Vocational education and training institutions
Most VET in Australia is provided in government-administered colleges. In some States and Territories these are referred to as Colleges or Institutes of Technical and Further Education (TAFE). 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 2000 there were 86 TAFE and other government institutes with 1,322 provider locations delivering VET training. A further 1,139 community education providers and 3,388 other providers delivering VET were at least partly publicly funded.
Staff
Table 10.13 shows the number of teachers working in VET institutions in 1999-2000. Of all VET teachers, the majority (55%) were employed full-time. A majority of full-time VET teachers (56%) were male. In contrast, 69% of part-time VET teachers were female.
10.13 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TEACHING STAFF - 1999-2000(a) |
|
| Full-time staff
’000 | Part-time staff
’000 | All teaching staff
’000 |
|
Males | 7.6 | 3.4 | 11.0 |
Females | 6.0 | 7.8 | 13.8 |
Persons | 13.6 | 11.2 | 24.8 |
|
(a) Average over the financial year.
Source: ABS data available on request, Labour Force Survey, May 2000. |
Students and courses
Table 10.14 shows participation in publicly-funded VET programs. While there were more males than females in VET courses overall, from ages 30 to 59 more women undertook VET courses than men.
10.14 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING(a) CLIENTS(b), Vocational and Preparatory Courses(c) - 2000 |
|
Age | Males
’000 | Females
’000 | Persons(d)
’000 |
|
Under 16 | 19.3 | 16.3 | 35.7 |
16 | 37.8 | 33.4 | 71.4 |
17 | 48.1 | 38.8 | 87.0 |
18 | 55.4 | 43.0 | 98.6 |
19 | 50.5 | 38.0 | 88.7 |
20-24 | 147.1 | 117.2 | 264.9 |
25-29 | 99.2 | 91.7 | 191.3 |
30-39 | 164.3 | 172.7 | 337.7 |
40-49 | 124.6 | 157.8 | 283.1 |
50-59 | 70.6 | 83.2 | 154.0 |
60-64 | 15.7 | 15.5 | 31.2 |
65 and over | 16.5 | 15.9 | 32.5 |
Not stated | 35.9 | 34.4 | 73.3 |
Total clients | 884.9 | 857.9 | 1,749.4 |
|
(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, ‘Australian Vocational Education and Training Statistics 2000: In Detail’. |
VET programs are classified according to 12 fields of study on the basis of similar emphasis or subject matter orientation. These are broadly consistent with the fields of study covered by higher education institutions. Table 10.15 shows the number of course enrolments in each field of study in 2000. 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 2000 compared with 1.7 million clients.
The more popular fields of VET study included: Business, administration and economics; and Services, hospitality and transportation. Together these fields accounted for 37% of VET clients in 2000.
Over 50% of enrolments in Land and marine resources, animal husbandry; Architecture and building; and Engineering and surveying were by males. In contrast, in Business, administration and economics; Art, humanities and social sciences; Health and community services; and Veterinary science, animal care the enrolments were predominantly by females.
10.15 VET(a) COURSE ENROLMENTS, Vocational and Preparatory Courses(b) by Field of Study and Sex - 2000 |
|
| Males
’000 | Females
’000 | Persons(c)
’000 |
|
Land and marine resources, animal husbandry | 80.3 | 30.0 | 110.5 |
Architecture, building | 92.0 | 9.3 | 101.4 |
Art, humanities and social sciences | 54.3 | 90.8 | 145.5 |
Business, administration, economics | 157.6 | 282.7 | 442.1 |
Education | 22.2 | 31.6 | 53.9 |
Engineering, surveying | 216.1 | 29.3 | 246.1 |
Health, community services | 53.1 | 117.1 | 170.9 |
Law, legal studies | 7.1 | 6.3 | 13.4 |
Science | 83.8 | 78.7 | 163.1 |
Veterinary science, animal care | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
Services, hospitality, transportation | 172.1 | 170.4 | 343.8 |
VET multi-field education | 143.7 | 168.9 | 313.1 |
Total enrolments(a) | 1,082.9 | 1,018.8 | 2,108.0 |
|
(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, ‘Australian Vocational Education and Training Statistics 2000: In Detail’. |
Apprenticeships and traineeships
Some 45% of all apprentices and trainees in training at 31 December 2000 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 10.16).
Some 86% of apprentices and trainees in the broad occupational group Trades and related workers were male. Within this group, however, over 90% of those in Hairdressing were female.
10.16 APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES(a), In Training at 31 December 2000 |
|
Major group | Males
’000 | Females
’000 | Persons
’000 | Total
% |
|
Managers and administrators | 2.0 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 1.0 |
Professionals | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 |
Associate professionals | 6.7 | 2.3 | 6.9 | 2.7 |
Tradespersons and related workers | | | | |
- Mechanical and fabrication engineering | 16.6 | 0.2 | 16.8 | 5.7 |
- Automotive | 22.7 | 0.4 | 23.1 | 7.8 |
- Electrical and electronic | 16.5 | 1.4 | 17.9 | 6.0 |
- Construction | 29.7 | 0.3 | 30.0 | 10.1 |
- Food | 14.5 | 4.7 | 19.2 | 6.5 |
- Skilled agricultural and horticultural workers | 4.2 | 0.5 | 4.7 | 1.6 |
- Hairdressers | 0.9 | 9.4 | 10.3 | 3.5 |
- Tradespersons & related workers (n.e.c.) | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
- Other | 8.5 | 1.3 | 9.7 | 3.3 |
- Total | 113.7 | 18.2 | 131.9 | 44.6 |
Advanced clerical and service workers | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers | 14.1 | 38.0 | 52.2 | 17.6 |
Intermediate production and transport workers | 16.6 | 2.4 | 19.0 | 6.4 |
Elementary clerical, sales and service workers | 16.0 | 21.4 | 37.3 | 12.6 |
Labourers and related workers | 29.0 | 8.4 | 37.4 | 12.6 |
Total | 199.5 | 96.1 | 295.6 | 100.0 |
|
(a) Major groups are classified according to the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO).
Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, ‘Australian Vocational Education and Training Statistics 2000: In Detail’. |