Modelling changes in employer satisfaction between 2005, 2007 and 2009

Employer satisfaction is measured using the Survey of Employer Use and Views of the VET System every two years. Key measures from the survey are employer satisfaction with: vocational qualifications as a job requirement; apprentices and trainees; and nationally recognised training.

Arguably, the most important area of focus is the change in employer satisfaction across years. An issue with measuring change is that the sampling errors are quite large and it is not always obvious what constitutes a real change in the level of employer satisfaction. To get a clearer view, this paper models the change in satisfaction, taking into account the size and industry of the responding employers. We wish to identify 'real' shifts in satisfaction, as distinct from shifts that occur because of changes in the nature of the sample.

The analysis focuses on changes in employer satisfaction at the state and territory level.

Key messages

In terms of the model-based estimates:

• South Australia saw a significant increase in employer satisfaction with vocational qualifications as a job requirement between 2005 and 2009.
• New South Wales, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory saw a significant increase in employer satisfaction with apprentices and trainees between 2005 and 2009.
• New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory saw a significant increase in employer satisfaction with nationally recognised training between 2005 and 2009.

Tom Karmel

Managing Director, NCVER