RDA Darling Downs and South West Region
Resident workers - Qualifications
47.1% of the resident workers (Administrative and Support Services) in the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region have qualifications, compared to 40.1% for Transport, Postal and Warehousing.
Education is an essential means of building the knowledge and skill levels of the labour force, which is a key factor in achieving future economic and social development.
The level of educational attainment for the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region's resident workforce relates to a number of factors including:
- The age structure of the resident workforce;
- The professional or social ambitions of people to obtain qualifications (that is, to seek education and retraining);
- The opportunities afforded to people to continue studying beyond compulsory schooling, and;
- The knowledge and skill requirements of the local industries.
Qualification should be looked at in conjunction with Income, Occupation and Field of qualification for a clearer picture of the knowledge and skill level of RDA Darling Downs and South West Region's local resident workers.
When comparing the Qualifications of local resident worker with local workers, Qualifications statistics indicates whether an economy draws on the skills offered by its own residents or on a different set of skills imported from elsewhere in the region.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2011 and 2016 – by usual residence
| Resident workers qualifications | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDA Darling Downs and South West Region | 2016 | 2011 | Change | |||||
| Qualification level | Number | % | Transport, Postal and Warehousing% | Number | % | Transport, Postal and Warehousing% | 2011 to 2016 | |
| Bachelor or Higher degree | 281 | 10.4 | 4.7 | 203 | 9.1 | 3.6 | +78 | 25001 |
| Advanced Diploma or Diploma | 268 | 9.9 | 6.3 | 146 | 6.5 | 4.2 | +122 | 25002 |
| Certificate I and II Level | 58 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 55 | 2.5 | 1.5 | +3 | 25005 |
| Certificate III & IV Level | 565 | 21.0 | 25.5 | 431 | 19.3 | 21.4 | +134 | 25006 |
| Certificate Level, nfd | 96 | 3.6 | 2.0 | 46 | 2.1 | 1.1 | +50 | 25007 |
| No qualification | 1,340 | 49.7 | 56.9 | 1,261 | 56.5 | 63.8 | +79 | 25008 |
| Inadequately described or not stated | 86 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 90 | 4.0 | 4.5 | -4 | 25009 |
| Total persons | 2,694 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 2,232 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +462 | |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 2011 and 2016. Compiled and presented by .id (opens a new window), the population experts.
Dominant groups
Analysis of the qualifications of the resident workers (Administrative and Support Services) in the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region in 2016 compared to Transport, Postal and Warehousing shows that there was a higher proportion of people holding formal qualifications (Bachelor or higher degree; Advanced Diploma or Diploma; or Vocational qualifications), and a lower proportion of people with no formal qualifications.
Overall, 47.1% of the resident workers (Administrative and Support Services) held educational qualifications, and 49.7% had no qualifications, compared with 40.1% and 56.9% respectively for Transport, Postal and Warehousing.
The major differences between qualifications held by the resident workers (Administrative and Support Services) of the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region and Transport, Postal and Warehousing were:
- A larger percentage of resident workers (Administrative and Support Services) with Bachelor or Higher degrees (10.4% compared to 4.7%)
- A larger percentage of resident workers (Administrative and Support Services) with Advanced Diploma or Diplomas (9.9% compared to 6.3%)
- A smaller percentage of resident workers (Administrative and Support Services) with No qualifications (49.7% compared to 56.9%)
- A smaller percentage of resident workers (Administrative and Support Services) with Certificate III & IV Levels (21.0% compared to 25.5%)
Emerging groups
The largest changes in the qualifications held by the resident workers (Administrative and Support Services) in the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region between 2011 and 2016 were:
- Certificate III & IV Levels (+134 people )
- Advanced Diploma or Diplomas (+122 people )
- No qualifications (+79 people )
- Bachelor or Higher degrees (+78 people )