Education and Training (Survey of)

NAME OF ORGANISATION
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

OVERVIEW

The Survey of Education and Training (SET) collects information about education and learning activity covering aspects such as educational attainment, participation in various types of education and training and employment outcomes from education activity.

While the SET has been conducted every four years since 1989, the 2009 survey contained several changes in comparison to previous surveys.

As a result of a major review conducted in 2007, the 2009 survey contains amended definitions, while the scope of the survey was changed to only cover persons aged 15–74 years. Despite these changes, the survey retains a focus on the level of educational participation, educational pathways, skills acquisition, economic outcomes and individual experiences in education and training activities. More specifically, the survey provides much needed information on the links between education, training and employment through the collection of data about current levels and changes in participation and achievement, access and attitudes to education and training, and transition to employment - particularly in relation to young persons.

PURPOSE

The aim of the survey is to provide national benchmark information on a range of key indicators relating to educational attainment and participation in education and training activities for the population, to enable trends in these areas to be monitored over time.

SCOPE

2009 Survey of Education and Training

The survey covers urban and rural areas across all States and Territories, and includes residents of private dwellings aged 15–74 years. Very remote areas of Australia are excluded, as are persons in institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes and special dwellings such as hotels and boarding houses.

The focus is on the education and training activities of persons in the population of interest, which is people aged 15–64, and persons aged 65–74 years who are either in the labour force or marginally attached to the labour force.

The following persons living in Australia but not usually considered part of the resident population are excluded from the scope of the survey:

• diplomatic personnel of overseas governments and non-Australian members of their households;
• non-Australian defence force personnel stationed in Australia, and their dependants;
• overseas visitors whose usual place of residence was outside Australia; and
• Non-Australians (other than those above) working in Australia, or in Australia as students or settlers, and their dependants, are included in the scope of the survey if they had lived, or intended to live in Australia for a period of 12 months or more in a 16 month period.

2005 Survey of Education and Training

The survey covers urban and rural areas across all States and Territories, and includes residents of private dwellings aged 15 years and over. Very remote areas of Australia are excluded, as are persons in institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes and special dwellings such as hotels and boarding houses.

The following persons living in Australia but not usually considered part of the resident population are excluded from the scope of the survey:

• diplomatic personnel of overseas governments and non-Australian members of their households;
• non-Australian defence force personnel stationed in Australia, and their dependants;
• overseas visitors whose usual place of residence was outside Australia; and
• Non-Australians (other than those above) working in Australia, or in Australia as students or settlers, and their dependants, are included in the scope of the survey if they had lived, or intended to live in Australia for a period of 12 months or more.

NOTE: Defence force personnel in Private Dwellings are included in this survey.

2001 Survey of Education, Training and Information Technology

Same as above, but only people aged 15-64 years included in scope.

1997 Survey of Education and Training

Overall in-scope Population

All persons aged 15-64 years, but excluding:

• members of the Australian permanent defence forces;
• certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, customarily excluded from ABS surveys;
• persons whose usual place of residence was outside Australia;
• members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants) stationed in Australia;
• persons who were permanently unable to work;
• visitors to private dwellings;
• residents of institutions (boarding school pupils, hospital or sanatorium patients, and gaol or reformatory inmates);
• persons living in 'special' dwellings (hotels, motels, hostels, or short-stay caravan parks); and
• persons who were not in the labour force at the time of the survey, and not in full-time or part-time education in 1997.

1993 Survey of Training and Education

The survey included all persons aged 15-64 years who had worked as wage or salary earners in the last 12 months as well as those who, at the time of the survey, were employers, self-employed, unemployed or marginally attached to the labour force, except:
• members of the Australian permanent defence forces;
• certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, customarily excluded from census and estimated populations;
• overseas residents in Australia;
• members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants) stationed in Australia;
• persons who were permanently unable to work;
• boarding school pupils not resident in households, some patients in hospitals and sanatoriums, and inmates of gaols, reformatories, etc.;
• persons aged 15 to 20 years still at school; and
• persons working as unpaid family helpers or solely for payment in kind, unless they had also held a wage or salary job in the last 12 months.


