VET participation in schools factsheet
This report was originally published 28 October 2019.
Summary
This fact sheet provides a brief overview of findings from the 2018 NSW Secondary Students’ Post-School Destinations and Expectations survey relating to Vocational Education and Training (VET) participation in school. One-in-three respondents answered questions about VET participation – 1,160 Year 12 completers and 1,487 early school leavers.
VET courses in school
81.9% of Year 12 completers and 75.3% of Early school leavers said VET courses were available at school.
- A higher proportion of Year 12 completers said VET was available at school. Early school leavers are more likely to be unsure if VET was available.
34.1% of Year 12 completers and 41.5% of Early school leavers started a VET course at school 1.
- Early leavers are more likely to have started a VET course at school than Year 12 completers.
46.3% of Year 12 completers and 48.2% of Early school leavers said doing VET at school increased their interest in a career or job in this area 2.
- There is no difference between the proportion of Year 12 completers and early school leavers.
18.1% of Year 12 completers and 45.1% of Early school leavers would have been interested in doing a VET course if available 3.
- Early school leavers would have been more interested in doing VET if available.
VET course completion
- Most Year 12 completers who started a VET course finished the course and received a qualification.
- Early school leavers are more likely to not finish the VET course they start at school.
| Finished course and qualification | Finished course but not qualification | Did not finish | |
|---|---|---|---|
Year 12 completers4 |
73.4% |
10.3% |
13.4% |
Early school leavers5 |
24.4% |
7.3% |
64.0% |
Finished course but not qualification
Most common reasons for not completing the VET qualification, despite completing the course, included no longer being interested in a job in the area and not needing the qualification for employment.
| No longer interested in job in area | Didn’t need the qualification for employment | No longer interested after completing school6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 12 completers | 28.9% | 14.7% | 12.0% |
| Early school leavers | 18.8% | 20.5% | 14.6% |
82.8% of Year 12 completers and 85.4% of Early school leavers agreed they benefitted from studying VET at school even though they did not finish the qualification 7 .
Did not finish VET course
Almost two-thirds (64.0%) of early school leavers who started a VET course did not finish the course at school. Female early school leavers are more likely not to finish the course than male early school leavers (70.1% vs. 61.0%). Students often left school before they could complete the course.
Early school leavers main reason for not finishing course:
- 42.5% left school before finishing the course.
- 23.4% no longer fit with plans.
- 10.2% no longer interested in job in area.
Among early school leavers who did not finish the course:
- 18% completed a related qualification after school.
- 22% were currently studying for a related qualification.
70.2% of Year 12 completers and 84.3% of Early school leavers agreed they benefitted from studying VET at school even though they did not finish the course 8.
1 Of those where VET was offered at school.
2 Of those who started a VET course at school.
3 Of those where VET was not offered at school or respondent was unsure.
4 2.9 per cent of participants indicated that they either did not know if they had finished the course or did not answer the question.
5 4.3 per cent of participants indicated that they either did not know if they had finished the course or did not answer the question.
6 Males (18.8%) more likely to report this reason than females (7.6%).
7 Of those who finished the course but not the qualification.
8 Of those who did not finish the course.