Sat, 04 Mar 2006 04:12:36 GMT

Non-Apprenticeship VET Profitable Path for School Leavers. Non-apprenticeship vocational training provides a successful pathway from school to further education for young people from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, a new report from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) argues. The report, Non-Apprenticeship VET Courses: Participation, Persistence and Subsequent Pathways, suggests one in five Australians commence a non-apprenticeship vocational course by age 19; by 20 around 60% complete it and 14% are still enrolled, although just under one quarter discontinue. The study’s analysis of a sample of data from ACER’s Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth also indicates students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are not disadvantaged in terms of course progress. [Vocational Education &Training Headlines]