Over 90% of students who enrol in a vocational education and training (VET) course plan to finish it, yet previous estimates show about 28%* of courses are likely to be completed.
For the first time, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has conducted the Student Intentions Survey to inform debate around completion rates.
The survey finds that just 7.4% of students enrolled in a course at Certificate I level or higher do not intend to gain the full qualification.
Dr Tom Karmel, Managing Director, NCVER said this new survey provides information on VET students’ intentions to complete a course and the reasons behind these intentions.
“We now know that just about every VET student plans to finish their training but we still need to identify why so many drop out,” Dr Karmel said.
“It seems that for many students the training is not meeting their expectations.”
The survey also looks at students four months after they began their training and finds that of those who intend to complete their course:
- 67.7% are still in training
- 18.5% report they have completed their course
- 12.4% dropped out of their course.
*Key finding from an earlier NCVER report, The likelihood of completing a VET qualification 2005-08 www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2423.html
Copies of Australian vocational education and training statistics: student intentions 2011, are available from www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2425.html
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