Why do students leave? Leaving vocational education and training with no recorded achievement

• Students who are 'true' non-completers of any subject are more likely to be unemployed and to have a Year 10 or less level of previous education. Vocational education and training (VET) institutions need to offer greater support to these students in particular.

• The major reasons for leaving were the perceived poor quality of the teaching staff, the content of the course not matching students' needs and the course not being able to fit into the demands of their job.

• There needs to be greater segmentation in how courses are marketed, promoted, delivered and assessed, especially distinguishing between students who enrol for 'interest' as opposed to students who want the qualification, or those who enrol to gain a specific skill rather than a full qualification.

• VET providers and the national students collection need to introduce more effective data-tracking mechanisms to describe the movements of their students in and out of institutions, and across institutions and qualifications. Until then, we will be unsure of the true levels of students who leave with no recorded achievement in the VET sector.

The research investigated the characteristics and motivations of vocational education and training (VET) students who do not complete any of the subjects they enrol in. The project interviewed students with no recorded achievement, spoke to technical and further education (TAFE) teachers and administrators about this issue, and also through a questionnaire survey gained the opinions of Queensland students who were identified as having no recorded achievement. In addition, the Queensland and national student databases were examined to determine the defining characteristics of students with no recorded achievement.

Initially, student and teacher interviews confirmed the findings of a review of the literature—that a complex set of institutional, social and personal factors determine non-completions. In the interviews, students attributed their non-completion to the inflexibility of their course, in that family or work commitments made it difficult to complete their training. They were especially critical of the lack of night-time or weekend classes that would have allowed them to better match competing work, family and study commitments. Some courses were perceived to be too advanced for the 'at risk' students—particularly those students who enter TAFE with Year 10 or less education. Both students and teachers identified the cost of courses as another cause for non-completions.

Analyses of the Queensland and national databases examined the enrolment and completion history of students over time in order to explore further the real level of no recorded achievement. Using an identification code that allowed the tracking of students between 2000 and 2003, along with additional data, the percentage estimates of students with no recorded achievement declined from initial estimates of 10% of the Queensland TAFE population to 4%. Therefore, when followed over time, quite a number of these students actually completed their training in the following year.

Analyses of the Queensland and national databases also revealed that students with no recorded achievement were more likely than TAFE students as a whole to be unemployed while at TAFE, and to have Year 10 or less as their highest prior education level. These data also showed that many students with no recorded achievement had only enrolled in one module/unit of competency. In addition, 32% of students in the non-completer population had been enrolled in one module/unit of competency only during 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 (up to the time of the research). This percentage rose to 47% for those enrolled in two modules, and 58% for those who had enrolled in three modules.

A total of 508 students completed a survey questionnaire which examined in more detail the motivations for students enrolling and for not completing. A third of those replying had completed only up to Year 10 education, and the most frequent age for those replying was 18 years. On average, they left the uncompleted course after eight weeks. About 40% of students chose to do the course for interest or personal reasons, and others did the course to gain extra skills, to get a job or to try a different career. The major reasons for leaving the course were the perceived poor quality of the teaching staff, the content of the course not matching their needs, and the course not being able to fit into the demands of their job.

Final follow-up interviews with a small sample of students with no recorded achievement confirmed the role of these factors in studentsí decisions not to continue. In both the survey and interviews, students reported that they would return to their TAFE studies if the quality of teachers, and the flexibility and content of courses were improved.

The findings present strategies to identify in more detail the nature and extent of the problem of students leaving vocational education and training with no recorded achievement, and how to manage their needs more effectively. In an environment emphasising the importance of lifelong learning, practitioners and policy-makers need to put forward a clearer definition of what is meant by 'no recorded achievement'í. In addition, there is a need to track the enrolment history and progress of students, as a number do return to complete their training.

Although there are obviously variations in the levels of no recorded achievement between the states and territories, this did not constitute a primary focus of this study and requires more intensive data analysis and investigation.

It is important that institutions acknowledge students' perceptions of inflexible courses and poor-quality teachers. Students were very critical of the perceived lack of flexibility of courses in their content and times of delivery in relation to the demands of students and their jobs. Employed students require access to blended modes of delivery, portfolio assessment and work-based assessment. Institutions need to reduce the mismatch between student expectations and course demands. While students were happy with the amount of general information they received, more detailed information is needed about specific courses, including their content, modes of delivery, levels of assessment and levels of required skills. Teachers felt improvements in this area were possible and that students, during the selection and orientation process, could be given additional support and tuition.