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NAME OF COLLECTION
Education and Training, Survey of

Contact
Survey of Education and Training Dissemination Manager
National Centre for Education and Training Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Locked Bag 10
BELCONNEN ACT 2616

Telephone: Canberra 02 6252 6577
Facsimile: Canberra 02 6252 8013
Email: ncets@abs.gov.au
Web site: <www.abs.gov.au>

Purpose
To determine how much education and training is being undertaken, by whom and with how much employer or non-employer support. Data were also collected about access to education and training, the extent of multiple qualifications (with details of the three highest level qualifications), recent study, intended future study, and non-completed qualifications. Details were also sought on the (up to) four most recent training courses completed in the last 12 months.

Description
This survey provides details of the education and training experiences of persons aged 15-64 years who had worked as wage or salary earners in the previous 12 months, also persons in that age group who, at the time of the survey, were employed; unemployed; marginally attached to the labour force; aged 15-20 years and still at secondary school; or not in the labour force, but who were studying, or had studied in 2001.

The survey is collected via personal interview.

Main data detail

• socio-demographic characteristics (such as age, sex and birthplace);
• labour force characteristics (including industry of current job or business);
• work history details (including occupation and industry of main period employer);
• educational qualifications obtained;
• recent study for educational qualifications;
• intended future study;
• non-completed qualifications;
• details of training courses completed in the last 12 months (covering aspects such as time spent and employer support);
• training outcomes;
• access to education and training; and
• training provision.

• Industry of employment was classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 1993 (cat. no. 1292.0). ANZSIC classifies businesses according to their economic activities, in a structure consisting of four levels (Division, Subdivision, Group and Class).

• Occupation was classified according to the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO), Second Edition, 1997 (cat. no. 1220.0).

• Level of educational attainment and educational qualifications were classified according to the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED), 2001 (cat. no. 1271.0).

Frequency of data availability
Four yearly.

Reference period
The 12 months prior to the survey (which was conducted throughout Australia from April to August 2001).

Historical data
Results of three previous household surveys on this topic were published in Education and Training Experience, Australia, 1997 (cat. no. 6278.0), Training and Education Experience, Australia, 1993 (cat. no. 6278.0) and How Workers Get Their Training, Australia, 1989 (cat. no. 6278.0). The methodology and results of the 2001 survey are similar to those of the 1997 survey. The ABS can offer advice, if required, on the comparison of the 2001 survey results with those from the 1997 or earlier surveys.

Products and services
Publications

• Education and Training Experience, Australia, 2001 (cat. no. 6278.0)

• A confidentialised unit record file (CURF) is available from the 2001 survey subject to the approval of the Australian Statistician. CURFs are generally made available on a CD-ROM in both SAS and SPSS format.
• As well as releasing publications and standard products, the ABS can make available special tabulations. Subject to confidentiality and sampling variability constraints, tabulations can be produced from the survey incorporating data items, populations and geographic areas selected to meet individual requirements. These can be provided in printed form or on disk.
• Education data are available on request on the broad, narrow and detailed level of education and field of education categories. Industry data are available on request at the ANZSIC Group (3 digit) level. Occupation data are available on request at the ASCO Unit Group (4 digit) level.
• A list of data items included in the survey is available free of charge on the ABS web site, <www.abs.gov.au>.