VET for secondary school students: insights and outcomes

Description

This study investigates the models used to deliver VET to secondary students across and within jurisdictions and public and private school sectors, and reports on findings from surveys of students and parents about their motivations and aspirations. Findings from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) are used to draw comparisons between employment and training outcomes for different cohorts of students at age 22 and age 25. Consultations with industry stakeholders and employers on the merits of vocational education and training (VET) for secondary school students (VfSSS) programs, and case studies of a sample of government and non-government schools provide some learnings for the sector.

Summary

About the research

This research examines the merits of vocational education and training (VET) for secondary school students (VfSSS) in preparing students for work or further training from the perspectives of students, parents, industry stakeholders and employers. It also explores the models of provision used in government and non-government school sectors. Case studies of a sample of government and non-government schools that have been successful in state, territory and or national training award competitions, or nominated as having successful programs, provide useful learnings for the VET sector. The study also extends previously published analysis (Misko, Chew & Korbel 2020) to examine the differences in employment and training outcomes between students undertaking VfSSS compared with other student cohorts, including students who attained an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and those who did not, using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY).

Key messages

• Students undertake VfSSS for a variety of, and sometimes multiple, reasons, indicating the broad appeal of VET courses for those who decide to take them. Reasons include getting a qualification, getting a full-time job when leaving school, starting an apprenticeship or traineeship, following a personal interest, and achieving an ATAR. Parents cited a similar range of academic and personal benefits for their child undertaking VfSSS.
• There are varied and differing perceptions among industry and employer participants on the benefits and challenges for students undertaking VfSSS studies, with a general acceptance that having school students in workplaces helps students gain experience and knowledge. The areas for attention and improvement identified by some included issues of:
  • industry currency
  • course relevance
  • training quality.

• Various models of VfSSS provision are favoured across jurisdictions and school sectors, including, for example, schools becoming registered training organisations (RTOs) in their own right. In many cases, schools use a combination of arrangements and partnerships with other schools to enable access to a broader range of offerings.
• Schools with successful VfSSS display a strong commitment to VET, a broad range of offerings, good relationships with employers and access to purpose-built facilities for training. Key challenges for the case study schools involve recruiting teachers with industry expertise and ensuring that teachers maintain their industry currency.
• An analysis of LSAY data shows that at the age of 22, VfSSS who had not attained an ATAR were more likely to be in full-time and permanent employment than other cohorts. The picture changes at the age of 25, with all other student cohorts not only more likely to be employed but also more likely to have completed a post-school qualification at bachelor or higher degree level than their VfSSS counterparts without an ATAR. This change is primarily due to ATAR students who went on to university finishing their studies and entering the labour market by the age of 25.

Executive summary

Trends in VfSSS -

The number of students in vocational education and training (VET) for secondary school students (VfSSS) has ranged from about 230 000 to 260 000 over the past 10 years.

During this period, certificate II qualifications have been the most popular VET qualification undertaken by secondary school students (131 220 students enrolled in 2020), followed by certificate III (88 720 in 2020) and certificate I (12 520 in 2020). However, certificate III programs have increased in popularity over the last few years.

School-based apprentices and trainees represent a small proportion (7.4% in 2020) of VfSSS, with the most common in business services, retail services and tourism, travel and hospitality.

Why students and parents choose VfSSS

Feedback sought from students and parents sheds light on how decisions for students to undertake a VfSSS course were informed.

• Many (41.1%) of the students surveyed planned to achieve an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) on completion of Year 12. Of these, more than two-thirds (68.4%) intended to count their VET studies towards their ATAR. Students identified a range of academic and non-academic reasons for doing so, including: to get a certificate; for enjoyment and interest; being likely to do well; recommended by friends; and broadening their post-school education, training and employment opportunities.
• For nearly two-thirds (64.5%) of the students surveyed, one of the reasons for doing VfSSS was ‘to get a qualification’, while for about half (49.8%), it was ‘to help them get a full-time job when leaving school’. For 45%, it was ‘to be able to use the facilities, equipment and materials that are available in the course’. Over two-thirds (70.6%) of the students had decided to enrol in the VET course themselves.
• Over three-quarters (77.5%) of the students surveyed indicated that they had ‘always wanted to learn the skills and knowledge’ in the course they had chosen, followed by ‘I want to get a job in this industry’ (52.8%).
• Over half (59.7%) of the students surveyed described their aspiration for their final year of schooling as being ‘to complete Year 12 and obtain their Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE)’, while for 27.7% it was ‘to achieve an ATAR’.
• For 60.6% of the students, what best described their post-school aspirations was to undertake further education or training, followed by gaining full-time/part-time or casual employment (28.6%).
• The majority of parents surveyed (79%) had encouraged their child to enrol in a VET course while at school, with most reporting they had received sufficient information to inform their decision.
• Three-quarters (75.1%) of the parents surveyed reported that a benefit for their child undertaking VfSSS was ‘to get a qualification’. Just under half (47.6%) wanted their child ‘to complete Year 12 and achieve their SSCE’ in the final year of schooling, almost a third (30.6%) wanted their child ‘to achieve an ATAR’ and 70.7% wanted their child to go on to further education or training.

