About 41 800 fewer young people (aged 15 to 24 years) enrolled in publicly funded vocational education and training in 2013, compared with 2012.
The decline is reported in the Australian vocational education and training statistics: Students and courses 2013, an annual national snapshot of student enrolments and training activity published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).
In 2013, 778 900 young people enrolled in training, down from 820 700 in 2012.
‘The drop in young people’s enrolments is not a surprise; NCVER’s data show that student numbers are down almost across the country’, said Mr Rod Camm, Managing Director, NCVER.
‘This data release confirms the decrease in apprenticeship and traineeship commencements in 2013 has had a considerable impact on the overall number of students undertaking training.
‘The other contributing factor to the decline is the cessation of the National Productivity Places Program’.
Going against the trend, enrolment numbers for people from a non-English speaking background and those reporting a disability increased in 2013 compared with 2012, rising by 5.2% and 1.9% respectively.
In comparison with 2012, the number of students enrolled at TAFE and other government providers declined last year by 5.4%, while student enrolments at other registered providers decreased by 2.4%. Only student enrolments at adult and community education providers increased, rising 14.9% to 132 100 students.
At a state level, only South Australia reported an increase in student numbers (up 16.3%) in 2013, whereas the student numbers in Tasmania were equal to 2012 and declined in all other states and territories.
‘South Australia’s increase in students signing up for training is most likely the result of the introduction of Skills for All which was introduced in July 2012’, said Mr Camm.
Copies of Australian vocational education and training statistics: Students and courses 2013 are available from www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2740.html
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