Qualification levels help to evaluate the economic opportunities and socio-economic status of local workers in a particular industry.
The level of qualifications in a workforce relate to a number of factors including:
- The age of the workforce;
- The skill and qualification level required to enter an industry;
- The professional or working ambitions of people (to seek education as youth or retraining as adults);
- The opportunities afforded to people to continue studying beyond compulsory schooling.
Educational Qualification statistics should be looked at in conjunction with Field of qualification and Occupations data for a full education analysis for Australia.
Data source
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2016 & 2021 – by place of work
Current area:
Current industry:
Current benchmark:
Sex:
| Local workers qualifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia - All industries | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||||
| Qualification level | Number | % | Australia BM | Number | % | Australia BM | 2016 - 2021 | ||
| Bachelor or Higher degree | 4,266,946 | 35.4 | 35.4 | 3,229,458 | 30.2 | 30.2 | +1,037,488 | ||
| Advanced Diploma or Diploma | 1,336,391 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 1,180,097 | 11.0 | 11.0 | +156,294 | ||
| Certificate I and II Level | 155,719 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 130,868 | 1.2 | 1.2 | +24,851 | ||
| Certificate III & IV Level | 2,355,543 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 2,136,025 | 20.0 | 20.0 | +219,518 | ||
| Certificate Level, nfd | 207,915 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 219,880 | 2.1 | 2.1 | -11,965 | ||
| No qualification | 3,455,944 | 28.7 | 28.7 | 3,489,059 | 32.7 | 32.7 | -33,115 | ||
| Inadequately described or not stated | 270,941 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 298,473 | 2.8 | 2.8 | -27,532 | ||
| Total Persons | 12,049,399 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 10,683,860 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +1,365,539 | ||
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions) Please refer to specific data notes for more information | |||||||||
Dominant groups
Analysis of the qualifications of the in Australia in 2021 compared to Australia BM shows that there was a similar proportion holding formal qualifications (Bachelor or higher degree; Advanced Diploma or Diploma; or Vocational qualifications), and a similar proportion with no formal qualifications.
Overall, 69.1% of the workers who held educational qualifications, and 28.7% had no qualifications, compared with 69.1% and 28.7% respectively for Australia BM.
The major differences between the qualifications held by the workforce of Australia and Australia BM were:
- A smaller percentage of local workers with Bachelor or Higher degree (35.4% compared to 35.4%)
- A smaller percentage of local workers with Advanced Diploma or Diploma (11.1% compared to 11.1%)
- A smaller percentage of local workers with Certificate I and II Level (1.3% compared to 1.3%)
- A smaller percentage of local workers with Certificate III & IV Level (19.5% compared to 19.5%)
Emerging groups
The largest changes in the qualifications held by the workforce in Australia between 2016 and 2021 were:
- Bachelor or Higher degree (+1,037,488 local workers)
- Certificate III & IV Level (+219,518 local workers)
- Advanced Diploma or Diploma (+156,294 local workers)
- No qualification (-33,115 local workers)