VET providers in focus
A forthcoming NCVER report presents national indicators of learning and outcomes for technical and further education (TAFE) institutes and private providers of VET in Australia. As well as profiling students, the report demonstrates areas of variation between individual TAFE institutes and private providers in the provision of VET.
The data is sourced from the national data collection of students and courses. For the 59 TAFE institutes, data is comprehensive, but private providers typically only report their government-funded students and not fee-for-service students.
In 2006, there were approximately 868 600 students in TAFE institutes compared with 179 400 training with private providers. The number of students per TAFE institute ranged from 600 to 64 800, whereas the maximum for an individual private provider was 3300.
In regards to student characteristics, 8.1% of students at TAFE institutes report a disability compared with 4.4% of private provider students. TAFE institutes also have a higher proportion of students whose main language spoken at home is non-English (14.8%) than private providers (9.7%).
Detailed provider level tables will be made available on the NCVER website (without identifying the institute or private provider by name). Variables covered include student’s age, sex, educational background, course level undertaken and subject results.
Provider forum
As part of NCVER’s ongoing work to make VET research and statistics widely accessible, a forum for key VET provider bodies was conducted in Adelaide in March.
Provider organisations represented included the Australian Council for Adult Literacy; Australian Council for Private Education and Training; Australian Council of Independent Vocational Colleges; Adult Learning Australia; AUSTAFE; Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations; Reframing the Future; TAFE Directors Australia; TAFE SA; and VETnetwork.
One of the highlights of the forum was a presentation by NCVER Managing Director, Tom Karmel, about recent research on helping VET students with a mental illness.
To be alerted to when A profile of VET providers is available, subscribe to NCVER News at www.ncver.edu.au/newsevents/news.html.
Pictured left to right: Greg Larsen, AUSTAFE; Andrew Lalor, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations; and Mark Cully, NCVER.
