VET diplomas need to be more competitive

10 December 2007

A new report by Sue Foster and colleagues published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) examines the value placed on vocational education and training (VET) diplomas by industry.

It finds the value of these qualifications differs across industry sectors.

'The challenge for the VET sector is to make its diploma graduates more competitive. We know that many graduates with a VET diploma are employed in jobs not on par with their qualification level,' says Dr Tom Karmel, Managing Director, NCVER.

'Entry-level job applicants with these qualifications are competing against workers who have a university degree or high-level technical competence obtained over many years of experience.'

In industries that are highly regulated, such as nursing and in the disability services, employers have clear expectations that employees will hold certain VET qualifications.

Other employers, on the other hand, focus on a range of attributes.

For example, in the engineering and electronics/electrotechnology industries, employers value relevant qualifications and workplace experience. Typically, employers prefer university graduates or higher-level skills gained from a trade background and augmented by workplace experience.

In the creative industries, such as multi-media design, experience and talent are preferred over qualifications. Where qualifications are required, the majority of employers preferred higher education graduates over VET graduates.

To improve the competitiveness of VET diplomas, the authors recommend these qualifications emphasise generic skills, such as the ability to deal with change and solve problems, and incorporate substantial work placement/experience opportunities.

ENDS

To download a copy of Higher-level vocational education and training qualifications: Their importance in today's training market, please visit http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1800.html.

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