NCVER

Purpose

This publication provides a summary of the outcomes and satisfaction of students who undertook nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET) delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs) in Australia during 2024. The figures are derived from the National Student Outcomes Survey, which is an annual survey of students who undertook VET in Australia during the previous calendar year. The 2025 results are based on the responses of 276,304 VET students collected between June and August 2025.

The report presents findings from four student groups:

• Qualification completers - who undertook and successfully completed a qualification
• Qualification part-completers - who completed part of but not the full qualification
• Short course students - who undertook a training package skill set or accredited course
• Subject(s) only completers - who completed one or more subjects not delivered as part of a nationally recognised program.

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Main reason for training

Nearly three-quarters of qualification completers (73.1%) and part-completers (72.9%) undertook their training for employment related reasons. The most common main reason for training for these students was to ‘to get a job’, at 24.1% and 20.9% respectively.

More than 8 in 10 short-course students (83.4%) and subject(s) only completers (87.1%) undertook training for employment related reasons. The most common main reason for training for these students was because it was a requirement of their job, at 41.2% and 52.4% respectively.

Achieving their main reason varies by why they undertook the training. Qualification completers and part-completers who undertook their training for personal reasons were more likely to achieve their reason for training compared with those who undertook training for employment or training reasons. For short-course students and subject only completers, over 90% of those who undertook training for employment related reasons achieved this reason.

Outcomes of the training

Improved employment status is a composite outcome capturing whether a student reported being employed after training when they were not employed beforehand, whether they received at least one job-related benefit, or whether they were employed at a higher skill level following the training.

The proportion of qualification completers reporting an improved employment status decreased from 2024 by 2.0 percentage points to 62.4%. The trend is similar for all student groups.

Compared to 2024, the rate of students’ reporting an improved employment status after training went down across most priority cohorts in 2025.

Those who completed a qualification in ‘Electrotechnology’ (76.7%), ‘Construction, Plumbing & Services Integrated Framework’ (73.9%) and ‘Automotive Industry Retail, Service and Repair’ (72.6%) were more likely than those who completed other training packages to have improved their employment status. The trend is similar for qualification part-completers.

Of those employed after training, the most commonly cited job-related benefit for all student groups was gaining extra skills for their job.

Nearly a third (32.6%) of those who completed a qualification went on to undertake further study, a slight decrease from 2024. For those who partially completed a qualification, nearly a quarter (23.2%) commenced further study, similar to 2024.

Satisfaction with the training

Overall satisfaction with training among qualification part-completers decreased from 2024 by 2.4 percentage points to 75.4%, but generally satisfaction remains high with around 9 in 10 students satisfied overall.

Students are generally likely to recommend their training providers, with 85% or more of students from most student groups stating they would recommend their training. Qualification part-completers also reported strong recommendation rates, though at a lower level (73.8%). Qualification part-completers reported the lowest rates across all satisfaction measures.

Part-completion

This section reports on reasons for partial completion of a qualification or short course. Only a small proportion of the short-course students did not complete their full course (3.1%). They are referred to as short course part-completers in this section.

Personal reasons were the most common reason for discontinuing training, for both qualification and short course part-completers. The most cited personal reasons were illness or health related, having too many pressures on their time, and family reasons. Nearly a tenth of students discontinued their training as they got what they wanted from it.

Students who did not complete their training were asked what changes were needed to encourage completion. Various training-related reasons were specified by 38.4% of qualification part-completers and 37.4% of short course part-completers, namely better support, flexibility and workload.

On the other hand, 17.3% of qualification part-completers and 22.6% of short course part-completers reported there was nothing that could have changed to encourage their completion.

Purpose

This publication summarises Australian employers’ use and views of the vocational education and training (VET) system, and focuses on employer engagement and satisfaction with both accredited and unaccredited training.

The findings are derived from the 2025 Survey of Employers’ Use and Views of the VET System, a biennial survey that collects information on the various ways employers meet their skill needs and their satisfaction with the training.

The survey was conducted between March and July 2025, and the results presented below reflect employers’ training experiences over the previous 12 months. The 2025 survey also collected new information on employers’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and tools within their organisations.

