Australia : Enhancing the retention of young people to Year 12, especially through vocational skills

In late 2008, the Australian College of Educators (ACE) commissioned the Work-based Education Research Centre at Victoria University to undertake a research project entitled Enhancing retention of young people to year 12, especially through vocational skills. The broad aim of the project was to examine the factors that contribute to the retention, completion and transition of 15 to 19 year olds, especially through vocational education and training programs, and within different educational contexts.

This study suggests that in implementing vocational programs consideration needs to be given to the context in which programs are to be offered and the specific needs of different cohorts of young people, which should be the determinants for how vocational skills are developed.

Diversity is important and should be maintained. There is considerable potential in all of these programs to facilitate retention. Therefore no one program structure or funding approach should be universally applied.

Effective vocational programs:

• involve the provision of quality information to students and other stakeholders;
• they identify specific students needs
• the teaching approaches adopted place emphasis upon the individual negotiating learning in a flexible and tailored way
• The curriculum is designed to be relevant and practical – developing vocational and foundation skills in an integrated manner.

When well delivered and supported, vocational programs allow young people to gain nationally-recognised qualifications, provide work-related experience, career advice and a level of work readiness that stands them in good stead to take up opportunities to move into further study or work on completion of their program.

Moreover, these programs provide individuals with the opportunity to imagine a future that they may not have previously envisioned.

Impediments to the success of vocational programs identified through the research included the perceptions held by some students, careers counsellors, teachers and parents about the status and value of VET especially when the logistics required to coordinate timetables, work experience, work placements and formal study in the busy lives of students were often difficult to manage. Further hindrances related to the costs associated with supporting students with high needs and the disparate funding models that are applied in schools and TAFEs for the various programs. Finally, the lack of a standardised approach to data collection for vocational programs for young people, a reluctance or inability to share data between organisation or the capacity to track students from one system to another were also seen to get in the way of determining the true extent of student success.

Outcomes for students in vocational programs are substantially enhanced by the development of collaborative activities and close working relationships with other training providers, schools, community agencies and importantly, employers and industry.

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