GLOSSARY

Apprentice

An apprentice is a person aged 15-64 years who has entered into a legal contract (called a training agreement or contract of training) with an employer, to serve a period of training for the purpose of attaining tradesperson status in a recognised trade. In this survey, apprentices are identified by their answer to a question specifically pertaining to the Australian Apprenticeship Scheme. Note that Australian School-based Apprenticeships are excluded.

Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED)

The ASCED is a national standard classification which includes all sectors of the Australian education system: that is, schools, vocational education and training, and higher education. From 2001, ASCED replaced a number of classifications used in administrative and statistical systems, including the ABSCQ. The ASCED comprises two classifications: Level of education and Field of education. See Australian Standard Classification of Education, 2001 (cat. no. 1272.0).

Certificate not further defined

Survey responses are coded to Certificate not further defined (n.f.d.) when there is not enough information to code them to Certificate I, II, III or IV in the Australian Standard Classification of Education, 2001 (cat. no. 1272.0), Level of education classification.

Completed

The completion of all academic requirements for the conferring of an award from an institution.

Completers

Persons aged 15-64 years who by May had completed the non-school qualification in which they were enrolled in the previous year.

Country of birth

Country of birth has been classified according to the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC), 1998 (Revision 2.03) (cat. no. 1269.0).

Educational institution

Any institution whose primary role is education. Included are schools, higher education establishments, colleges of technical and further education, public and private colleges, etc. Excluded are institutions whose primary role is not education.

Employed

Persons who, during the reference week:

• worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind in a job or business, or on a farm (comprising employees, employers and own account workers); or
• worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a farm (i.e. contributing family workers); or
• were employees who had a job but were not at work and were:
  • away from work for less than four weeks up to the end of the reference week; or
  • away from work for more than four weeks up to the end of the reference week and received pay for some or all of the four week period to the end of the reference week; or
  • away from work as a standard work or shift arrangement; or
  • on strike or locked out; or
  • on workers' compensation and expected to return to their job; or
• were employers or own account workers who had a job, business or farm, but were not at work.

Employed full-time

Employed persons who usually worked 35 hours or more a week (in all jobs) and those who, although usually working less than 35 hours a week, worked 35 hours or more during the reference week.

Employed part-time

Employed persons who usually worked less than 35 hours a week (in all jobs) and either did so during the reference week, or were not at work in the reference week.

Enrolled

Refers to persons registered for a course of study in the particular reference period (e.g. survey month, or previous calendar year) at an educational institution (as defined).

Field not determined

Field not determined includes inadequately described responses or where no responses were given.

Field of education

Field of education is defined as the subject matter of an educational activity. It is categorised according to the Australian Standard Classification of Education, 2001 (cat. no. 1272.0) Field of education classification. This publication presents the main field of education studied.

Field of trade

Refers to the occupation of an apprentice and is classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), First Edition, 2006 (cat. no. 1220.0) Unit Group.

Formal Learning

Refers to learning which is structured, taught in institutions and organisations and leads to a recognised qualification issued by a relevant body, in recognition that a person has achieved learning outcomes or competencies relevant to identified individual, professional, industry or community needs. A learning activity is formal if it leads to a learning achievement that is possible to position within the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) and includes workplace training if such training results in a qualification.

Higher education institution

An Australian institution providing higher education courses, e.g. universities; colleges of advanced education; institutes of advanced education; institutes of higher education; institutes of tertiary education; agricultural colleges and some institutes of technology.

Industry

Industry data is classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (cat. no. 1292.0).

Leavers

Persons who were enrolled in a course of study for a qualification in the previous year, but were not enrolled in any course of study for a qualification at the time of the survey.

Level of education

Level of education is a function of the quality and quantity of learning involved in an educational activity. It is categorised according to the Australian Standard Classification of Education, 2001 (cat. no. 1272.0) Level of education classification.

Level of highest educational attainment

Level of highest educational attainment identifies the highest achievement a person has attained in any area of study. It is not a measurement of the relative importance of different fields of study but a ranking of qualifications and other educational attainments regardless of the particular area of study or the type of institution in which the study was undertaken. See paragraphs 20-22 of the Explanatory Notes for how highest level is derived.

Level not determined

Level not determined includes inadequately described responses or where no responses were given.

Marginal attachment to the labour force

People who were not in the labour force in the reference week, wanted to work and:

• were actively looking for work but did not meet the availability criteria to be classified as unemployed; or
• were not actively looking for work but were available to start work within four weeks.

The criteria for determining those in the labour force are based on activity (i.e. working or looking for work) and availability to start work during the reference week. The criteria associated with marginal attachment to the labour force, in particular the concepts of wanting to work and reasons for not actively looking for work, are more subjective. Hence, the measurement against these criteria is affected by the respondent’s own interpretation of the concepts used. An individual respondent’s interpretation may be affected by their work aspirations, as well as family, economic and other commitments.

Non-formal learning

Non-formal learning refers to structured taught learning, but differs from formal learning in that it does not lead to a qualification within the AQF. It includes non-accredited workplace training, that is, training that does not lead to a recognised qualification.

Some examples of types of non-formal courses include:

• Adult education courses (eg. introduction to computing)
• Hobby and recreation courses (eg. ceramics, jewellery making, dancing)
• Personal enrichment courses (eg. personal fiance, sport instruction, public speaking)
• Work-related courses (eg. manager development, job search training, induction courses)
• First aid courses
• Bridging courses
• Statement of attainment

Non-school educational institution

An educational institution, other than a secondary school. This includes higher education establishments, colleges of technical and further education, public and private colleges, etc. Institutions excluded are those whose primary role is not education.

Non-school qualification

Non-school qualifications are awarded for educational attainments other than those of pre-primary, primary or secondary education. They include qualifications at the Postgraduate Degree level, Master Degree level, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate level, Bachelor Degree level, Advanced Diploma and Diploma level, and Certificates I, II, III and IV levels. Non-school qualifications may be attained concurrently with school qualifications.

Not in labour force

Persons who were not in the categories ‘employed’ or ‘ unemployed’ (as defined).

Occupation

Occupation data is classified according to the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations, First Edition, 2006 (cat. no. 1220.0).

Other educational institution

Includes institutions or establishments that offer educational courses such as industry skills centres, professional or industry associations, equipment/product manufacturers or suppliers, and instances where insufficient information was available to determine the type of educational institution.

Qualification

Formal certification, issued by a relevant approved body, in recognition that a person has achieved an appropriate level of learning outcomes or competencies relevant to identified individual, professional, industry or community needs. Statements of attainment awarded for partial completion of a course of study at a particular level are excluded.

Reference week

The week preceding the week in which the interview was conducted.

School

An educational institution whose major activity is the provision of formal classes of primary or secondary education, or the provision of primary or secondary distance education.

School leavers

Persons aged 15-24 years who attended school in 2009 but were not attending school prior to the survey date in May 2010.

Study for a qualification

The reported level of education of any study being undertaken that will lead to formal certification, issued by a relevant approved body, in recognition that a person has achieved learning outcomes or competencies relevant to identified individual, professional, industry or community needs. In this survey, if the respondent was still attending school their level of study was recorded as their current year of schooling. If the respondent had left school and was enrolled in study for a qualification they were asked the level of the qualification.

TAFE

A Technical and Further Education institution. In Victoria this may also be interpreted as Training and Further Education.

Unemployed

Persons who were not employed during the reference week, and:

• had actively looked for full-time or part-time work at any time in the four weeks up to the end of the reference week and were available for work in the reference week; or
• were waiting to start a new job within four weeks from the end of the reference week and could have started in the reference week if the job had been available then.