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The vocational education and training (VET) sector has a reputation for providing individuals with
a ‘second chance’. The purpose of this report is to critically examine this perception. Our approach
is to define prospective second-chance students as early school leavers aged 24 years and below and
adults aged 25 years and over who have not completed a non-school qualification. Due to the lack
of longitudinal data, we can only estimate the role and impact of VET in providing individuals with a
second chance in education.
The findings suggest that:
- The reputation of the VET sector as the ‘second chance’ sector is fully justified.
- The percentage of VET students who can be characterised as second chance is very
substantial—second-chance students represented 41% of the VET student population in
2004.
- The percentage of the eligible second-chance population who undertakes VET is also very
substantial—around 50% of early school leavers and the vast majority of eligible adults over
the age of 25 years participates in second-chance VET.
- Despite the fact that VET provides this opportunity to many prospective second-chance
students, the percentage of second-chance students leaving the sector with a qualification is low.
The percentage is particularly low when restricted to certificate III or higher VET qualifications.
- Just over 10% of early school leavers complete a certificate III or higher VET qualification
within four years of leaving school.
- 10 to 30%1 of adults eligible for a second chance in education will complete a certificate III
or higher VET qualification (at least up to the age of 49 years).
1 The estimate varies depending on the methodology undertaken.
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