Government-funded training places are continuing to disappear, according to the latest data.

The number of people enrolled in government-funded training has declined 10.7 per cent to 1.6 million students in 2015 compared with 2014, according to the latest figures released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).

Government-funded students and courses in 2015 provide a snapshot of government-funded training activity, which is broadly defined as all training delivered by government providers and government-funded activity delivered by community education and other registered providers.

In terms of participation, one in ten people of working age (aged 15 to 64 years) undertook government-funded vocational education and training (VET) in Australia in 2015.

“While there have been state and territory increases and decreases in enrolments in government-funded training between 2011 and 2015, the overall national trend shows a decline with fewer enrolments last year than in 2011,” said Dr Craig Fowler, Managing Director, NCVER.

Of the 1.6 million students in government-funded training last year: 1.2 million were Commonwealth or state-funded students; and 373,100 were fee-for-service students at TAFE and other government providers where the training was paid for by the student or an employer.

Comparing 2015 with 2014, subject enrolments declined by 9.4 per cent to 14.4 million subjects and hours of delivery and full-year training equivalents both decreased by 13.7 per cent.

Of the students who undertook government-funded VET in 2015: 42.3 per cent were aged between 15 and 24 years; 52.7 per cent were male; and 82.1 per cent studied part-time.

Laurie Nowell
AMES Australia Senior Journalist