Is VET vocational? Occupational destinations of VET graduates

Notes from a presentation by Sandra Pattison, General Manager, NCVER – research paper: http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2013.html

Are you in an occupation for which you were trained for?

based on ANZSCO Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations statistics

Nationally:

Managers = 14% trained to be managers are in a managerial position within 6 months of undertaking training, however, 85% of the people trained in the ‘trades’ area will be in their trained area.

Most Graduates agree that any type of training is ‘relevant’, except in the Arts and Media Professionals.

About 20% of people who’ve undertaken vocational training didn’t find their training relevant to their current occupation.

In South Australia in 2008 student survey:

High (75%) to Very High (95%) rates of employment for people who’ve undertaken vocational training.

These statistics are important for planning ie where there’s a high outcome of people getting employment in what they’ve been trained, then it makes sense to put the training funds into these areas.

Not a lot of data on ‘pathway destinations’ – need some more recent longitudal data in this area.  

Learners who have successfully completed lower level qualifications ie Certificate I/II are more likely to be successful later on in their career and undertake further training.

Statistics are not supporting the COAG agenda that if an individual has a higher level qualification they are more likely to support a better economy.

Some occupational areas are more specific in nature (ie trades), and some are more ‘generic’.