DATA DETAIL

Conceptual framework

The Framework for Education and Training Statistics (published in ABS cat. no. 4213.0) is a suggested way of thinking about the boundaries and content of statistics on learning. The broad aims of the framework are to promote informed decision making by:

• integrating education and training data across the different jurisdictions and sectors, so that valid interstate and intersectoral comparisons can be made, and meaningful national statistics derived;
• increasing comparability of statistics by providing a mechanism that identifies inconsistencies, gaps and duplication;
• promoting increased and consistent use of classifications and standards; and
• relating education and training data to other social and economic data, through links to other statistical frameworks, thereby showing how education and training interacts with other aspects of the social and economic environment.

The key elements of the framework are:
• Context
• Participants
• Non-participants
• Providers
• Resources
• Activities
• Outputs and outcomes

Main outputs

The main outputs from the current survey are:
• Publication: Education and Training Experience (ABS cat. no. 6278.0);
• Basic and Expanded CURFs Technical Manual (ABS Cat no. 6278.0.55.001);
• Basic Confidentialised unit record file (CURF) (ABS Cat no. 6278.0.55.002);
• Expanded Confidentialisd unit record file (CURF) (ABS Cat no. 6278.0.55.004);
• State and Territory Tables (ABS cat. no. 6278.0.55.005); and
• other data available on request.

The content of these products is based on information collected on the following characteristics:

People aged 15–64 years; people aged 65–74 years in or marginally attached to the labour force

Demographic information:
Age, sex, citizenship, ancestry, language spoken at home, Indigenous status, family characteristics, state or territory of usual residence.

Income:
Household income, personal income, main sources of personal income.

Labour force:
Labour force status, duration of employment, full-time or part-time workers, hours usually worked, industry, occupation, sector, trade union membership, leave entitlements, earnings, apprentice or trainee, duration of unemployment.

Educational attainment:
Highest level of attainment, qualifications completed, level, field, provider, year completed.

Work history:
Duration of employment, hours usually worked, industry, occupation, sector, number of employers, trade union membership, leave entitlements, earnings.

Training:
Training completed and still attending, number of courses completed, costs incurred financial support received, outcomes of training, methods of delivery, field, provider, time spent on training course, reasons did not do (more) training.

Educational attainment:
Other levels of attainment, most recent qualification.

Education participation:
Current study for a qualification: level, field, provider, study status, contact details.
Current study not leading to a qualification: field, provider.
Reasons did not want to do (more) study, intention to complete school, whether undertaking TAFE accredited subjects at school.

Classifications

The main classifications used in the Survey of Education and Training are:

Industry: Australia and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC).
Occupation: Australian Standard Classification of Occupations Second Edition (ASCO SE).
Country of Birth: The Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC).
Educational attainment and qualifications: The Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED).

GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL

Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
ACT

Comments and/or Other Regions

The Survey of Education and Training (SET) was conducted in both urban and rural areas in all States and Territories. However, people living in very remote parts of Australia were excluded. The exclusion of these people will only have a minor impact on any aggregate estimates that are produced for individual States and Territories, with the exception of the Northern Territory where such people account for over 23% of the population.

COLLECTION FREQUENCY
4 Yearly

Frequency comments

Education and Training Special Supplementary Surveys (SSS) have been conducted in:
1989 (SSS-12) - How Workers Get Their Training
1993 (SSS-17) - Survey of Training and Education
1997 (SSS-25) - Survey of Education and Training
2001 (SSS-35) - Survey of Education, Training and Information Technology
2005 (SSS-44) - Survey of Education and Training
2009 (SSS-60) - Survey of Education and Training

The earlier SSS collections on the general topic of education were in 1979 Education, Experience and Intentions Survey (SSS-02) and 1982 Survey of Reasons for Completion or Non-completion of Secondary Education (SSS-05).

