Employers increase use of VET system

With Australia exiting the Covid-19 pandemic and manufacturing growing, there is evidence manufacturers are increasing their reliance on the VET training system.

A new report shows an increase in the proportion of employers using the VET system, increasing 5.7 percentage points from 2019 to 2021, with 56.6 per cent of Australian employers engaged with accredited training in 2021.

The report Employers’ Use and Views of the VET System is of a survey which included questions about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on training needs.

The report by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) found a total of 44.0 per cent of employers reported having new training requirements, with the most commonly cited reason being to ‘effectively and safely operate in the Covid environment’.

This was cited by 83.6 per cent of VET users.

The survey also found:

• 40.2 per cent of employers had jobs that require vocational qualifications, up 6.0 percentage points from 2019
• 27.4 per cent of employers had apprentices and trainees, up 4.2 percentage points from 2019
• And 27.1 per cent of employers arranged or provided their employees with nationally recognised training other than through apprenticeships and traineeships, up 7.2 percentage points from 2019.

This biennial survey collects information on the various ways employers meet their skill needs. Through accredited training this may include hiring staff with vocational qualifications, employing apprentices and trainees, or providing staff with other nationally recognised training.

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