VET News

VET in Schools Student Numbers are On The Up!

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) have released a statistical report presenting information on VET in Schools.   The latest annual data shows the number of school students undertaking vocational education and training (VET) as part of their Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE).  

The VET in Schools arrangement offers two main options:

• students can undertake school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, or
• they can take VET subjects and courses as part of their school curriculum (referred to as 'other VET in Schools programs')

The VET in Schools 2019 report shows there were 17,100 school-based apprentices and trainees and 218,700 students undertaking other VET in Schools programs in 2019, an increase of 2.2% to 235,800.

Simon Walker, Managing Director, NCVER, said Certificate II qualifications continue to be the most popular with 56.2% of VET in Schools students enrolled in these qualifications.

"Tourism, Travel and Hospitality was again the most popular training package, capturing the interest of 14.2% of VET in School students, followed by Business Services and Sport, Fitness and Recreation," Mr Walker said.

In trend terms the relative mix and levels of enrolments by industry Training Packages has remained fairly stable over the last five years, however, it is notable that the number of VET in Schools students enrolled in the Information and Communications Technology training package has halved between 2015 and 2019.

The NCVER have also released their latest VET Statistics which include:

• Total VET students and courses
• Government-funded students and courses
• VET student outcomes
• Apprentices and trainees
• Apprentice and trainee experience and destinations
• VET in Schools
• VET funding
• Employers' use and views of the VET system, and
• VET qualification completion rates.

Access to the report, further information regarding the NCVER's Schools Collection data and the original media release can be accessed via the below links:

• VET in Schools 2019 report
• National VET in Schools Collection
• Original NCVER media release

Date posted Aug 13, 2020