Education is an essential means of building the knowledge and skill levels of the labour force, which is a key factor in achieving future economic and social development.
The level of educational attainment for Australia's resident workforce relates to a number of factors including:
- The age structure of the resident workforce;
- The professional or social ambitions of people to obtain qualifications (that is, to seek education and retraining);
- The opportunities afforded to people to continue studying beyond compulsory schooling, and;
- The knowledge and skill requirements of the local industries.
Qualification should be looked at in conjunction with Income , Occupations and Field of qualification for a clearer picture of the knowledge and skill level of Australia's local resident workers.
When comparing the Qualifications of local resident worker with local workers, Qualifications statistics indicates whether an economy draws on the skills offered by its own residents or on a different set of skills imported from elsewhere in the region.
Data source
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2016 and 2021 – by usual residence
Current area:
Current industry:
Current benchmark:
Sex:
| Resident workers qualifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia - Persons | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||||
| Qualification level | Number | % | Australia BM | Number | % | Australia BM | 2016 - 2021 | ||
| Bachelor or Higher degree | 4,266,952 | 35.4 | 35.4 | 3,229,466 | 30.2 | 30.2 | +1,037,486 | ||
| Advanced Diploma or Diploma | 1,336,385 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 1,180,092 | 11.0 | 11.0 | +156,293 | ||
| Certificate I and II Level | 155,709 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 130,880 | 1.2 | 1.2 | +24,829 | ||
| Certificate III & IV Level | 2,355,551 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 2,136,025 | 20.0 | 20.0 | +219,526 | ||
| Certificate Level, nfd | 207,922 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 219,881 | 2.1 | 2.1 | -11,959 | ||
| No qualification | 3,455,939 | 28.7 | 28.7 | 3,489,058 | 32.7 | 32.7 | -33,119 | ||
| Inadequately described or not stated | 270,951 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 298,457 | 2.8 | 2.8 | -27,506 | ||
| Total Persons | 12,049,409 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 10,683,859 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +1,365,550 | ||
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions) | |||||||||
Dominant groups
Analysis of the qualifications of the resident workers (All industries) in Australia in 2021 compared to Australia BM shows that there was a higher proportion of resident holding formal qualifications (Bachelor or higher degree; Advanced Diploma or Diploma; or Vocational qualifications), and a lower proportion of males with no formal qualifications.
Overall, 69.1% of the resident workers (All industries) held educational qualifications, and 28.7% had no qualifications, compared with 69.1% and 28.7% respectively for Australia BM.
The major differences between qualifications held by the resident workers (All industries) of Australia and (Australia BM) were:
- A smaller percentage of resident workers (All industries) with Bachelor or Higher degree (35.4% compared to 35.4%)
- A smaller percentage of resident workers (All industries) with Advanced Diploma or Diploma (11.1% compared to 11.1%)
- A smaller percentage of resident workers (All industries) with Certificate I and II Level (1.3% compared to 1.3%)
Emerging groups
The largest changes in the qualifications held by the resident workers (All industries) in Australia between 2016 and 2021 were:
- Bachelor or Higher degree (+1,037,486 persons)
- Certificate III & IV Level (+219,526 persons)
- Advanced Diploma or Diploma (+156,293 persons)
- No qualification (-33,119 persons)