The next cycle is due to be enumerated March - June 2013

COLLECTION HISTORY

• 1989 - How Workers Get Their Training (HWGTT)
• 1993 - Survey of Training and Education (STE)
• 1997 - Survey of Education and Training (SET)
• 2001 - Survey of Education, Training and Information Technology (SETIT)
• 2005 - Survey of Education and Training (SET)
• 2009 - Survey of Education and Training (SET) (current cycle)

The Education and Training surveys listed above allow the measurement of changes in levels of participation, achievement and access between 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2005, linked to characteristics of individuals. In the 1997 Survey the scope was extended to encompass those aged 15-64 years undertaking full-time or part-time education. In 2001 this was further extended so that all persons aged 15-64 were in scope for the survey. The 2005 survey was extended further to include all people aged 15 years and over, but those aged 70 and over were asked a shorter set of questions. In 2009, the population of interest was altered to include all persons aged 15–64 years, and those aged 65–74 years who were in or marginally attached to the labour force.

Additional Information

How Workers Get Their Training, 1989

Persons aged 15-64, who had worked as wage and salary earners in the 12 months prior to July 1989. Persons aged 15-20 years who were still attending school were excluded from the survey.

• educational attainment
• work history
• qualifications needed to obtain job
• training courses and on-the-job training undertaken in last 12 months
• study for a qualification
• demographic and labour force characteristics

Training and Education Experience, 1993

Persons aged 15-64, who had worked as wage and salary earners in the 12 months prior to May 1993, as well as those who, at the time of the survey, were employers, self-employed, unemployed or marginally attached to the labour force. Persons aged 15-20 years who were still attending school were excluded from the survey.

• educational attainment
• work history
• qualifications needed to obtain job
• recent study for educational qualifications
• training courses and on-the-job training undertaken in the last 12 months
• access to training
• provision of training
• computer proficiency
• demographic and labour force characteristics

Survey of Education and Training, 1997

Persons aged 15-64 who were usual residents of private dwellings and had worked as wage and salary earners in the 12 months prior to May 1997. The survey also included persons aged 15-64 who, at the time of the survey, were employed, unemployed or marginally attached to the labour force; persons aged 15-20 who were still attending secondary school; and persons not in the labour force, but who were studying, or had studied, in 1997.

• educational attainment
• work history
• whether involved in the provision of education and training in current job
• recent study for an educational qualification
• if enrolled for study in previous year
• training courses completed in Australia in the last 12 months
• outcomes of training courses
• access to education/training
• intentions to complete school, for 15-20 year olds
• intended future study for an educational qualification
• on-the-job training
• demographic characteristics and labour force characteristics

Survey of Education, Training and Information Technology, 2001

People aged 15 to 64 years who were usual residents of private dwellings.

• educational attainment
• work history
• whether involved in the provision of education and training in current job
• recent study for an educational qualification
• if enrolled for study in previous year
• training courses completed in Australia in the last 12 months
• outcomes of training courses
• access to education/training
• intentions to complete school, for 15-24 year olds
• intended future study for an educational qualification
• on-the-job training
• demographic characteristics and labour force characteristics
• access to and use of information technology

Survey of Education and Training, 2005

People aged 15 years and over who were usual residents in private dwellings.

• educational attainment
• work history (15-69 years)
• whether involved in the provision of education and training in current job (15-69 years)
• recent study for an educational qualification (15-69 years)
• if enrolled for study in previous year (15-69 years)
• participation in study not leading to a qualification (15-69 years)
• training courses completed in Australia in the last 12 months (15-69 years)
• outcomes of training courses (15-69 years)
• access to education/training (15-69 years)
• demographic characteristics and labour force characteristics
• income
• access to computers and internet at home