Australia’s Vocational Education & Training

System and its Links with Secondary Education

Growth Strategies for Secondary Education in AsiaKuala Lumpur 19 September 2005

Dr Wendy JarvieDr Wendy Jarvie

Deputy Secretary,Deputy Secretary,

Department of Education, Science and TrainingDepartment of Education, Science and Training

AustraliaAustralia

THIS PRESENTATION

• Why has Australia developed a strong vocational education and training (VET) system?

• How does the VET system work?

• Who are its students and whom does it serve?

• The links between secondary education and vocational training

Why has Australiadeveloped such a strongVocational Education &

Training (VET) system?

There are a range of reasons …

• Reduce youth unemployment• Provide high skilled labour for a

developed economy• University qualifications do not

meet the needs of all industries• Re-training and up-skilling• Re-entry to the labour market

Having a post-school qualification makes a significant difference

Labour force participation by age and highest educational attainment

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+

Age group

Per

cen

t lab

our

forc

e pa

rtic

ipat

ion

Degree

Skilled

No-post-school

More jobs may need VET skills than university qualifications

Qualification

Current profile of population

Potential pathway for jobs

% of 15-64 population

% of employment

University 16.4 21.7

VET 30.0 62.8

No tertiary 53.6 15.5

The vocational education and training

system

Australia is a federation . .

of 6 States and 2 Territories:

• States and Territories are responsible for education and training

The Australian Government has national leadership on VET policy

It also provides:

• One third funding for the public sector

• Funding for specific programs ­ in particular apprenticeships

States and Territories “own” most of the VET system

• provide around two-thirds of the funding

• are responsible for regulating the sector

• administer their own training systems

• are the ‘owners’ of public Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes

VET has strong links with the other education sectors

­­­Schools VVocational

EEducation & TTraining

HigherEducation

• compulsory­general­education­to­age­15­or­16­(around­Year­10)­

and

• 2­extra­years­of­voluntary­senior­secondary­studies­(may­be­both­general­and­vocational).

• voluntary

• work­related­education­at­the­entry-level,­technician­and­para-professional­levels

• apprentices­and­trainees­

• delivery­mainly­through­institutes­of­Technical­and­Further­Education

• voluntary

• education­in­the­general­disciplines­or­as­preparation­for­a­professional­career

