Does VET in schools help or hinder access to higher education?

Description and objectives of the research

In countries where the focus of upper-secondary education is on general education, such as in Australia, Canada and the United States, vocational education and training programs were introduced into the curriculum to keep less academically orientated youth in school and to improve their post-school pathways into further study or work. However, because they are designed for less academically capable students and because of the strong emphasis on preparation for university in these countries, school vocational programs are often stigmatised (OECD 2000).

In Australia, policy makers over the last decade have attempted to remove the stigma and broaden the participation in vocational education and training (VET) in school courses by making most count toward nationally recognised qualifications. In particular, many 'higher level' courses (such as information technology, business, finance, engineering and electro-technology at certificate level III and above) count towards university entry. In response, there has been a large increase in the rate of participation, with over 95% of schools now offering upper-secondary VET courses and around 40% of all upper secondary students participating. Data from the 2003 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) shows that around a quarter of all upper-secondary students who take one or more VET-in-school courses intend to go to university. An important issue therefore is whether participation in these courses affects access to higher education.

 

Contact: The Melbourne Institute contact for this project is Dr Cain Polidano

Progress: This project commenced in June 2012 with a final report to be submitted to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in October 2013.