Women in vocational education and training: An analysis of 1996 and 1999 data

Highlights

General

Over the last ten years, there has been a steady increase in the participation of women and men in vocational education and training (VET).

Over the three years from 1996 to 1999, the number of women undertaking a VET program increased by 28% while the number of men in VET grew by 20%. The annual growth rate for women in VET during this period was 8.5% while men's participation in VET increased by about 6.2% annually.

In 1996, there were 1.8 million course enrolments in vocational programs. In 1999, the total number of course enrolments increased to almost 2.0 million.

In 1996, women comprised 47.2% of all course enrolments while men represented 51.2% of all course enrolments. Similarly, women who undertook their studies in the VET sector during 1999 comprised 47.9% of all course enrolments while men represented 51.6% of all enrolments.

In 1996, the highest proportion of enrolments by women was 35-to-44-year olds (21.4%), while the highest proportion of enrolments by men was 15-to-19-year olds (22.7%). In 1999, the highest proportion of enrolments by women was in the 15-to-19-age group (20.5%) and women in the 35-to-44-age group (20.9%). The highest proportion of course enrolments by men who undertook their studies in the VET sector during 1999 was by 15-to-19-year olds (25.3%).

Fields of study

In 1996, proportionately more women than men were enrolled in the following fields of study:

• business, administration, economics (27.1% contrasted with 16.2% of male enrolments)
• arts, humanities and social sciences (10.9% contrasted with 5.0% of male enrolments)
• health, community services (11.1% contrasted with 4.4% of male enrolments)

Similarly, proportionately more women than men enrolled in the following fields of study in 1999:

• business, administration, economics (28.3% contrasted with 14.8% of male enrolments)
• arts, humanities and social sciences (9.9% contrasted with 4.9% of male enrolments)
• health, community services (12.6% contrasted with 5.1% of male enrolments)

In 1996, proportionately fewer women than men enrolled in the following fields of study:

• engineering, surveying (2.5% contrasted with 24.4% of male enrolments)
• land and marine resources, animal husbandry (2.7% contrasted with 7.1% of male enrolments)
• architecture, building (1.2% contrasted with 9.6% of male enrolments)

In 1999, proportionately fewer women than men enrolled in the following fields of study:

• engineering, surveying (3.2% contrasted with 23.6% of male enrolments)
• land and marine resources, animal husbandry (2.9% contrasted with 7.3% of male enrolments)
• architecture, building (1.1% contrasted with 8.7% of male enrolments)

In 1999, both women and men were more likely to be undertaking higher level courses than women and men in 1996. Proportionately fewer women and men enrolled in courses in the 'TAFE multi-field education' field of study in 1999 compared to 1996.

Qualifications

In 1996, proportionately more women enrolled in more non-award courses compared to men (20.5% contrasted with 14.2%). In 1999 however, there was very little variation in the proportion of women in non-award courses compared to men (24.3% contrasted with 21.7%).

In 1996, women enrolled in proportionately fewer trade certificate courses than men (0.8% contrasted with 8.6%). In 1999 however, 0.2% of enrolments by women were at the trade certificate level, while 3.0% of enrolments by men were at the trade certificate level. The difference in the proportion of men and women enrolling in courses at the trade certificate level in 1996 and 1999 could be due to the re-classification of the level of qualification in accordance with the Australian Qualifications Framework.

Areas of learning

In 1996, proportionately more women than men were enrolled in the following areas of learning:

• health sciences (11.2% contrasted with 5.1% of male enrolments)
• administration, business, economics, law (25.9% contrasted with 14.1% of male enrolments)
• hospitality, tourism, personal services (11.1% contrasted with 6.7% of male enrolments)
• social, educational and employment (13.3% contrasted with 9.5% of male enrolments)

In 1999, proportionately more women than men were enrolled in the following areas of learning:

• health sciences (13.4% contrasted with 7.0% of male enrolments)
• administration, business, economics, law (25.6% contrasted with 15.7% of male enrolments)
• hospitality, tourism, personal services (11.2% contrasted with 7.5% of male enrolments)
• social, educational and employment (13.4% contrasted with 10.2% of male enrolments)

In 1996, proportionately fewer women than men were enrolled in 'engineering, surveying' (2.8% contrasted with 23.8% of male enrolments). Similarly, 2.4% of enrolments by women were in the 'engineering surveying' area of learning, while 19.2% of enrolments by men were in this area of learning.

Similar to women who undertook their studies in 1996, women who were undertaking their VET course during 1999 primarily enrolled in the 'administration, business, economics, law' area of learning. Nevertheless, women in the 35-to-44-age group represented the highest proportion of 1996 enrolments (29.3%) in this area of learning, while women in the 15-to-29 age group comprised the highest proportion of enrolments in this area of learning during 1999.

Although enrolments by women in the 'hospitality, tourism and personal services' area of learning decreased with age in 1996 and 1999, there was a larger proportion of enrolments by 15-to-19 year olds in this area of learning in 1996 (21.2% contrasted with 17.7% of enrolments in 1999). There was a smaller proportion of enrolments by 50-to-64-year olds in this area of learning in 1996 than in 1999 (2.5% contrasted with 7.1% of enrolments in 1999).

Module outcomes

On the whole, there was very little variation in the outcomes achieved by men and women between 1996 and 1999.

Generally, there was a slightly higher proportion of modules completed by women than by men, while there was a slightly smaller proportion of modules which were not completed by women compared to men.

Men, on the other hand, had proportionately more recognition of prior learning and credit transfer than women during 1996 and 1999.

In 1996 and 1999, the likelihood of receiving a fail decreased with age, while the likelihood of completing module hours increased with age.

Employment outcomes

During May 1996 and May 1999, women TAFE graduates were more likely to be employed on a part-time basis, while men TAFE graduates were more likely to be employed full-time.

During May 1996, over a quarter of women TAFE graduates were employed on a part-time basis compared to 10% of men. About 34.5% of women TAFE graduates were employed full-time, while 63.4% of men TAFE graduates were employed full-time.

During May 1999, women TAFE graduates were more likely to work part-time (24.7% contrasted with 9.4% of men TAFE graduates working part-time). Men TAFE graduates, on the other hand, were more likely to work full-time than women TAFE graduates (56.5% contrasted with 30.9% of women TAFE graduates).