The VET versus university debate has been dominated by education providers arguing the benefit of ‘their’ pathway. As a simple comparison between VET and higher education, arguments can be made the VET graduates are more likely to be employed, or that university graduates earn more across their lifespan.
This debate, however, doesn’t take into account the most important factor: the student. A new report by the Grattan Institute demonstrates that many course type and student-level factors influence successes.
The Grattan Institute report models education, employment and wage outcomes of VET and university students, based on many student factors. The report clearly shows that there is no single, clear pathway that benefits all students.
There are a large number of reasons why an individual student may choose one path over the other (or a combination of both), and there are a number of factors inherent within the student that could impact their success. The motivations, passions and aims of the student should be a key factor in the decision-making process.