NCVER News | 19 December 2013
Mid-level qualifications currently provide weak links to the labour market, except when they are related to licensing requirements or regulations.
This progress report in a three-year program of research – Vocations: the link between post-compulsory education and the labour market – looks specifically at mid-level qualifications, such as diplomas, advanced diplomas and associate degrees, and how they assist entry to and progression in the labour market.
Key messages
At a time when the vocational education and training (VET) sector is designing entitlement models and introducing contestability to improve the outcomes of learning, this report identifies a number of key issues.
- Generally, there is a weak link between education and work for students in most mid-level qualifications and fields of education. The exceptions are in occupations where there are licensing requirements or strong regulations.
- Employment outcomes for graduates improve as the level of study increases from certificate I to certificate III. However, only 37% of graduates obtain employment in their field of education, although this result does differ by field.
- Mid-level qualifications have three main roles, either as a labour market qualification (entry or upgrade), a transition to a higher-level qualification, or to widen access to higher-level qualifications.
- Training institutions could play a vital role in constructing and offering qualifications differently to suit the purpose they serve.
- Improving outcomes requires encouraging industry bodies and intermediaries to focus on improving the relationship between work and education.
