Pathways Program

Providing a comprehensive evidence base to understand students’ education-to-work journeys

The Department is responsible for preparing young people for rewarding lives as engaged citizens by regulating and supporting the early childhood education and care sector, delivering high-quality public education, and supporting the delivery of a skilled and employable workforce through vocational education, training and higher education. The Department primarily relies on survey data to understand students’ post-school outcomes, but existing datasets do not provide a comprehensive understanding of students’ education-to-work pathways.

The Pathways Program brings together de-identified data on students and learners in NSW, and provides a comprehensive evidence base for the Department to understand students’ education-to-work journeys. Insights from the program can be used to improve the education and training system, identify the barriers and drivers of effective education and employment outcomes, support students to make better-informed decisions about their studies, and shape and evaluate government policies and programs.

Achievements

Findings from the Pathways Pilot Project have been released, including:

• a summary report identifying the common pathways from education to work and the circumstances that influence employment and earning outcomes
• the Career Pathways Tool (BETA), which shows how students have moved through education and training and into the workforce
• the Pathways Outcomes for Learners (BETA) dashboard, which offers insights into the outcomes of the most common pathways students take from senior secondary school through to tertiary study and into employment.

Engagement

The Pathways Program uses de-identified demographic, education and employment data from NSW and Australian Government agencies.

Department leading the project

NSW Department of Education