Is there a VET Completion Gap for Students from Disadvantaged Groups and, if so, why?

Description and objectives of the research

Education and training are recognised as crucial elements for the creation and the support of an inclusive society. Education is key to reducing the effects of disadvantage and to improving the chances of successful transitions from school to work for individuals that face different types of social barriers. The vocational education and training (VET) system is particularly important in this respect given the numbers of disadvantaged young people that enrol in VET each year.

Existing studies have highlighted the existence of qualification completion gaps for individuals with a disability. These contributions can be seen as a starting point for a wider analysis on the effects of social disadvantages on completion of VET courses. The first aim of this project is the identification of any completion gaps for students affected by a wider profile of disadvantages. We will then assess the magnitude of the effects of these disadvantages on the likelihood of VET completion, and the extent to which they can be explained by other observable differences between disadvantaged young people and other young people. We will then explore the extent to which such completion gaps contribute to subsequent employment gaps among young people moving from VET into the labour market.

 

Contact: The Melbourne Institute contact for this project is Dr Domenico Tabasso

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