Majority of employers who use VET consider training meets skills needs

Media release

26 October 2017

Employers’ overall use of the vocational education and training (VET) system has held steady over the past two years, according to new data released today by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).

The biennial Survey of employers’ use and views of the VET system, which measures employers’ use of and satisfaction with the VET system, shows that 54.4% of employers used the system in the past two years, similar to figures reported in 2015.

“Australian employers can make use of the VET system in three main ways,” said Dr Mette Creaser, National Manager Statistics and Analytics, NCVER.

“They can offer jobs that require vocational qualifications, they can provide their employees with nationally recognised training, and they can employ apprentices and trainees. And while all of these measures have remained steady in the past two years, nationally recognised training is being used in more diverse and flexible ways.

“Recent NCVER research into employer-supported training shows that the employees most likely to receive training support from their employers are those with full-time, permanent positions in skilled occupations within the education or health sector. They also have higher educational attainment.

“This research also shows the key factors influencing an employer’s decision to invest in training include compliance with industry regulations, availability of training subsidies, training quality, flexibility of training providers and the availability of reliable information on the local training market.”

The 2017 Survey of employers’ use and views of the VET system report demonstrates that employers have remained largely satisfied with the VET system over the past two years, with 82.2% satisfied with nationally recognised training that is not part of an apprenticeship or traineeship, and 75.4% satisfied that vocational qualifications provide employees with the skills they need to do their jobs, similar to 2015.

Employer satisfaction with the skills that apprentices and trainees are obtaining from their training, while still high at 77.5%, has decreased 4.2 percentage points compared with 2015.

The Survey of employers’ use and views of the VET system surveys over 8000 employers from across the country every two years to identify the ways in which they meet their skill needs and how effective these strategies are. Businesses are selected from the Australian Business Register to take part.

The 2017 Survey of employers’ use and views of the VET system report is available from www.ncver.edu.au/data. Workplace training: employer and employee perspectives is available from www.ncver.edu.au/publications.

The Survey of employers’ use and views of the VET system is conducted on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments. Funding is provided through the Australian Department of Education and Training.

Media enquiries: Helen Wildash, PR and Social Media Officer
P: +61 8 8230 8418 M: 0448 043 148 E: communications@ncver.edu.au