Trade apprentices nail jobs: National vocational student survey

4 December 2008

For trade apprentices, getting a job after completing training is a near certainty, according to the latest results from the annual Student Outcomes Survey.

The Survey, published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), shows that successfully completing training provides the kickstart for many people's careers.

Almost 94% of graduates who undertook a trade apprenticeship were employed six months after completing their training, the highest employment rate among all vocational education graduates.

"However, while 79% were employed in the same occupation as their training course, 14% of these apprentice graduates were working in other jobs and 6% were unemployed," said Tom Karmel, Managing Director, NCVER.

"This indicates that there is rather high attrition from the trades immediately after apprenticeships are completed."

For all vocational education and training (VET) graduates-trade or otherwise-the number employed after completing their training remains high, at 81%, this year.

Dr Karmel said the level of the course undertaken by students was a key factor in post study employment.

"The data show that students from higher level courses (Diploma, Certificate III/IV) enjoy higher rates of employment than students from lower level courses (Certificate I/II).

"For example, employment following training ranged from 85% for diploma level courses and 86% for Certificate III level courses down to 61% for Certificate I level courses," said Dr Karmel.

The Survey, which serves as a national report card on the employment outcomes of VET activity in both TAFE institutes and private training providers, also provides data on students'satisfaction with their training.

Almost 90% of graduates were satisfied with the overall quality of their training and 88% reported that they had fully or partly achieved their main reason for training.

Copies of the Australian vocational education and training statistics: Student outcomes, can be accessed from 9.30am AEDT today, from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2083.html

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