colleges, adult and community education authorities, private providers of education (such as business colleges) and employers. VET institutions offer a wide range of programs, ranging from recreation and leisure, through basic employment and educational preparation, to trades training, and para-professional and professional levels.

In 2001 there were 87 TAFE and other government institutes with 1,322 provider locations delivering VET training. A further 985 community education providers and 5,645 other providers delivering VET were at least partly publicly funded.

Staff

Table 10.16 shows the number of teachers working in VET institutions in 2000-01. Of all VET teachers, the majority (57%) were employed full-time. The majority of full-time VET teachers (68%) were male. In contrast, 74% of part-time VET teachers were female.


10.16 VET TEACHING STAFF - 2000-01(a)

Full-time staff
Part-time staff
All teaching staff
’000
’000
’000

Males
11.0
3.2
14.2
Females
5.1
9.1
14.1
Persons
16.1
12.3
28.4

(a) Average over the financial year.

Source: ABS data available on request, Labour Force Survey, May 2001.


Students and courses

Table 10.17 shows participation in publicly funded VET programs. While there were more males than females in VET courses overall, from age 40 onwards more women than men undertook VET courses.


10.17 VET(a) CLIENTS(b), Vocational and preparatory courses(c) - 2001

Males
Females
Persons(d)
Age group (years)
’000
’000
’000

Under 16
20.6
17.6
38.2
16
44.8
41.8
86.7
17
56.0
48.6
104.6
18
57.6
45.9
103.7
19
52.1
39.6
92.0
20-24
150.0
116.1
266.6
25-29
98.5
87.0
185.8
30-39
164.4
164.4
329.5
40-49
124.4
151.9
276.3
50-59
70.0
77.7
148.1
60-64
13.3
14.0
27.4
65 and over
13.6
15.4
29.1
Not stated
28.3
35.9
68.4
Total clients
893.5
856.0
1,756.8

(a) Includes all VET delivery by TAFE and other government providers, registered community providers, some VET delivered in schools, and publicly funded delivery by private providers. Fee-for-service VET delivery by private providers has been excluded.
(b) A client is any individual participating in a specific enrolment or training contract with a specific organisation.
(c) Courses leading to a vocational award.
(d) Includes sex not stated.

Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, data available on request.


VET programs are classified according to 12 fields of study on the basis of similar emphasis or subject matter orientation. As the new classification for education is being phased in on different timeframes for different education sectors, field of study data for the various sectors may not be comparable for 2001. Table 10.18 shows the number of course enrolments in each field of study in 2001. Since clients may be enrolled in more than one VET course the number of course enrolments is greater than the total number of clients - there were 2.1 million course enrolments in 2001 compared with 1.8 million clients.

Excluding multi-field education, the fields of study of Business, administration and economics; Services, hospitality and transportation; and Engineering and surveying accounted for 53% of the remaining 1,815,000 VET enrolments in 2001.

Males made up a clear majority of enrolments in the fields of study of Architecture and building (91%), Engineering and surveying (88%) and Land and marine resources and animal husbandry (76%). Similarly, females were in the majority in Business, administration and economics (66%), Health, community services (66%) and Arts, humanities and social sciences (61%) (table 10.18).


10.18 VET(a) COURSE ENROLMENTS, Vocational and preparatory courses(b) - 2001

Males
Females
Persons(c)
Field of study
’000
’000
’000

Land and marine resources, animal husbandry
90.6
28.8
119.6
Architecture, building
99.2
9.7
109.0
Arts, humanities and social sciences
60.4
94.6
155.5
Business, administration and economics
139.9
279.0
420.7
Education
26.4
37.7
64.2
Engineering and surveying
217.6
30.3
248.1
Health, community services
67.6
130.6
198.7
Law, legal studies
8.5
6.6
15.2
Science
104.5
87.2
192.3
Veterinary science, animal care
1.1
5.2
6.2
Services, hospitality and transportation
145.9
139.3
285.5
VET multi-field education
142.2
161.4
304.2
Total enrolments(a)
1,041.1
1,010.5
2,119.2

(a) Includes all VET delivery by TAFE and other government providers, registered community providers, some VET delivered in schools, and publicly funded delivery by private providers. Fee-for-service VET delivery by private providers has been excluded.
(b) Courses leading to a vocational award.
(c) Includes sex not stated.

Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, data available on request.


Apprenticeships and traineeships

Some 39% of all apprentices and trainees in training at 31 December 2001 were in the broad occupational group Tradespersons and related workers. In this group, Construction and Automotive trades accounted for 23% and 18%, respectively, of the group total (table 10.19).

Some 86% of apprentices and trainees in the broad occupational group Trades and related workers were male. Within this group, however, over 91% of those in Hairdressing were females.


10.19 APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES(a), In training - 31 December 2001

Males
Females
Persons
Total
Major occupation group
’000
’000
’000
%

Managers and administrators
2.9
3.0
5.9
1.8
Professionals
2.6
2.4
5.0
1.5
Associate professionals
7.5
6.8
14.3
4.3
Tradespersons and related workers
Mechanical and fabrication engineering
15.4
0.3
15.8
4.8
Automotive
22.2
0.3
22.5
6.8
Electrical and electronic
14.7
0.2
14.9
4.5
Construction
29.3
0.3
29.6
9.0
Food
14.3
4.9
19.2
5.8
Skilled agricultural and horticultural workers
4.6
0.6
5.2
1.6
Hairdressers
0.9
9.3
10.2
3.1
Tradespersons and related workers n.e.c.
0.1
-
0.1
-
Other
8.3
1.1
9.4
2.9
Total
109.7
17.2
126.9
38.5
Advanced clerical and service workers
0.6
2.4
3.0
0.9
Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers
16.4
42.5
58.9
17.9
Intermediate production and transport workers
35.3
4.0
39.3
11.9
Elementary clerical, sales and service workers
20.4
27.2
47.6
14.4
Labourers and related workers
20.9
7.9
28.8
8.7
Total
216.3
113.3
329.6
100.0

(a) Major groups are classified according to the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO).

Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, data available on request.



Previous PageNext Page