New data suggests more Australian students are signing up for full-time vocational education and skills training.

Figures show there were 34,800 more enrolments for full-time publicly funded study last year, an increase of a full 12 per cent from 2011.

The steadily increasing rate of training enrolments is shown in the Australian vocational education and training statistics: Students and courses 2012 report, released late last week. It shows overall numbers of students across the country increased by 3.3 per cent to 1.94 million in publicly funded training, total subject enrolments increased by 5.3 per cent and total hours of training delivery increased by 9.0 per cent.

The statistics could help dampen some fears of an impending skills shortage in many industries, with a broad range of trades and sectors bringing in overseas assistance and saying they desperately need new workers

A copy of ‘Australian vocational education and training statistics: Students and courses 2012’ is available online.