As of end May last year the proportion of 2019 VET completers employed was down 5 per cent on the previous year’s figure for the class of ’18

 Ian White reports the pandemic’s impact in a new study from the estimable National Centre for Vocational Education Research.

Nationally, 6.7 per cent of 2019 completers were stood down by May ’20 due to COVID-19 and 34 per cent had hours reduced.

It was worst in Victoria, with 8.2 per cent of the ’19 class who were working stood down, 41 per cent were working fewer hours.

Industries across the country where VET completers took the hardest hits were arts and recreation (31 per cent of 2019 completers stood down by end May 20) and accommodation and food services (19 per cent).

Mr White points out this “fairly bleak picture” is a snapshot “when national restrictions … were only just beginning to be eased.”

Good-o but that was also before restrictions tightened in Victoria.