New research released today by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) highlights the significant impact foundation skills programs have on vocational education and training (VET) completion rates and employment outcomes.
Foundation skills training, covering language, literacy, numeracy, digital and employability skills, helps students engage effectively in work, further education and training, and community life.
The report, Laying the foundations: How foundation skills shape VET learner outcomes, shows that students who studied foundation skills alongside their VET programs were more likely to complete their VET program (by up to 1.8-percentage-points) and more likely to gain employment (by up to 5.6-percentage-points).
NCVER Managing Director John King said, ‘Foundations programs help students succeed. The students who need and study foundation skills are more likely to complete their primary VET program and gain a job.’
The research also shows that students who successfully completed more foundation skills subjects had higher completion rates, while those who failed even one subject were significantly more likely to drop out, particularly among English-speaking students.
‘This highlights the need to monitor student progress closely. Identifying when a learner is struggling with foundation skills can help early interventions to provide the support needed to keep them on track,’ Mr King said.
Despite the positive impact, overall completion rates for foundation skills programs remain low. Completion was more likely when programs were studied full-time and as a standalone course. However, many students appear to use foundation skills to support other VET, possibly with no intention of completing the foundation skills program.
Mr King added, ‘This research supports previous NCVER research calling for a more nuanced view of success in VET. Not all learners need or intend to complete a foundation skills qualification. Success should reflect their goals and outcomes.’
Background:
On average, over 60,000 domestic VET students enrolled in at least one foundation skills program each year between 2016 and 2023.
This research tracked student pathways over five years, examining:
- the characteristics and pathways of students undertaking foundation skills programs
- factors associated with foundation skills program completions
- the effect of timing, whether taken before or during other VET courses, on learner outcomes
- whether combining foundation skills and VET courses leads to better employment outcomes than VET alone.
Download the report: Laying the foundations: How foundation skills shape VET learner outcomes
Enquiries: Chantal Deutrom P: +61 8 8230 8418 E: chantaldeutrom@ncver.edu.au
About NCVER: we are the main provider of research, statistics and data on Australia’s VET sector. Our services help promote better understanding of VET and assist policy makers, practitioners, industry, training providers, and students to make informed decisions.
This work has been produced by NCVER on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments, with funding provided through the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.