Employers across the nation will be contacted in the coming weeks to find out how they train their staff, and how effective this training is at meeting their skill needs.
The ninth survey of employers’ use and views of the VET system, managed by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), aims to collect the views of up to 9000 employers between now and June this year.
Employers can engage in the VET system in three ways: having apprentices and trainees; using nationally recognised training and; jobs that require vocational qualifications.
The survey, first conducted in its current form in 2005, covers training undertaken in the previous 12 months and provides information at both national and state levels, as well as by industry and business size.
New this year will be questions about the impact of COVID-19 on the way employers have trained their staff and their future training plans.
The results of this year’s survey will be published in late 2021, according to NVECR managing director, Simon Walker.
He said around one third of employers have jobs requiring vocational qualifications and a further fifth employ apprentices and trainees.
“We urge employers to have their say. The survey only takes 10 minutes to complete and this is your opportunity to help inform policy and shape future training outcomes for employers,” Walker said.
“It is essential we hear from a wide range of employers too, to ensure we get a clearer picture of what’s happening in workplaces across all industries in Australia.
“We are interested in both why employers are providing training to their staff as well as why they are not.”
In 2019, NVECR survey results found around half of employers use the nationally accredited VET system, and around 72 per cent are satisfied that vocational qualifications give employees the skills required for their job.
To find out more about what information the survey collects and to view data from previous years, visit the NCVER Portal.
The survey of employers' use and views of the VET system is a biennial survey conducted on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments, with funding provided through the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.