1380.0.55.011 - Perspectives on Regional Australia: Non-school Qualifications in Regions, 2011
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 21/10/2013 First Issue
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Introduction
Regional data used in this article are provided in the datacube available via the Downloads tab. NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS IN AUSTRALIA In 2011, one half (49.9%) of Australians aged 20 to 64 years stated that their highest non-school qualification was a certificate III or above. The most common level of highest qualification in Australia was certificates III and IV (17.4%), followed by bachelor degrees (16.6%). LEVEL OF HIGHEST NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATION, 20-64 year olds, Australia, 2011
Rates of educational attainment in Australia have varied over time, and that people today have greater rates of educational attainment than in the past. In 2011, larger proportions of younger people had a non-school qualification, while the proportion was smaller among those aged between 60 and 64 years. (Those without non-school qualifications includes people who were currently studying for their first qualification at the time of the Census). NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS, by age group, Australia, 2011 (a) Includes 'postgraduate degree', 'graduate diploma and graduate certificate', 'bachelor degree', 'advanced diploma & diploma' and 'certificate III & IV'. (b) Includes 'certificate I & II' and 'not applicable'. (c) Includes 'level of education inadequately described', 'level of education not stated' and 'certificate level not further defined'. Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2011 It is important to take age into consideration when interpreting rates of educational attainment as some regions have older populations than others. Greater capital cities have larger proportions of younger people than the rest of the states and territories. Comparing the age profiles of all the greater capital cities combined with those of the rest of the states and territories clearly illustrates this. Given the association between age and educational attainment, this indicates that regions in greater capital cities are likely to have higher rates of educational attainment than those in the rest of states and territories. POPULATION BY AGE, Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs) and Rest of States/Territories, Australia, 2011 Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2011 In 2011, the regions with the highest rates of attainment of non-school qualifications were all in or near greater capital cities. Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby (69.3%) had the highest proportion of people with qualifications, followed by Melbourne - Inner East and Perth - Inner (both 64.6%). Of the people with non-school qualifications in these three regions, about one half had a bachelor degree as their highest qualification. Conversely, the regions with the lowest rates of attainment of non-school qualifications tended to be in rural and remote areas. Of these, Northern Territory - Outback (33.8%) had the lowest rate of attainment of non-school qualifications, followed by Queensland - Outback (34.8%) - both of which contain some of the most remote areas in Australia. The third lowest rate, Sydney - South West (36.7%), was an exception to the general regional pattern of higher rates of attainment in greater capital city areas. A smaller proportion of people aged 20 to 64 years were employed in Sydney - South West (61.2%) compared with Australia as a whole (70.8%). Those with a non-school qualification in Sydney - South West were more likely to be employed (79.4%) than those without non-school qualifications (54.3%). See the state and territory maps for further details on the location of regions mentioned. POPULATION WITH NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS, 20-64 yr olds, Australia, 2011 LEVEL OF QUALIFICATION In 2011, there were also clear regional patterns in the attainment rates of higher education (bachelor degrees and above) and vocational qualifications (advanced diplomas, diplomas and certificates III and IV). In the greater capital cities combined, there was little difference between the proportions of people with higher education and vocational qualifications (27.3% and 25.1% respectively). In contrast, people living in the rest of the states and territories were twice as likely to have vocational qualifications (30.0%) than higher education qualifications (14.8%) as their highest qualification. In 2011, the regions with the highest proportions of higher education qualifications were in the greater capital cities of Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. The highest were Sydney - North Sydney & Hornsby (50.6%), Perth - Inner (47.0%) and Melbourne - Inner (46.5%). In all of the listed regions, the most common level of qualification was a bachelor degree. Outside of the greater capital cities, Geelong, in western Victoria, had the highest proportion of higher education qualifications (20.8%). REGIONS WITH THE LARGEST PROPORTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION(a) QUALIFICATIONS, 20-64 year olds, Australia, 2011
The highest rates of attainment of vocational qualifications among 20-64 year olds were in the Hunter Valley exc Newcastle (33.7%), Sydney - Sutherland (33.1%), and Southern Highlands & Shoalhaven (33.1%), all in or near the greater capital city of Sydney. Three of the ten regions with the highest proportions of vocational qualifications were in a greater capital city; Sydney - Sutherland (in southern Sydney), Central Coast (in Northern Sydney), and Mornington Peninsula (in Melbourne's southern outskirts). The most common highest level of qualification in all of these regions were certificates III or IV. REGIONS WITH THE LARGEST PROPORTION OF VOCATIONAL(a) QUALIFICATIONS, 20-64 year olds, Australia, 2011
Many regions have identified shortages in particular types of professions including tradespeople, engineers, health professionals and teachers (Research Paper: A Review of Regional Development Australia Committee Regional Plans, 2013 (cat. no. 1381.0)). This section looks at the fields in which people held their highest non-school qualification in regions across Australia in 2011. Analysing the field of qualification gives an indication of the skills available to employers in different industries. Many regions have identified skill shortages in particular types of professions including tradespeople, engineers, health professionals and teachers (Research Paper: A Review of Regional Development Australia Committee Regional Plans, 2013 (cat. no. 1381.0)). In addition to the supply of skills to the labour market, skills shortages also reflect the demand from employers for people with particular skills or qualifications. In 2011, the most common field of highest non-school qualification among those aged 20 to 64 years was management and commerce (10.1%), followed by engineering and related technologies (9.0%). FIELD OF HIGHEST NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATION, 20-64 year olds, Australia, 2011