For full results by state and territory, employer size, and industry, refer to the accompanying data tables.

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Employers’ use of training

Australian employers continue to invest in developing the skills of their workforce through a range of training approaches, including both accredited and unaccredited options. Accredited training may include providing staff with nationally recognised training, or the employment of apprentices and trainees, or staff with vocational qualifications. Employers may also use unaccredited or informal on-the-job training to address skills needs.

In 2025:

• 57.0% of employers used accredited training, similar to 2023.
• 50.9% provided unaccredited training, down 3.5 percentage points from 2023.
• 79.0% provided informal training, down 2.2 percentage points from 2023.
• 10.2% did not provide any training, similar to 2023.

Of the employers who did not provide any training in the last 12 months, the top reasons were:

• Current employees are adequately trained (52.8%)
• No need/not relevant to our organisation (46.0%).

Use and satisfaction with different types of training

The proportion of employers engaging with nationally recognised training has been steadily increasing over recent years, reaching 32.1% in 2025. Among these employers, 76.1% were satisfied that the training provided employees the skills needed for the job, similar to 2023 levels, but lower than those seen over the preceding decade.

Nationally, the proportion of employers with apprentices or trainees decreased by 2.6 percentage points since 2023. Despite this decline, apprenticeships and traineeships remain an important pathway for developing skilled workers, with over a quarter of employers (28.7%) reporting they had apprentices or trainees in 2025.

The majority of employers were satisfied with both nationally recognised training and apprenticeships and traineeships. Of those who were dissatisfied, the main reasons were either that the training was of poor quality or low standard, or that relevant skills were not taught.

Vocational qualifications continue to play an important role in providing skilled workers across Australia, with 38.6% of employers reporting having jobs that required a vocational qualification in 2025, similar to 2023.

In 2025, just over half of employers (50.9%) provided unaccredited training to their employees. Of these, 63.3% said there was no comparable nationally recognised training available. A further 13.9% chose unaccredited training even though comparable nationally recognised courses existed. The top reasons were that the unaccredited training was tailored to their specific needs, the course content was suitable, and the training was convenient or had flexible scheduling.

Main training providers used to conduct training

In 2025, there were notable shifts in the types of providers used to conduct nationally recognised training. The proportion of employers using TAFE institutes rose to 26.2% in 2025, up 9.5 percentage points from 2023. Private training providers remained the most commonly used, with 49.1% of employers using them in 2025, similar to 2023.

Of the employers who used private training organisations as their main provider of nationally recognised training, the top reasons for doing so were the convenience of access or location, flexible times, or that the content of the training course was suitable.

Of employers with apprentices and trainees, 59.1% used TAFE institutes as their main training provider in 2025, with the main reasons being it was the only suitable provider available, the content of the training course was appropriate, or convenience of access or location.

Over half of the Australian employers who used unaccredited training in 2025 did not use an external provider (54.2%), similar to 2023, suggesting that much of this training is conducted internally.

Employers’ use and perceptions of AI

Nationally, four in ten employers (39.8%) used AI technologies or tools for work purposes, with more than half (58.1%) adopting them within the last 12 months.

AI uptake varied considerably across industries, reflecting the different types of work undertaken in each sector. For example, nearly four in five employers in Information Media and Telecommunications (78.4%) reported using AI, compared with just over one-quarter in Accommodation and Food Services (28.1%).

Employer size was also a factor, with a higher proportion of large employers reporting using AI compared with small employers.

Among AI users, chatbots such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini were by far the most common, used by almost 90% of employers. Around one-third (31.8%) also used other types of AI tools, most commonly:

• Image or video generation and editing software (8.1%)
• Speech, image or video recognition tools (7.5%).

Almost all employers who used AI technologies (93.8%) reported that it had helped their organisation. The most common ways were increased efficiency (63.9%) and improved quality of work (45.7%), highlighting AI’s growing role in enhancing workplace productivity and performance.

Just over a quarter of employers (26.8%) provided some form of training in AI technologies. Of these employers:

• 3.7% provided nationally recognised training
• 29.4% provided unaccredited training
• 80.6% delivered informal training.

