Research shows employers continue to invest in training

A recent report by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) shows an increase in employers’ use of training in their businesses.

National results show 56.6 per cent of Australian employers engaged with accredited training through the vocational education and training (VET) system in 2021, which was up 5.7 percentage points from 2019.

The report found that in Queensland 31.7 per cent of employers indicated they expect to increase the amount of accredited and/or non-accredited training the organisation will provide in the next 12 months. Additionally, the report found the level of employer engagement with VET was even higher in Queensland with 59.3 per cent of employers within the state using accredited training, up from 53.2 per cent in 2019.

TAFE Queensland’s head of commercial business, Mr Robert Petherbridge, said the report reinforces the impact of COVID-19 on business training needs with 44.0 per cent of national employers having new training requirements due to the pandemic, specifically in areas of health and safety including infection control.

“The pandemic has been challenging to individuals and businesses alike, and training is an important part of our recovery. There is new knowledge and skills we need to give people about working with COVID, and from that perspective it’s important to business. Training also creates purpose and focus, and learning new things is enriching,” said Mr Petherbridge.

“Non-accredited training also continues to be a popular choice. Employers are choosing it both for its ability to be tailored to their needs and how cost effective it can be."

“Non-accredited training can be very flexible. Programs can be built around very specific needs and we frequently work with employers to design short and long-term programs."

“It’s great to see that businesses are investing in training. It really does pay dividends and skilled employees help your bottom-line,” he said.

NCVER’s biennial survey of Australian employers collects information on the various ways employers meet their skill needs. A total of 5615 employers from small, medium and large size businesses participated in the survey, including 956 from Queensland.

The full Employers’ use and views of the VET system 2021 report is available on the NCVER website.