Aprovechamientos locales de los recursos naturales

VET-provider associate degrees 7 20 174 196 254 193

Total 458 1,014 1,304 1,749 2,154 2,602

Source: DIICCSRTE, Data Request, 2013.

VET-provider bachelor degrees

Compared with enrolment numbers, the representation of equity groups among students completing VET-provider bachelor degrees is lower. Table 4.25 in particular shows the extent to which these groups are under-represented.

Table 4.24: Equity group completions in VET-provider bachelor degrees, number

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Females 250 590 631 756 910 1,262 Low SES 49 73 75 158 221 207 NESB 5 <5 10 0 18 0 Indigenous 0 <5 0 <5 0 0 Regional 45 59 65 109 159 170 Remote 0 0 0 0 0 0 Disability 7 10 5 12 23 185

Women in Non-traditional Areas 5 31 62 102 145 212

Total Bachelor Degree completions 451 994 1,130 1,553 1,900 2,409

Source: DIICCSRTE, Data Request, 2013.

Table 4.25: Equity group completions in VET-provider bachelor degrees, per cent

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Females* 58.1% 60.5% 60.8% 52.1% 51.9% 55.1% Low SES** 10.9% 7.3% 6.6% 10.2% 11.6% 8.6% NESB 1.1% <5 0.9% 0.0% 0.9% 0.0% Indigenous <5 <5 0.0% <5 0.0% 0.0% Regional 10.0% 5.9% 5.8% 7.0% 8.4% 7.1% Remote 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Disability 1.6% 1.0% 0.4% 0.8% 1.2% 7.7%

Women in Non-traditional Areas 1.1% 3.1% 5.5% 6.6% 7.6% 8.8%

Source: DIICCSRTE, Data Request, 2013. *Females calculated as a % of known males and females, not total completions; total of males + females can equal more than total number of students due to some data suppressed (<5) or not published. **Other equity groups calculated as a % of total number of reported students

As an example of the inequities of enrolment and completion of equity groups, low SES constitutes 25% of the population but individuals in this category accounted for around 15% of bachelor degree enrolments in 2006-2011, and 6-11% of completions (see Table 4.26).

Similarly, the reference value for students with a disability is 8%, but they constitute less than 4% of students in 2006-2010, and less than 2% of completions (although 2011 showed a significant improvement). A similar pattern is evident for students from remote areas (see Table 4.26).

Table 4.26: Comparison of VET-provider bachelor degree students by select equity groups

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

LOW SES (Reference value 25%)

Enrolment 15.2% 14.3% 15.9% 15.4% 15.3% 13.9%

Completion 10.9% 7.3% 6.6% 10.2% 11.6% 8.6%

DISABILITY (Reference value 8%)

Enrolment 2.7% 2.6% 2.3% 2.9% 3.3% 8.1%

Completion 1.6% 1.0% 0.4% 0.8% 1.2% 7.7%

REGIONAL (Reference value 23.3%)

Enrolment 12.7% 12.2% 13.9% 13.6% 12.9% 12.1%

Completion 10.0% 5.9% 5.8% 7.0% 8.4% 7.1%

Source: DIICCSRTE, Data Request, 2013.

A further indicator of the equity issues in VET-provider bachelor degrees is the comparison with university completions shown in Table 4.27. This Table shows that the under- representation among completing VET-provider bachelor degree students for each equity group is even greater than is the case for their university peers. VET-provider bachelor degree students from all equity groups complete at lower rates than their university peers, with virtually no Indigenous students or students from NESB or remote backgrounds completing VET-provider bachelor degrees.

Table 4.27: Comparison of VET-provider and university student completions, bachelor degree

Bachelor degree (pass & honours) % 2009 2010 2011 VET Uni VET Uni VET Uni Low SES 10.2% 14.6% 11.6% 14.7% 8.6% 14.9% NESB 0.0% 2.7% 0.9% 2.7% 0.0% 2.8% Indigenous <5 0.8% 0.0% 0.8% 0.0% 0.8% Regional 7.0% 17.3% 8.4% 17.0% 7.1% 17.0% Remote 0.0% 0.7% 0.0% 0.7% 0.0% 0.7% Disability 0.8% 4.1% 1.2% 4.2% 7.7% 4.3%

Source: DIICCSRTE, Data Request, 2013

VET-provider associate degrees

Similarly, Tables 4.28 and 4.29 below show that very few VET-provider associate degree students from equity groups complete their award. In most cases there were either no students or less than five completing students between 2006 and 2011. However, women appear to be doing well, constituting approximately half of all those who do complete.

