Victoria’s TAFE dropout epidemic: Two-in-three quit before getting a qualification

Two out of three people who enrolled in a government-funded TAFE course in Victoria between 2015 and 2017 quit before completing a course.

Victorian vocational education drop out rates are the highest in the country.

In 2017, fewer than eight per cent of TAFE students studying certificate I qualifications completed their course.

Bruce Mackenzie, vocational education expert and founder of the Mackenzie Research Centre at Holmesglen TAFE, said drop a lack of foundation skills is to blame.

“Often the students are dropping out because they just don’t have the literacy and numeracy skills to complete a tertiary qualification, and that’s a problem,” he told 3AW’s Ross and John.

“In vocational education and training we have more disadvantaged students than in the university sector, but in the university sector the similar students who are disadvantaged will also probably drop out of university.”

The worst TAFE completion rates are for foundation skills courses, such a literacy and social skills.

Science and education courses have the highest completion rates.

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