• delivery­mainly­by­Universities,­which­combine­teaching­and­research

A national recognition framework links qualifications

between the sectors

Senior Secondary Certificates of Education

Vocational GraduateDiploma

Vocational Graduate Certificate

Advanced Diploma

Diploma

Certificate IV

Certificate III

Certificate II

Certificate I

Doctoral Degree

Master’s Degree

Graduate Diploma

Graduate Certificate

Bachelor’s Degree

Associate Degree

Advanced diploma

Diploma

By sector of accreditation

Schools

Vocational & Technical Education & Training

Universities

VET is the largest post-school sector

SCHOOLS

3,331,964 students

in 2004

VOCATIONAL

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

1,595,200 students in

2004HIGHER EDUCATION

944,977 students

in 2004

Vocational­Education­&­Training

Secondary­Education

Employment

University­Education

VET is an important pathway between education and employment in Australia

Australia’s VET system has a number of key

features

• A national system

• Industry led

• Pathways available

• Flexible and modular

• Competency, not time, based

• Focus on apprenticeships

• All ages benefit

The national VET system: national qualifications & quality

plus competition

Governance and

Accountability Framework

National Skills Framework

Training Products

and Materials

Quality Assurance: Australian Quality

Training Framework

Australian Qualifications Framework

National Training System

• National quality assurance and recognition arrangements

–Australian Quality Training Framework

• National training products

–Training Packages–accredited courses

National consistency in quality and training products

Industry plays a key role

NATIONAL SKILLS FRAMEWORK

NATIONAL GOVERNANCEAND ACCOUNTABILITY

FRAMEWORK

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT

Determine basis for training standards

– competencies

Input to Training Packages

& qualifications

Input to recognition, accreditation &

regulation

Advice to Ministerial

Council

Input to planning& policy

development

Input to nationalresearch and

analysis priorities

National Industry Skills Council

Industry Skills Councils

Action Groups

Training is Competency Based

• Time based training ≠

competency level attained

• Training Packages– 75 Training Packages nationally

– cover 80% of the workforce

– outcomes determined by industry

National­

Competency­Standards

AssessmentGuidelines

National­Qualifications

Training Package Support MaterialsTraining Package Support Materials

Endorsed

Learning­Strategy

AssessmentMaterials

Professional­Development­Materials

Training Packages are the foundation of the system

Australia’s VET system performs well

Selected VET Sector Efficiency Measures

-100

-50

0

50

100

150

2000 2001 2002 2003

Year

% C

ha

ng

e

Government­funding Competencies­achievedUnit­cost­per­competency

VET Students

Students choose VET for a variety of reasons

New­Apprentices

labour­market­entrants

job­seekers

self-employed

career­changers

skill­improvers

personal­developers

basics

bridgers

17%

4%5%

14%

28%

5%

7%

9%

11%

Employmentseekers

37%

Self developers23%

Career improvers40%

A good spread of ages participates

VET Engagement by Age Group 2003

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

<15 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 59-59 60-64 65+

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

tota

l

Students learn and train in many locations

• TAFE and other Government providers

• Commercial training providers

• Adult and community education organisations

• Enterprises

• Secondary schools

… across a range of industries

0

5

10

15

Industry of student's major course

Pro

port

ion

of to

tal (

%)

VET participants are diverse

1.6 million students undertook training: - Male – 834,500 (52%) - Female – 760,700 (48%)

• 50% undertook short, focussed programs

• 89.4% undertook part-time training

• 382,400 were New Apprentices

• 211,828 students undertook VET in Schools

Linksbetween secondary schools

and vocationaland technical training

Many reasons for offering VET in secondary schools . .

• Make school more attractive for the 70% of students who will not go on immediately to university. – strong commitment to general education in

schools– balance this with more employment-related

curriculum

• Support disengaged young people and those at risk of leaving early

• need for alternative pathways between school and employment

• meet specific industry needs in key locations

Nearly 60% of school leavers go into training or employment

Post-school destinations of 15-19 Year old school leavers - May 2004

39%

2%

28%25%

32%

27%27%

36%

30%

9%

30%

15%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Year­12­completers Early­leavers All­school­leavers

University TAFE­&­other Employed Not­employed­(unemployed­or­NILF)

Source: ABS Survey of Education and Work (Cat. No. 6227.0) - 2004

Three ways to study VET subjects in secondary

school

• VET in Schools

• School-based New Apprenticeships

• Australian Technical Colleges

What is VET in Schools?

• programs undertaken by school students as part of the senior secondary certificate

• provide credit towards a nationally recognised VET qualification

• training that reflects specific industry competency standards

• delivered by a Registered Training Organisation

There is significant involvement

• 49 per cent of school students

• Across 95 per cent of schools

60,000

94,066

116,991

139,407153,616

169,809185,520

202,935211,885

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

No

. s

tud

en

ts

All school types are involved

0.9%

8.4% 9.5%

15.7%

65.4%

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

AdultEducation­

Technicaland­FurtherEducationColleges

IndependentSchools

CatholicSchools

GovernmentSchools

Proportion of Australian VET in Schools Students by School Sector 2004

Students encounter a range of industry training

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

School-Based New Apprenticeships incorporate

employment• Based on a formal arrangement

with an employer

• Opportunity to gain a recognised VET qualification in conjunction with completing a senior secondary certificate.

• Participating as a full-time student and a part-time employee.

Queanbeyan

Lismore/Ballina

Darwin

Perth Adelaide

GosfordHunterIllawarra

Dubbo

Western­Sydney

Port­Macquarie

Northern­Tasmania

North­Brisbane

Gladstone

Townsville

Gold­Coast

Pilbara

Whyalla/Port­Augusta

GeelongWarrnamboolBairnsdale/SaleEastern­Melbourne

Bendigo Sunshine

New technical secondary schools aim to meet particular industry and region needs

School/VET links are central to the new National Training

SystemPrinciples• Industry and business needs must drive

training policies, priorities and delivery

• Better quality training and outcomes for clients must be assured

• Processes should be simplified and streamlined

• Young people must have opportunities to gain a range of skills that provide a foundation for their working lives

• Training opportunities need to be expanded in areas of current and expected skill shortage