Models of VfSSS provision

The various jurisdictions and sectors support diverse models of VfSSS provision. VfSSS can be undertaken as part of a senior secondary school certificate; however, there are differences in how VET contributes to the achievement of a senior secondary school certificate across jurisdictions. Studies that lead to nationally recognised^[1] VET qualifications must be delivered by a registered training organisation (RTO), or in conjunction with one. Although some schools are RTOs in their own right, the majority of schools generally work in partnership with an RTO. Schools may also employ external RTOs to deliver and assess the training.

Industry and employer perspectives on VfSSS

Across industries there is general acceptance that having school students in workplaces to gain experience and knowledge benefits students, industry and employers, although with some caveats. These relate to the students’ limited exposure to occupational knowledge, skills and opportunities for practice, while a number of industries express concerns about the extent of student maturity for some higher qualifications and skill areas, the competence and industry currency of teachers, and student access to safe facilities, tools and equipment.

Industry groups raised specific issues relating to trade-related pathways, including school-based apprentices and the impacts on competency wage progression, centred on a perception that students may not have achieved the skills to the industry standard required for the workplace, due to the limited amount of time spent in the workplace. Pre-apprenticeship or prevocational programs were favoured by some industry sectors but not others.

Employers providing student work placements experience challenges in finding enough activities and an appropriate workplace trainer to work with the students. Tradespersons can be helped to complete jobs in good time when paired with interested students, but their progress is hindered when paired with struggling students.

Factors which lead to effective practice

Case studies were conducted with eight schools with successful VET programs. These schools demonstrate a strong commitment to VET, with dedicated, qualified VfSSS managers and staff. Purpose-built facilities, including trade training centres, recreation centres, hair salons and commercial kitchens are used to deliver the practical components of various programs. Where purpose-built facilities do not exist within the school (for example, for trade training, childcare and aged care), partnerships are established with other schools with trade training centres, or arrangements are made for students to use nearby facilities.

Key challenges for the case study schools involve recruiting teachers with industry expertise, ensuring that teachers maintain their industry currency and getting parental support for a VET pathway for students.

Employment and training outcomes

An analysis of LSAY^[2] data was also undertaken to investigate the employment and training outcomes of students who had undertaken VET studies at secondary school. This analysis found that, at the age of
22 years, there were no statistically significant differences between the labour force status of VfSSS and non-VfSSS; however, VfSSS without an ATAR were more likely to be in full-time and permanent employment compared with other student groups.

At 25 years of age, differences between the VfSSS students with and without an ATAR begin to emerge:

• VfSSS without an ATAR were less likely than their VfSSS ATAR counterparts and non-VfSSS cohorts to be employed by the age of 25.
• VfSSS without an ATAR had improved training outcomes at certificate III and above VET qualification levels than VfSSS with an ATAR.
• All other student cohorts were more likely than VfSSS without an ATAR to have completed a post-school qualification at bachelor or higher degree level by the age of 25 years.

The differences are primarily due to ATAR students who went on to university finishing their studies and entering the labour market by the age of 25.

1 ‘Training that is nationally recognised or accredited is training that leads to vocational qualifications and credentials that are recognised across Australia. Only registered training organisations (RTOs) that meet government quality standards [including] TAFEs, private providers, enterprise registered training organisations, vocational divisions of universities, community RTOs and schools that are RTOs can provide nationally recognised training. Nationally recognised training is listed on the National Training Register (training.gov.au) and includes accredited courses, endorsed training package qualifications, training package skill sets and associated subjects’ (Naidu, Stanwick & Frazer 2020).

2 The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data collection is managed by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). LSAY tracks the journey of young people through education, work and life from the ages of 15 to 25 years.