Slower economic growth, and lower business confidence in 2013 has seen Australian employers reduce their use of training.
New data released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) shows the proportion of employers using the vocational education and training (VET) system to meet their skills needs in 2013 has decreased by 4.2 percentage points to 51.9% from 2011.
The information was collected from more than 9000 employers who participated in the Survey of Employer Use and Views of the VET system 2013.
Ms Sue Fergusson, NCVER’s General Manager, Research said business confidence remains low with businesses indicating continuing levels of lower employment and a commitment to spending.
“In the current economic climate employers need to see the return from their investment in training and therefore may be more critical of the training provided to their employees than in the past,” said Ms Fergusson.
Employers’ satisfaction with training, while still high, has decreased compared with 2011.
The Survey of Employer Use and Views of the VET system 2013 also found:
• 33.3% of employers had jobs requiring vocational qualifications, down 3.1 percentage points from 2011;
• 26.9% of employers had apprentices and trainees, down 3.5 percentage points from 2011;
• 20.0% of employers arranged or provided their employees with nationally recognised training, down 3.7 percentage points from 2011.
Copies of Australian vocational education and training statistics Employers' Use and Views of the VET system 2013 are available from www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2675.html
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