Impacts of COVID-19 on recent school leavers’ post-school destinations
This report was originally published 26 October 2021.

This fact sheet provides a high-level overview of findings from the 2020 NSW Post-School Destinations and Experiences Survey. Of those recent school leavers who answered the survey:
- 1,319 early school leavers
- 1,092 Year 12 completers
were asked to answer a series of themed questions about the impacts of COVID-19 on their post‑school destinations to inform this fact sheet.
Did COVID-19 impact recent school leavers’ post-school destinations?

COVID-19 impacted recent school leavers’ post-school destinations similarly, regardless of whether they were:
- An early school leaver (22.2% changed their destination as a result of COVID-19) or a Year 12 completer (26.9% changed their destination as a result of COVID-19)
- Male or female (23.2% vs. 25.8%)
- From a lower parental SES* other** background or a higher parental SES background (22.2% vs. 25.5%)
- From Greater Sydney or the Rest of NSW (24.5% vs. 24.3%).
* SES means socio-economic status.
** Other includes students who reported that they did not know, provided another answer or refused to answer.
The top 5 ways in which COVID-19 changed recent school leavers’ plans:
- Inability to find a job (22.5%)
- Working in a job when they did not expect to be (16.3%)
- Course, traineeship or apprenticeship changed to remote learning (11.6%)
- Worked fewer hours than normal (9.0%)
- Studying, undertaking a traineeship or apprenticeship when they did not expect to be (4.8%).
Impacts of COVID-19 on recent school leavers’ future career opportunities

Early school leavers were more likely to believe that COVID-19 would have no impact. Year 12 completers were more likely to believe that COVID-19 would have a positive impact or a negative impact.


Males were more likely to believe that COVID-19 would have no impact. Females were more likely to believe that COVID-19 would have a negative impact.


Lower parental SES students were more likely to believe that COVID-19 would have no impact. Higher parental SES students were more likely to believe that COVID-19 would have a negative impact.


Students in regional NSW were more likely to believe that COVID-19 would have no impact.

