The important work that Jobs and Skills Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics have done, to bring together “a range of government administrative data assets to track the employment, economic and further study outcomes of VET students” is proving vital in helping us better understand the students who graduate from VET and crucially key aspects of their lives after they graduate.
In the year following completion of their studies, the VET National Data Asset (VNDA) shows that, VET graduates “had a median income uplift of $14,100 and earned a median employee income of $51,100.”
For some students the results were even more important. For example, First Nations graduates attained a median income uplift of $15,700 (although their median income was still lower than non-Indigenous students at $46,800).
For other graduates from identified equity groups – the results were somewhat less positive:
- “Female graduates attained a median income uplift of $12,800 and earned a median income of $43,600.
- Graduates with disability attained a median income uplift of $10,300 and earned a median income of $28,400.
- Culturally and Linguistical Diverse (CALD) graduates attained a median income uplift of $13,900 and earned a median income of $48,500.”
Among VET graduates who received income support prior to study, the importance of VET is clear – almost half (48%) were no longer on income support one year after they graduated (i.e. they had an income support exit rate of 48%).
The analysis shows that:
- “First Nations graduates had a 36% income support exit rate.
- Female graduates had a 43% income support exit rate.
- Graduates with disability had a 23% income support exit rate.
- CALD graduates had a 51% income support exit rate.”
The VNDA webpage does not just contain a report, it also has a dashboard where you can find out more about the post-VET outcomes of students in your jurisdiction, studying specific qualifications, at different AQF levels, etc.
For example – graduates holding Certificate III qualifications in the field of ‘Engineering and Related Technologies’ in Victoria had a 95 percent employment rate (7% high than the national average), they earned $68,600 (an average increase of $34,600 compared with what they earned before their VET Certificate) and 62% of those on income support exited after graduation.