This suggests that while nationally accredited training in AI technologies remains limited, most employers are supporting staff through unaccredited training and informal learning opportunities to build AI-related skills.

Barriers to using AI at work were reported by 69.5% of all employers, including both those already using AI and those yet to adopt it.

Of employers that had not used AI in the last 12 months, the most common barrier reported was that it was not relevant to their organisation (49.6%).

Over 4 in 10 employers indicated that they would make changes in the next 12 months to use AI technologies, including both those already using AI and those yet to adopt it.

Of employers that had used AI in the last 12 months, some of the most common changes reported included training current staff in AI technologies, improving IT/computing infrastructure, and changing workplans or workflows.

Purpose

This publication provides an overview of completion and attrition rates for apprentices and trainees in Australia. It reports on both apprenticeships and traineeships undertaken within traditional trade-based occupations and non-trade occupations.

Definitions

Apprenticeship and traineeship completion rates are calculated at three levels:

• Individual: The proportion of people who have completed at least one apprenticeship or traineeship.
• Apprenticeship: The proportion of apprenticeships or traineeships that are completed, which may have involved one or more training contracts and employers.
• Contract: The proportion of individual training agreements between an employer and apprentice or trainee that are completed.

Completion rates in this report are presented in two ways:

• Fixed reference period: the proportion of completions that occur within a set time after commencement (e.g., four or six years).
• Ongoing or “to date”: the proportion of completions that have occurred so far, based on the most recent data.

A fixed reference period is suitable for comparing different commencing cohorts. For example, apprenticeships in non-trade occupations typically stabilise at three to four years, whereas apprenticeships in trade occupations can take up to six or more. NCVER recommends using the 6-year completion rate wherever possible to compare the different commencing cohorts of trade apprenticeships.

Written insights in the report describe national trends, not the specific selections made in the interactive charts. The publication is a summary only and uses an updated methodology - see NCVER’s Technical Paper and DataBuilder for more information.

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Completion rates

Across Australia, there were 167,785 commencements in an apprenticeship or traineeship in 2020, an increase from 2019. Of these, 75,115 apprenticeship commencements were in trade occupations and 92,660 in non-trade occupations.

Overall, 47.9% of apprenticeships and traineeships commenced in 2020 had completed by the 4-year mark. This is a decrease of 2.5 percentage points compared to the 2019 commencing cohort, which had a 4-year completion rate of 50.4%.

Non-trade and trade apprenticeships and traineeships fared differently. The non-trade apprenticeship completion rates for the 2020 commencing cohort declined by 5.7 percentage points to 48.7%, whereas trade apprenticeships rose 1.2 percentage points to 46.9%, however this cohort will need more time before their rates begin to stabilise.

The 2018 commencing trade apprenticeship cohort, the latest with a more stable rate, had a completion rate of 58.2% after 6 years. This represents an increase of 0.7 percentage points when compared to the 2017 cohort.

Trade completion rates

Apprenticeships in trade occupations can take up to six or more years to stabilise; the latest with a completion rate after 6 years is the 2018 commencing cohort.

Despite an increase overall in trade apprenticeship completion rates after 6 years, some priority groups such as school-based apprenticeships and Indigenous students experienced declines in the 6-year completion rate between 2017 and 2018.

The trade apprenticeship 6-year completion rate declined between 2017 and 2018 for most occupational groups. only ‘Construction Trades Workers’ and ‘Other Technicians and Trade Workers’ occupational groups saw increases between 2017 and 2018.

Most occupational groups maintained 6-year completion rates above 50%, while ‘Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers’, ‘Automotive and Engineering Trades Workers’, and ‘Engineering, ICT and Science Technicians’ apprenticeships were above 60%.

Non-trade completion rates

Apprenticeships in non-trade occupations typically stabilise at three to four years; the latest with a completion rate after 4 years is the 2020 commencing cohort.

The non-trade apprenticeship 4-year completion rate for all priority groups decreased between the 2019 and 2020 commencing cohorts. The largest declines were evident for females and students from regional or remote locations.

