4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 2001
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 06/06/2001
Page tools:
 Print Page
 Print All
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Participation in Education: Trends in completing school
Early school leavers In 2000, of the 2 million people aged 15-24 years who had left school, one third reported that they left school before completing Year 12. Young men were more likely to have been early school leavers than young women (39% compared with 27%). This could be associated with the fact that men are more likely than women to take up apprenticeships, reflecting the larger number of apprenticeships available in occupations that traditionally attract men.3 In 2000, 15-24 year olds born in Australia were more likely to have been early school leavers than 15-24 year olds born outside Australia (36% compared with 19%). This could be associated with the fact that in recent years, Australia's immigration policies have targeted skilled migrants from well-educated backgrounds and with English language proficiency (see Australian Social Trends, 2001, Coming to Australia). In addition, a large proportion of young people come to Australia from overseas to study, and many are likely to have completed Year 12 or to be in the process of completing Year 12. In 1999-2000, of 15-24 year olds arriving in Australia for visits of more than 12 months, 77% said their main purpose for travelling was education.4
The likelihood of completing Year 12 also varied according to area of residence. Young people living in areas other than capital cities were more likely to have been early school leavers than those living in capital cities (45% compared with 27%). In addition, retention rates varied considerably according to the type of school attended. In 2000, 39% of 15-24 year olds who had attended a government school reported that they had not completed Year 12, compared with 17% of those who had attended a non-government school. A large proportion of people who had not completed Year 12 stated that they left because they wanted to work rather than study. In 1997, 43% of early school leavers aged 15-24 years reported that their main reason for not completing school was because they had or wanted a job. Work-related reasons were more commonly reported as the main reason for leaving than schooling-related or personal or family reasons. EARLY SCHOOL LEAVERS AGED 15-24 YEARS(a), 2000
Source: ABS 2000 Transition from Education to Work Survey. Education and the labour market Completing the final year of school has become increasingly important for the labour market outcomes of young people over the past 20 to 30 years. In parallel with rising Year 12 apparent retention rates in the 1980s and early 1990s, the labour market in Australia changed. Fewer jobs were offered in manufacturing and other industries which have traditionally employed young people without qualifications.3 This may have prompted more students to complete Year 12 and to consider post-school study as an alternative to looking for work. In addition, skill requirements in the labour force have shifted over the past 20 to 30 years, with higher levels of qualification required for many occupations than was previously the case. For example, until the 1980s, registered nursing in Australia was taught firstly in hospitals and then Colleges of Advanced Education. Between 1984 and 1993, study for registered nursing was transferred to universities and standardised across institutions.5 However, after 1992, both the retention rate for students to Year 12 and the unemployment rate for 15-24 year olds declined. Both of these trends may suggest a greater number of jobs available to young adults. Alternatively, early school leavers could be taking up the diverse range of training and education opportunities outside school that have become available in recent years. MAIN REASON FOR LEAVING SCHOOL BEFORE COMPLETING YEAR 12(a), 1997
(b) Respondents nominated one reason only. (c) Includes people who gave other schooling-related reasons. (d) Includes people who gave other personal or family reasons. Source: Education and Training Experience, Australia, 1997 (ABS cat. no. 6278.0). Employment outcomes Employment outcomes are likely to vary for early school leavers depending on whether they take up the courses and programs available to them. In general, early school leavers in 2000 had higher unemployment rates than people who had completed Year 12 and people who had post-school educational qualifications. For people aged 15-24 years who had left school, those with post-school educational qualifications were more likely to be in the labour force (either employed or looking for work) than early school leavers or people who had only completed Year 12. Moreover, of people in the labour force, those with post school educational qualifications were the most likely to have found full-time employment (74%). Almost two thirds (63%) of early school leavers in the labour force were working full-time. However, this group was also about three times as likely to be unemployed and seeking full-time work (18%) as people who had post-school educational qualifications (7%) and people who had completed Year 12 (6%). People in the labour force who had completed Year 12 were the least likely to be working full-time (46%), but this is associated with the fact that almost half of this group were studying for post-school educational qualifications, and thus were not seeking full-time work. This is reinforced by the fact that this group was the most likely of the three groups to be working part-time (44%). EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND LABOUR FORCE STATUS OF PEOPLE AGED 15-24 YEARS(a), 2000
(b) Includes people who did not complete the highest level of school who have post-school qualifications. Source: ABS 2000 Transition from Education to Work Survey.
Post-school education Although early school leavers aged 15-24 years are more likely to be unemployed than others, not all enter the labour force on leaving school. According to vocational education and training statistics2, early school leavers comprised 56% of participants in vocational education and training in 1999. Participation in these courses rose by 70% between 1990 and 1999. This suggests that more early school leavers may be gaining skills and qualifications than in the past. Almost 20% of early school leavers aged 15-24 years were undertaking some form of study in 2000, compared with 47% of 15-24 year olds who had completed Year 12. Most of these early school leavers were undertaking TAFE courses (16%), while most people who had completed Year 12 were undertaking higher education courses (33%). This difference partly reflects the different entry requirements of higher education and TAFE courses. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION ATTENDANCE AND LEVEL OF COURSE OF PEOPLE AGED 15-24 YEARS(a), 2000
(b) Includes 15-24 year olds studying non-recognised courses (less than one semester or uncodeable). Source: ABS 2000 Transition from Education to Work Survey. Early school leavers attending an education institution were most commonly undertaking a skilled vocational course (10%), or a basic vocational course (5%). A small proportion (1%) were studying a secondary school course and were therefore in the process of completing Year 12 at a TAFE or other tertiary institution. Most apprenticeships and traineeships do not require completion of Year 12. As they provide employment during and after training (see Australian Social Trends, 2000, Developments in contracted training: apprentices and trainees), they may be another path to employment available to early school leavers. Of apprentices and trainees in training in 2000, more than half (59%) had left school before completing Year 12. HIGHEST LEVEL OF SCHOOL COMPLETED(a) OF APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES IN TRAINING 2000 (a) People for whom the highest level of school completed was unknown were excluded prior to the calculation of percentages. Source: National Centre for Vocational Education, Research, Australian Apprentices and Trainees Collection, December 2000. Endnotes 1 Lewis, P.E.T. and Koshy, P. 1999, 'Youth employment, unemployment and school participation', Australian Journal of Education, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 42-57. 2 National Centre for Vocational Education Research 1999, Vocational Education and Training Statistics, http://www.ncver.edu.au/statistics/vet/ann99/ID99/index.htm and http://www.ncver.edu.au/vet/ann99/glance99/timeall.htm (Accessed 1 May 2001). 3 Lamb, S., Dwyer, P. and Wyn, J. 2000, Non-Completion of School in Australia: The Changing Patterns of Participation and Outcomes, Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth Research Report 16, Australian Council for Education Research, Melbourne. 4 Australian Bureau of Statistics 2000, Migration, 1999-2000, cat. no. 3412.0, ABS, Canberra. 5 National Review of Nurse Education in the Higher Education Sector 1994, Nursing Education in Australian Universities, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