In 2011, of those people whose highest qualification was in management and commerce, most held either a bachelor degree (28.4%) or advanced diploma or diploma (23.7%). The majority of people whose highest qualification was in engineering and related technologies held a certificate III or IV (65.5%). LEVEL OF HIGHEST NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATION, Selected fields, 20-64 year olds, Australia, 2011 Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2011 Management and commerce includes qualifications in a wide array of professions, including those in accounting, business and management, sales and marketing, banking and finance. In 2011, non-school qualifications in management and commerce were more common in the greater capital city regions than in other regions of Australia - regions generally associated with higher levels of employment in business and finance. Overall, the qualifications held by 20-64 year olds in this field were fairly evenly divided between higher education (51.2%) and vocational (48.8%) qualifications. Of the ten regions with the largest proportion of people with non-school qualifications in management and commerce, seven were in Sydney, two were in Melbourne and one was in Brisbane. Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby (21.3%), Sydney - Ryde (18.8%) and Melbourne - Inner East (17.6%) had the largest proportions of people with non-school qualifications in this field. Higher education qualifications in accounting and business and management were the most common in these regions. See the state and territory maps for further details on the location of regions mentioned. NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS IN MANAGEMENT AND COMMERCE, 20-64 year olds, Australia, 2011 Engineering and Related Technologies The field of engineering and related technologies encompasses a diverse range of professions and trades, such as panel beating, printing, cabinet-making, vehicle mechanics, construction engineering, civil engineering, surveying and communications technologies, among many others. The vast majority of 20-64 year olds whose highest non-school qualification was in this field had a vocational qualification (80.0%). The largest proportions of 20-64 year olds with their highest non-school qualification in the field of engineering and related technologies lived in regional and remote areas of Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia and in or near the capital cities of Perth and Sydney. This field of qualification encompasses many skills that are useful for a wide variety of trades and professions. Many of the regions with the highest proportions of these qualifications are also associated with industries such as mining or manufacturing. Mackay (14.8%) in Queensland, Hunter Valley exc. Newcastle (13.6%) in New South Wales and Western Australia - Outback (13.4%) had the largest proportions of people with a non-school qualification in this field of all regions in Australia. In all three, the most commonly stated qualifications were vocational qualifications in metal fitting, turning and machinery, boilermaking and welding, and vehicle mechanics. NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS IN ENGINEERING AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES, 20-64 year olds, Australia, 2011 STATE AND TERRITORY ANALYSIS New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory Victoria Queensland South Australia Western Australia Tasmania Northern Territory SUMMARY The formal educational qualifications available in a region are an important contributor and indicator of the skills available for future service provision and to support future regional development opportunities. This article looked at the non-school qualifications of the the working age population across Australia and Statistical Areas Level 4. At the time of the 2011 Census of Population and Housing, one-half (49.9%) of Australians aged 20 to 64 years had a non-school qualification. There was wide variation in the rates of attainment of non-school qualifications, with a general pattern of higher rates of attainment in or near capital cities, and lower attainment rates in remote and rural areas. Attainment rates across all regions of Australia ranged from 33.8% in Northern Territory - Outback to 69.3% in Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby. Management and commerce and engineering and related technologies and were the two most common fields in which people across all regions held their highest qualification. Most people with non-school qualifications in engineering and related technologies had a vocational qualification, while most people with non-school qualifications in management and commerce had a higher education qualification. The highest proportions of people with a non-school qualification in management and commerce were in or near capital cities, particularly Sydney, Melbourne or Perth. In contrast, those with non-school qualifications in engineering and related technologies were more likely to be in regions outside of greater capital cities. This article is one of a series of regional perspectives articles looking at different aspects of human capital in regional labour markets. Other articles in the series cover such topics as the industries people in regions work in and self-employment through own unincorporated business ownership in regions. Articles on education related topics are also released in Australian Social Trends (cat. no. 4102.0). Other articles which use Census data to analyse a range of themes are available in Reflecting a Nation: Stories from the 2011 Census (cat. no. 2071.0).
1. Council of Australian Governments National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development, 13 April 2012, viewed 20 June 2013 <http://www.dfeest.sa.gov.au/Portals/1/Documents/policies/COAG%20National%20Agreement%20for%20Skills%20and%20Workforce%20Development.pdf > 2. Regional Australia Standing Council, Communiqué, 5 - 6 July 2012, 2011, Department of Regional Australia, Local Government , Arts and Sport, viewed 19 June 2013, <http://www.regional.gov.au/regional/councils/rasc/communique-5-6-july-2012.aspx > 3. The wellbeing of nations: the role of human and social capital, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2001, viewed 20 June 2013 <http://www.oecd.org/site/worldforum/33703702.pdf > Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.
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