According to the Australian newspaper, the Australian Technology Foundation (Skilling Australia Foundation) has conducted a survey: what value can students spend more time and money in pursuing higher education? The results showed that TAFE and private college students were paid more and had better job prospects than those with degrees.
According to the study, employees with certificates and diplomas from Australian vocational education and training institutions start at A $55,999, a $2,000 higher than college graduates, and they are more likely to find jobs.
Researcher McClint (Mark MacCrindle) said: "misunderstandings about career income, employability and curriculum relevance have led to a custom that only a college certificate can guarantee a future career."
The study, published today, said graduates of vocational education and training colleges could get up to A $85,399 in starting pay if they were qualified to work in hazardous electricity. Higher than college graduates` highest-paid starting salary for dentists (A $80, 000).
Wyman (Nicholas Wyman), chairman of the Australian Technology Foundation, said the report would shock parents because "about 80 percent of parents want their children to go to college, but that`s not necessarily the best choice for their children."
Van Poulot, 19, who has just graduated from high school, is studying for a third-tier degree in light vehicle mechanics at TAFE, Sydney, in a direction that will give him an apprenticeship at Benz. Van Poulot saw the value of vocational education and training. "I will try my best to get a certificate and when I get a professional qualification, there will be more possibilities for my future."
Van Poulot is studying for the TAFE Light vehicle Mechanical Technology Tier III Certificate and apprenticeship at Benz. (photo by Australian newspaper)
As soon as he graduated from high school, his two best friends got a job as a mechanic in the auto industry, he said. "unemployment or inappropriate employment has had little impact on me and many of my friends. If I work hard enough, I can do a good job at Benz again. "
The study found that because vocational education and training took only six months to two years to qualify, college degrees took three to four years. As a result, vocational education and training graduates are able to enter the labour market more quickly. 80% of vocational and technical education students are employed immediately after graduation, compared with 70% of college graduates.
Since 2000, Australia`s population has grown by 28% and college attendance by 85% to 1.3 million. Another survey showed that the proportion of college students still looking for jobs four months after graduation rose to 30 percent from 20 percent before the global economic crisis.
The report says 90 percent of jobs will grow at the fastest pace in the next few years, such as sales assistants, elderly and child care and waiters, which means that the industry needs more vocational and technical training.