All non-trade occupation apprenticeships and traineeships across Australia had a decline in 4-year completion rates between 2019 and 2020 cohorts.

The greatest decline was for apprenticeships and traineeships in ‘Manager’ occupations, which was down 24.5 percentage points between 2019 and 2020, coinciding with a near doubling in commencements.

Attrition rates

The apprenticeship attrition rate represents the proportion of commencements with an unsuccessful status at the point of comparison. This does not mean permanent withdrawal; apprentices and trainees may recommence later, often with a new employer.

For 2020-commencing apprenticeships across Australia, less than a fifth (17.2%) of all trade apprenticeships ended without completion within the first year, compared to just under a third (30.3%) of non-trade apprenticeships.

Contract completion rates

In 2020, 194,635 contracts of training between apprentices and employers commenced across Australia.

The 4-year completion rate for contracts commenced across Australia in 2020 was 43.7%, down from 46.2% the previous year. The 4-year completion rate for trade contracts was 40.2% and for non-trade contracts was 47.3%.

Because an individual can participate in more than one contract related to an apprenticeship, the contract-level completion rate will tend to be lower than the apprenticeship-level rate. This is because the various contract commencements and finalisations are summarised up to a single value at the apprenticeship-level.

Individual completion rates

Of the 124,670 individuals new to the Australian apprenticeship system in 2020, 49.9% had completed an apprenticeship within 4 years. For individuals who first began in a non-trade occupation, 51.7% had completed an apprenticeship within 4 years, whereas for individuals who began in a trade occupation the 4-year completion rate was 47.6%.

Breaks in training, such as changes of employer, suspensions, or a move to another apprenticeship can extend the time between commencement and completion. As a result, some apprentices will take longer than four years to finish their first apprenticeship; individual completions rates for the 2020 commencing cohort are likely to continue to rise over the coming years.

The stable 6-year completion rate for the 52,635 individuals who first began in a trade occupation in 2018 was 62.6%.

Both the attrition and in-training rates, available via the DataBuilder, should be considered when interpreting the success of a given cohort.

Description

VET qualification completion rates 2024 reports on comparative performance of the 2020-commencing cohort, data are sourced from Total VET students and courses.

Qualifications generally have a volume of learning of between one to two years, with those undertaken as part of a recognised apprenticeship or traineeship taking longer due to on-the-job learning requirements. VET students predominantly study part-time, which can extend their training time further.

Completion rates are presented as either observed or projected:

• Observed rates are presented four years after the commencement year and can be used to compare performance between commencing cohorts. This timeframe is accepted as a good balance between timeliness and the stability of the rates.
• Projected rates are generated for commencing years where enough time has passed to assume unsuccessful outcomes, but enough records remain outstanding that they impact the comparability of the rate. These rates are comprised of observed ‘to date’ completions and a projected ‘top up’ component.

The proportion completed as at the latest submission, i.e. as at 31 December 2024, referred to as ‘to date’ are also presented, but cannot be compared across years, as those in earlier years have had more time to complete.

A range of factors influence the likelihood of completing a VET qualification¹. Completion rates vary across states and territories, training packages and occupations, due to variations in training system delivery, policy settings, student demographics, reporting arrangements, and broader economic conditions.

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Observed completion rates

The completion rate (after four years) for all nationally recognised qualifications commencing in 2020 was 49.0%, up from 47.5% for those commencing in 2019.

This headline completion rate applies to qualifications spanning diverse VET settings, objectives, and cohorts. For some programs - such as those focused on rehabilitation or employability - completion may not be the main intention or success measure. The DataBuilder presents disaggregated completion rates.

Completion rates varied by qualification level. The highest completion rate for 2020-commencing qualifications was 55.5% for diploma-level or higher qualifications, and lowest for Certificate I qualifications, at 40.4%.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted completion rates for this cohort. The pandemic seems to have impacted how many commencements occurred in 2020 and led to delays in training and assessment for any students still studying (for example, 2019 commencing students). Commonwealth and state and territory responses to the pandemic, including the announcement of JobTrainer, are recognised as supporting continued engagement in training during the pandemic.

