The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has released the latest data on the students who studied VET in 2024 as part of their secondary schooling.

In 2024, participation in VET in Schools programs rose by 5.8% from the previous year, with a total of 266,765 students across Australia. This cohort represents approximately 27.8% of the nation’s school population aged 15 to 19. Nationally, the number of students undertaking VET in Schools reached its highest level since the NCVER began collecting these statistics in 2006.

Not only has the overall number of students studying VET while at school increased, so too has the diversity of the student cohort:

  • Females now make up 46.9% of enrolments (37.7% increase since 2019)
  • First Nations 6% (up 30.1%)
  • Students with disability 3% (up 39.8%)
  • Regional and remote 29.6% (up 13.2%).

Across the country program enrolments (as distinct from individual students – with students able to enrol in more than one VETiS program in the same year) were up in most jurisdictions, with the Northern Territory (19.4%), South Australia (17.1%) and Victoria (16.7%) all recording double digit growth between 2023 and 2024. Nationally program enrolments increased 7.2% in the last 12 months.

In 2024, the most popular training packages for VET in Schools students were:

  • Sport, fitness and recreation (14.8%), and
  • Business services (14.0%)

Almost one in ten VET in Schools students, 21,515 (8.1%), undertook a school-based apprenticeship, and they were most likely to be enrolled in:

  • Business services (16.1%), and
  • Community services (11.9%).

A noticeable shift has also been occurring in the level of qualifications VET in Schools students enrol in, with Certificates I and II in decline and an increase in Certificate III and above.

While TAFE Institutes and private providers have seen an increase in VET in Schools students enrolling with them (up 2,375 and 10,275 in the last 12 months respectively), there has been a decrease in students choosing to study with an adult and community education provider (-1,620 between 2023 and 2024).