CIT Helps Push the Learning Curve Up

Last week's Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council report findings suggest long-term Australian skills targets may not be met, however some comfort can be found in that the ACT is helping to push the vocational and educational training (VET) curve in the right direction for success.

COAG's Skills and Workforce Development 2010 report found that the proportion of Australians aged 24 - 60 years with a qualification at Certificate III level or above rose from 51.9% in 2008 to 54.6% in 2010. However, in the corresponding period the ACT's rates rose from 62% to 66.1%.

Also, the 2010 percentage of students completing diploma and advanced diploma-qualifications in the ACT was 17.9%, compared with 13.7% nationally. Likewise the ACT proportion of VET graduates employed after training 88.7%, much higher than the national average of 76.3%.

CIT Chief Executive Adrian Marron said the overall superior VET figures for the ACT underlines the importance of CIT's role in tertiary education in the ACT.

"CIT is the biggest VET provider in the ACT, and our research shows that the majority of students who enrol at CIT are not school leavers," Mr Marron said.

"Most of our enrolling students are adults, and many study part-time."

"Our students have returned to study because they have learnt for themselves that VET qualifications are the accessible education solution for a rewarding working career."

"Likewise the real-life working skills obtained through VET study is reflected in the high take-up of VET graduates in the ACT."

"CIT helps some 22,000 students each year, and with statistics like those in the recent COAG Reform Council we can be assured that CIT is doing things right, both for our students and for the nation's economy."