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2009 Early Leavers Survey

The 2009 Early Leavers survey is the third statewide survey of the destinations of students who left Queensland Government schools in Years 10, 11 or early in Year 12. The survey results show the initial study and work destinations of young people after leaving school during 2008.

Student enrolment data was used to identify 12 036 individuals who were in scope of the survey. During the interview process 1328 individuals were identified as having recommenced secondary school study, leaving 10 708 early school leavers in 2008.

The survey was conducted in three stages from:

21 October to 10 November 2008;
19 February to 9 March 2009;
4 June to 19 June 2009.

A total of 5888 interviews were completed, representing a 55.0 per cent response rate.

Summary results of the 2009 Early Leavers survey show:

three quarters of early school leavers (75.4 per cent) were studying or in paid employment at the time of the survey;
four in ten (40.6 per cent) continued in some recognised form of education or training in the year after they left the government school system;
one quarter (26.9 per cent) were undertaking employment-based training as an apprentice or trainee;
almost six in ten of all early school leavers (59.4 per cent) were not participating in education or training, but had entered the labour force, with 16.6 per cent engaged in full-time work, 18.2 per cent in part-time work and 19.1 per cent looking for work;
approximately one in every twenty early school leavers (5.5 per cent) were neither studying nor in the labour force.

Detailed results of the 2009 Early Leavers survey are available in a comprehensive statewide report 522k.

Thank you to the young people who took part in the 2009 Early Leavers survey and contributed to its success.

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