Around three million Australians aged 15-64 (20%) were enrolled in a course of study in 2011, according to a report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).


The ABS  found that in 2011 more students were female than male (53% to 47%), around two-thirds were studying full-time, and 40% of all students were aged 15 to 19 years. Students born overseas made up a quarter of all those studying.

Of those enrolled in a non-school qualification in 2011, 39% were undertaking a Bachelor Degree, with the most common field of study being Management and Commerce (27%).

Over the past decade, the proportion of people aged 15-64 years with a non-school qualification increased from 47% (2001) to 57% (2011). Over this same period, the proportion of people with a Bachelor Degree or above increased from 17% (2001) to 24% (2011). 

Slightly more males (4.2 million) than females (4.1 million) held a non-school qualification in 2011. The most common field of education reported was Management and commerce (24%), followed by Engineering and related technologies (17%). 

There were 226,500 people aged 15 to 64 years employed as apprentices or trainees as part of the Australian Apprenticeship Scheme, with the majority of apprentices or trainees being male (79%). 

The highest number of apprentices and trainees worked in the construction industry (90,700). 

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