Table 4.28: Equity group completions in VET-provider associate degrees, number 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Females np <5 90 86 102 87 Low SES 0 0 5 14 6 13 NESB 0 0 <5 <5 5 <5 Indigenous 0 0 0 0 <5 0 Regional 0 <5 6 <5 <5 <5 Remote 0 0 0 0 0 <5 Disability 0 0 <5 <5 <5 <5

Women in Non-traditional Areas 0 8 35 30 50 54

Total Associate Degree completions 7 20 174 196 254 193

Source: DIICCSRTE, Data Request, 2013.

Table 4.29: Equity group completions in VET-provider associate degrees, per cent

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Females* np <5 58.1% 50.3% 48.3% 52.7% Low SES 0.0% 0.0% 2.9% 7.1% 2.4% 6.7% NESB 0.0% 0.0% <5 <5 2.0% <5 Indigenous 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% <5 0.0% Regional 0.0% <5 3.4% <5 <5 <5 Remote 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% <5 Disability 0.0% 0.0% <5 <5 <5 <5

Women in Non-traditional Areas 0.0% 40.0% 20.1% 15.3% 19.7% 28.0%

Source: DIICCSRTE, Data Request, 2013. *calculated as a % of known males and females, not total completions

As Table 4.19 above indicates, there is a marked difference in the representation of equity groups enrolled in associate degrees at VET providers and universities. Students from low SES and regional backgrounds are over-represented in universities in associate degrees (around 27% and 33% respectively) and at significantly higher rates than their peers enrolled with VET providers. This differentiation is also evident in the proportions of students in equity groups completing their associate degrees, as Table 4.30 below shows.

The most significant difference between associate degree completions at VET providers and universities is again for students from regional and low SES backgrounds, with approximately one-quarter of student completions in universities coming from either of these two groups. By contrast, for VET providers, students from low SES backgrounds comprised 2-7% of completions in 2009-2011, while there are insufficient students from regional background to calculate a completion rate. Similarly, almost every other equity group in every year (with the exception of NESB students in 2010) were not represented at all or were represented in very small numbers (<5) among completing VET-provider associate degree students. To put this more starkly, virtually no students with a disability, from remote areas, with an Indigenous background, and very few students of non-English speaking backgrounds were awarded a VET-provider associate degree between 2009 and 2011.

Part of this low completion rate can be explained by low numbers of students from these groups enrolling in VET-provider associate degrees (see Table 4.16), which in itself is an equity concern. Given that between 6 and 14 students from non-English speaking backgrounds were enrolled in VET-provider associate degrees between 2007 and 2011 (Table 4.16), it might be expected that some of these students would complete their award. However this is not the case and the acute absence of these students in the completion figures highlights equity issues for this group in particular.

Table 4.30 illustrates the stark difference in completion rates between VET-provider and university associate degree students. In most cases there are insufficient completing VET- provider students (i.e. <5) to calculate a per centage. VET-provider associate degree students from low SES backgrounds complete at very low rates compared with their university peers (the latter figure is relatively high – around 25% – an important finding in itself).

Table 4.30: Comparison of VET-provider and university completions, associate degree

Associate degree % 2009 2010 2011

VET Uni VET Uni VET Uni Low SES 7.1% 25.1% 2.4% 23.6% 6.7% 24.6% NESB <5 1.2% 2.0% 1.1% <5 1.6% Indigenous 0.0% 2.9% <5 2.9% 0.0% 3.8% Regional <5 26.0% <5 25.4% <5 29.3% Remote 0.0% 1.5% 0.0% 2.0% <5 1.8% Disability <5 3.1% <5 3.1% <5 4.2%

Source: DIICCSRTE, Data Request, 2013

Fields of Study

As would be expected, completions of both VET-provider associate and bachelor degrees are in the same fields of study as enrolments. However, when compared with student enrolments, award completions are very low. For example the number of completions in Society and Culture VET-provider bachelor degrees across the 2006-2011 period is approximately one-tenth of the enrolment numbers.

It would be instructive to tease out these completion data by equity group and field of study in greater detail as per Tables 4.25 and 4.26 above. However as illustrated by Tables 4.32 and 4.33 below, the number of students completing VET-provider associate or bachelor degrees is quite low, and further disaggregation by equity group and field of study results in even lower figures, which is problematic for meaningful analysis. When dealing with such low student numbers, the incidence of suppressed data (<5) and data not published becomes more frequent and has a more significant impact on the calculation of completion rates. Thus these calculations are of questionable value and meaning for this report. Again, it is important to note that, overall, completion is very low and almost non-existent for students in some equity groups.

Table 4.31: VET-provider bachelor degree completions by field of study

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011