Summary

Over the latter part of the 1990s and the early 2000s, there has been an increase in the number of students beginning tertiary study later in life, rather than following the traditional pathway of entering tertiary education directly from secondary school. This trend has raised the question about the impact a student's activity before tertiary study has on their pathways in tertiary education. This is the question addressed in this report: From school, work or unemployment: A comparison of pathways in tertiary education.

This report describes the pathways taken by a cohort of 54,400 domestic students who first studied in 1998 at tertiary education institutions and follows their interactions with the tertiary sector in the seven years until the end of 2004. This includes a comparison of the pathways followed by six particular groups, characterised by their prior activity, qualification level and sub-sector.

Some findings from the report are:

• first-time students coming to tertiary education directly from secondary school are more likely to complete a qualification than other students;
• this is true at both certificate and degree level;
• first-time students who enter tertiary education from the workforce and study at certificate level are the least likely to complete a certificate qualification;
• first-time students coming directly from secondary school are more likely to progress to higher-level qualifications than other students;
• enrolment in certificate study at an ITP for one year without completing was the most common pathway regardless of where the student came from before study.