VET slumps during Covid restrictions

The vocational education sector has slumped further during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new figures from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).

According to NCVER in 2020, 3.9 million students were enrolled in nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET), down 6.4 per cent from 2019.

An estimated 21.7 per cent of the Australian resident population aged 15 to 64 years participated in nationally recognised training in the year.

Participation was highest among those aged 15 to 19 years – at 41.2 per cent – followed by those aged 20 to 24 years – at 30.6 per cent.

The number enrolled in shorter, stand-alone subjects also decreased in 2020 after rising steadily over the past several years.

Compared to 2019:

• Full-year training equivalents (FYTEs) decreased by 5.9 per cent to 1.0 million
• Students enrolled in nationally recognised programs decreased by 2.4 per cent to 2.1 million
• And students enrolled in subjects not delivered as part of a nationally recognised program decreased by 9.9 per cent to 2.4 million.

The fall came as the number of government-funded students increased by 4.3 per cent to 1.3 million and domestic fee-for-service students decreased by 10.4 per cent to 2.8 million.

International fee-for-service students decreased by 1.2 per cent to 222,500.

Images: NCVER

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