Next Step Survey

Results from the 2008 Next Step survey are now available, including a statewide report and ten regional reports.

Next Step is the Queensland Government's statewide survey of every student who completed Year 12 in the previous year in Queensland in Government and non-Government schools. The survey collects information about the initial study and employment destinations of young people after leaving school.

The 2008 Next Step survey was conducted between April and May 2008 and achieved a very pleasing response rate of 80.1 per cent. Results of the 2008 survey will be presented at a series of regional briefing sessions around Queensland from 8-19 September 2008. School principals and other interested parties are invited to register online for these sessions.

Background

Objectives

Scope

What does the survey ask?

Results

Further Information

Background

In April 2004, the Queensland Government issued the Schools Reporting Consultation Paper, which proposed an annual publication of post-school destinations of Queensland Year 12 students. This would complement the publication early in the year of Year 12 results by school.

The feedback from the schools reporting consultation showed broad support for a destination survey of students after finishing Year 12, provided that schools did not have to pay. This was endorsed and supported by the Schools Reporting Steering Committee resulting in the Queensland Government proceeding with the survey from 2005 at no cost to schools.

A similar survey, On Track, has been conducted in Victoria since 2003. Western Australia also has a destination survey of school leavers, mainly from Government schools.

Objectives

The survey collects information on the post-school destinations of Year 12 students in Queensland in order to assist:

Parents and the wider public to know the achievements of students and to appreciate the range of options available to students;
Schools to review and plan their services for students, especially in the senior years of schooling;
School systems to review their education policies as they affect the transition from school to further study and employment; and
Training bodies, universities, business and industry, local government and regional planners to plan their services.

Scope

The Next Step survey collects data from every student who completed Year 12 and was awarded a Senior Certificate or Certificate of Post-Compulsory School Education in the previous year in Queensland. This includes:

Students at Government and non-Government schools;
TAFE secondary colleges;
International students; and
Those who repeat Year 12.

What does the survey ask?

The survey asks whether young adults are currently studying, working or neither and the details of these destinations.

If working, the survey asks their occupation, industry, hours of work and whether employed on a casual basis;
If not working, the survey asks whether they are looking for work and reasons why they may not be;
If studying, the survey asks where they are studying, the course, level of the program, whether they are studying full-time or part-time; and
If not studying, the survey asks their reasons for not currently studying and whether they deferred a university place through QTAC.

Responses are predominantly collected by computer-assisted telephone interview, with paper-based questionnaires (new window) 67k collected from a small number of former students.

Results

The results of the survey are disseminated in the following ways:

A statewide report analysing statewide trends and patterns;
Ten regional reports analysing regional trends and patterns;
Individual school reports to each school with five or more responses to the survey; and
Regional briefing sessions around the state for principals and other interested parties on the findings and how they can be used.

The survey will complement schools' own surveys, by providing statewide data that allows schools to match local trends with statewide trends. It also provides schools with the option of relying upon Next Step survey data for destination information, at no cost to the school.

Further information

For further information about the background, purpose or reporting for Next Step, please contact the Next Step team at the Department of Education, Training and the Arts.

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