As year ten students across Australia finish the school year and mentally prepare to begin their HSC in 2025, some are choosing to swap secondary school for other options, including studying a trade or undertaking vocational training.
For many parents and teachers, though, the idea of young people leaving mainstream school ‘early’ can cause concern, despite a growing range of quality, post-school options on offer.
But is leaving high school without a final qualification still a big deal?
According to Associate Professor Garth Stahl, an expert in the impact of education and mobility at the University of Queensland, it depends on which demographic of parents you ask.
“Leaving school early can be viewed quite differently by middle-class parents, who often associate it with the stigma of potentially slipping down the social mobility ladder,” he says.
Interestingly, he found working-class families were more comfortable with their child leaving school.
“As long as their child had a clear plan involving paid work, study, or training, they often saw it as a more practical choice,” Stahl says.
“Many working-class parents consider trades to be a safer, less risky option than university, where students can accumulate a HECS debt and still struggle to find work.”
Class anxieties and stigma aside, as recently as 2022, the majority of students in Queensland remained in school until completion. In that year, more than 113,000 students in the state were enrolled in Years 10, 11, and 12, with 13,000 leaving early. Of those, 35 per cent continued in education or training, with 83 per cent balancing study and paid work.
Stahl says that recent investments in TAFE and RTOs are tapping into the knowledge economy, providing modern skills that lead to valuable qualifications.
“Continued investment is essential because the work these education providers do is integral to both social mobility and the ‘fair go’ attitude that Australian culture has been built on.”
Overhauling vocational education offers more opportunities
The Federal Government recently invested $22 million to overhaul TAFE, along with regulating the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) industry.
For providers like Demi International, a Queensland-based RTO with six campuses, offering beauty and hair courses, CEO Kylie Fahey says enrolments continue to increase and that their 90 per cent graduation rate is proof that pathways work.
“Take for example, a 16-year-old can start a diploma in beauty and become fully qualified in eighteen months, earning a starting salary around $60,000,” Fahey says.
“In fact, many of our school leavers or VET students, are ready to open their own salon by the time they turn 18.”
There is also the option to complete a VET program – a hybrid of traditional school and one day a week of on-site training site, where these students graduate with both a QCE and a vocational qualification.
Child Psychologist, Dr. Nicole Carvil says the priority should be around helping teenagers make an informed decision for their future- even if that means closing the books earlier than their parents might prefer.
“With the right tools and support, teenagers can make empowered choices about their future,” she says, “Keep in mind, students can always return to finish Years 11 and 12 if they choose and even take up university down the track as a mature-age student.”
