Training has impact on young people's lives

13 March 2007

By 21 years of age, most young people in Australia are employed full-time and are satisfied with their career choice, but how and when they made the transition from school to work varies considerably—some pathways are 'rockier' and longer than others.

Summarising recent work that examines young people's training outcomes, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has published The role of VET in helping young people's transition into work: At a glance. The publication provides a succinct 'guide' to the factors that impact on the transition from school to work.

The research shows that the level of qualification has an effect on the speed of transition from school to work. For students studying Certificate I and II courses, it can often take more than six months to obtain employment and many of these students need to study at a higher level before obtaining a job.

However, two-and-a-half years after initial training, employment levels for students in all qualification levels tend to even out between 80 and 90%.

'Young people who do not go on to university have better employment prospects if they have undertaken a VET course' says Dr Tom Karmel, Managing Director, NCVER.

'In particular, we should encourage young people to aspire to the higher level VET courses—these are particularly effective.'

Not surprisingly, training programs linked to the workplace, such as apprenticeships and traineeships, provide the most rapid and successful transitions from school to work.

Gender also matters. Research finds that males have a smoother transition to employment, obtaining better employment outcomes six months after training compared with females.

School VET programs have a positive impact on young people's transition particularly for early school leavers.

NCVER's The role of VET in helping young people's transition into work: At a glance, is likely to be of interest to career advisors, providers of school VET programs, training practitioners, as well as policy-makers.

ENDS

Copies of The role of VET in helping young people's transition into work: At a glance can be accessed from 9.30am AEST, today, from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1725.html

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