A new discussion paper released by the South West Local Learning and Employment Network shows the importance of VET training to the Great South Coast region and calls for a rethink in community attitudes towards the practical training system.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) offers workplace-specific skills and knowledge in a wide array of occupation and highly skilled trades.

South West LLEN senior partnership broker Helen Bayne, who prepared the paper, said there was an unfortunate perception that young people seeking a vocational qualification over a university qualification had lower levels of intellectual competence.

"Compared with university, VET is often considered the poor second cousin by some career counsellors and more significantly parents," she said.

"There has been an increase in university graduates but this has not been matched by an increase in university graduate jobs, meaning we have an oversupply of university graduates which is more pronounced in some study areas compared to others.

"This means that some graduates are more likely to work in occupations that do not utilise their skillset and they are saddled with a HECS debt for their education."

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The discussion paper is part of a series being prepared to provide an understanding of why and how labour market outcomes for young Australians have changed, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previous papers have highlighted that young people, women, Indigenous people and the lowest paid are likely to be most affected in this region by the pandemic.

The new discussion paper shows that south-west Victoria has a good supply of workers with VET qualifications; 38 per cent compared to 31 per cent across Victoria and Australia.

Close to 80 per cent of VET graduates are employed within six months after training.

Mrs Bayne said an increasing number of workers in Australia's labour market had a university qualification, rising from 16 per cent in 1996 to 32 per cent in 2019. However, the growth in university qualified workers has not been matched with a greater demand for higher level occupations in the labour market.

"Today it is taking longer for university graduates to find full-time employment within four months of completion of their course. In 2018, 72.9 per cent of bachelor degree graduates were employed full-time after graduation compared to 85.2 per cent in 2008."

On average, 77.3 per cent of VET graduates are employed within six months after training, with variations across courses.

In 2019, 17 per cent of the Great South Coast's workforce had a university qualification, just slightly higher than the average rate for Australia back in 1996.

The discussion paper also raises concerns about decreasing full-time jobs. "Today's workforce is made up of workers having multiple part-time and casual jobs - with more than half of new jobs created since the 1990s being in roles that are part-time, temporary or self-employed," Mrs Bayne said.

"Young workers seeking multiple jobs are more likely to be employed by the gig economy," she said. "This means they do not receive basic work entitlements such as superannuation and workers compensation, and are more vulnerable to sham contracting and vicarious work practices adopted by some gig economy entrepreneurs."

The discussion papers are designed for people and organisations interested in understanding successful pathways from secondary school to further education and the labour market.

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