Examines changes in the characteristics and outcomes of school dropouts in Australia during the 1980s. Schools recruited more broadly among females during this period, which weakened the association between dropping out and social background. For males, social differences remained entrenched. Both genders experienced steep increases in…

Data for the Y95 cohort (first interviewed in 1995 when in Year 9) of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth were used to analyze the vocational education and training (VET) activities and experiences of Australian noncompleters of year 12 in their initial postschool years. Approximately 37% of the noncompleters had undertaken some type of…

Data on the Y95 cohort (first interviewed in 1995 when in Year 9) of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth were analyzed to identify the effects of student employment on participation and attrition in secondary school and tertiary study and on young people's activities after secondary school. Working between 1 and 5 hours during Year 9 of…

The vocational education and training (VET) outcomes of Australian school-leavers were examined. School non-completers identified in the 1995 national cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) were tracked annually from 1995, and their school experiences, educational attainment, and postschool participation in education,…

The changing patterns of noncompletion of school in Australia during the 1980s and 1990s and the outcomes of noncompletion were examined by analyzing data from the Australian Longitudinal Survey and the Australian Youth Survey. Despite improvements in completion rates among youths from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds and those in…