Accessing VET data

About

The National VET Data Policy (2018) governs access to data in the national vocational education and training (VET) administrative collections and surveys, for which NCVER is the data custodian on behalf of the state, territory and Commonwealth governments.

Part C of this Policy addresses the use of VET data and:

• describes the processes for accessing VET Data held by NCVER
• ensures the processes used to access VET Data are transparent and publicly available
• explains how access to VET Data is consistent with the protection of an individual’s privacy (in line with the Privacy Act)
• sets out the requirements for disclosure of USIs by the Student Identifier’s Registrar for the purposes of research.

Further information can be found on the Australian Government, Department of Education, Skills and Employment website

NCVER policies

The policies specific to NCVER relating to privacy, data quality, data access and data resubmission are provided below:

Privacy policy

Data quality policy

Data quality principles

Data access and charges

Data resubmission policy

Accessing VET data and data requests

NCVER has a number of data products and services which may meet your data needs. Additionally, we may be able to provide customised data, such as aggregated unpublished data, or statistical services to meet requirements not met by reports and data products published on the Portal.

Further information can be found in VET statistics explained

Or you can contact NCVER about your specific data requests via our Client support team:

Phone: 1800 649 452 or 08 8230 8400

Email: support@ncver.edu.au

Accessing unit record data

NCVER will, under strict terms and conditions, allow access to files of VET unit records. This includes, but is not limited to, unit record data from the Student Outcomes Survey, the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection and the VET Provider Collection. These files are de-identified (encrypted) prior to being provided and are known as de-identified URFs (unit record files).

To gain access to a de-identified URF, an application is required to be completed. The application form can be downloaded from here.

Registered Training Organisation (RTO) data:

Access to identified RTO data is restricted to the Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments responsible for VET and VET Regulators. However, researchers and organisations may apply to the VET Data Access Committee (VDAC) for such data.

To gain, or apply to VDAC for access to identified RTO data please email surveys_req@ncver.edu.au for surveys data or to vet_req@ncver.edu.au for administration collections.

2020 VDAC Meetings:

• Tuesday 25 February (submission required by C.O.B 10 February)
• Tuesday 26 May (submission required by C.O.B 11 May)
• Tuesday 25 August (submission required by C.O.B 10 August)
• Tuesday 24 November (submission required by C.O.B 9 November)

Unique Student Identifier (USI) data:

NCVER can only disclose USI data to the following recipients, after VDAC approval:

• Government departments dealing with matters related to VET
• other VET related bodies
• an Entity specified by the Student Identifiers Registrar to be a VET related body
• the SI Registrar
• an RTO/former RTO
• a Law Enforcement body.

Requests by researchers and non-government organisations for a USI should be referred to the USI Registrar’s Office (www.usi.gov.au) as NCVER is not authorised to disclose a USI to these entities.