Impacts of Demand-Driven Reforms on Access to Vocational Education and Training for People with Disability

Abstract

In this study, I examine the impacts of demand-driven vocational education and training (VET) reforms on access to training for people with disability. Impacts are estimated for Victoria using population enrolment data and difference-in-differences estimation, using enrolments in New South Wales as the counterfactual. I find that the Victorian reforms substantially increased access to VET for people with disability, but not to the same extent as for those who are not equity group members. Of particular interest, results suggest that up-skilling requirements that limited publicly funded places in VET to higher level courses restricted access by more for people with disability.