6278.0 - Education and Training Experience, Australia, 2001  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 31/05/2002   
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MEDIA RELEASE

May 31, 2002
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
50/2002
One in six 15 to 64 year olds have attained a Bachelor Degree or higher

One in six people (17%) aged 15 to 64 had a highest educational attainment of Bachelor degree or higher, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

A highest educational attainment of Year 12 was reported by 17%, followed by Certificate III or IV (15%). Slightly under one-third (31%) of people had a highest level of educational attainment of Year 10 or below.

Other key findings relating to education were that of the 13 million people aged 15 to 64:
  • one-third had one non-school qualification, with 12% having two, and 6% three or more;
  • one in five enrolled to study in 2001, of whom 72% were studying towards a non-school qualification;
  • one in five people not at school wanted to, but did not, undertake some study or more study in the 12 months prior to the survey; and
  • one-quarter intended to enrol to study for a qualification in the next three years.

The ABS figures also show that considerably more people are attending work-related training courses but the courses themselves are shrinking in duration.

In the year prior to the 2001 Survey of Education and Training, 45% of 15 to 64 year olds who had left school and were either working, or wanted to work, had completed a work-related training course. This compares with 42% in 1997 and 30% in 1993.

However, since 1997 the average duration of training courses completed by wage or salary earners has fallen by 3.2 hours to 17.4 hours in 2001.

Further details are in Education and Training Experience, Australia, 2001 (cat. no. 6278.0).