The completion rate (after four years) increased for most priority cohorts when comparing 2019 and 2020 commencements across all qualification levels. The exception to this was commencements by students with a disability, which declined 0.3 percentage points. Directional changes in priority cohorts were observed within the individual qualification levels, with some seeing decreases and others increases.

Completion rates varied depending on the source of funding. The completion rate (after four years) for 2020-commencing

• Government funded qualifications was 48.6% (an increase of 0.6 percentage points from 2019)
• Domestic fee-for-service qualifications was 45.8% (an increase of 2.5 percentage points from 2019)
• International fee-for-service qualifications was 60.2% (an increase of 2.3 percentage points from 2019)

For 2020 commencing qualifications, overall completion rates (after four years) were highest for Natural and physical sciences qualifications, at 67.5%. The lowest rates were for Mixed field programmes, at 34.2%.

There has been a gradual increase in the time taken to complete a qualification (Table 1) and this may be related to the pandemic or a shift in the training mix. The proportion of completions occurring one year after commencement has declined from 90.2% for the 2016-commencing cohort to 86.1% for the 2020-commencing. Almost 99% of completions have occurred three years after commencement for all cohorts.

Projected completion rates

Projected completion rates consist of both an observed component (qualifications that have already completed, i.e. ‘to date’) and an estimated component.

The estimated component is the proportion of qualifications still in training that may complete based on similar activity. The more qualifications considered to still be active or ‘in training’, the greater the proportion of estimated completions.

Based on the latest data received, the completion rate for 2022-commencing qualifications is projected to be 51.4%, with 46.8% already completed. Projections are subject to change as further data are received.

Methodological and reporting improvements for 2024

Observed completion rates in this publication will differ from previously published rates as they are derived from an improved underlying dataset and methodology. Differences between overall rates are presented in the following table.

Please refer to the explanatory notes for more information on the methodology.

Purpose

This publication provides a summary of data relating to Australia’s government-funded vocational education and training (VET) system. Government funded VET is defined as all Commonwealth and state or territory government-funded training delivered by technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, other government providers (such as universities), private providers and community education providers.

Data for the Government-funded students and courses series are received in four cumulative submissions across the calendar year. This report covers the period of 1 January to 30 June 2025. Data will be revised following subsequent data submissions made to NCVER throughout the year.

Additional data are available in DataBuilder, VOCSTATS, and by request to NCVER.

This publication does not present data on Fee-Free TAFE. Data for this program are available from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

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Overview

There were 866,055 students undertaking government-funded training in Australia in the period January to June 2025. This represents a decrease of 63,320 (6.8%) from the same period in 2024. Student numbers in all states and territories decreased except South Australia, which increased by 2,125 (3.8%) to 57,645.

The type of training undertaken can be categorised by the hierarchy shown in Figure 1. Each state/territory funds a different mix of training types to meet their jurisdictional needs.

Nationally recognised qualifications

Nationally recognised qualifications comprise the bulk of government-funded training, and include Training package qualifications and Accredited qualifications.

Student numbers

There were 792,915 students in nationally recognised qualifications in Australia in the period January to June 2025. This represents a decrease of 55,895 (6.6%) from the same period in 2024, but an increase of 68,195 (9.4%) from 2019. All states and territories decreased except South Australia, up 2,210 (4.4%) to 51,945, and Northern Territory, up 905 (11.0%) to 9,130.

The majority of the decline was seen at Certificate IV level (down 29,380 or 16.4%) and Certificate III level (down 21,520 or 4.8%).

Figure 2 presents a time-series of students enrolled in nationally-recognised qualifications, alongside the full annual cohort for comparison.

Student priority cohorts

In the January to June period, several priority cohorts decreased from 2024 to 2025, including females, full-time students, regional and remote students and those unemployed. All other priority cohorts increased. On the other hand, compared to the same period in 2019, all cohorts increased, with the exception of students who were unemployed.

Students by provider type

Nationally, the majority of students undertake government-funded qualifications at TAFE institutes. Compared with the same period in 2024, students enrolled at TAFE institutes and private training providers decreased 6.6% and 8.8% respectively.