← Understanding VET in Schools
After Year 12
A VET qualification can lead to employment or further study.
Pathway 01 · go to work
Employment
Start work with a nationally recognised qualification in your field.
- Entry-level and skilled roles in your field
- Traineeships and apprenticeships
Pathway 02 · keep studying
Further study
Continue to a higher VET qualification or to university.
- A higher VET level after school
- University entry pathways
National recognition
Recognised in every state
Senior certificates and ATAR rules are set state by state. The qualification underneath them is national.
One national qualification
A Certificate III, Certificate IV or Diploma is issued under the Australian Qualifications Framework and listed on training.gov.au. It is the same qualification in every state and territory; only the way local authorities credit it differs.
Portable
A qualification is not affected by changing schools, moving interstate or finishing after Year 12. It is recognised by employers across Australia and does not expire.
Alternative university entry
Where a state’s ATAR does not include VET, a completed qualification can still be used for entry to further study, as a selection rank or as a diploma assessed in its own right.
Pathway example
Example: work first, university later
Leaving school for work does not rule out a degree later.
01 · Year 12
Finishes school with a Certificate III
Studies the Certificate III in Business alongside senior subjects, and goes straight into work afterwards. No ATAR, because university was not the plan at the time.
02 · The next few years
Works in the industry
The qualification supports entry to a first role and builds industry experience.
03 · Later
Decides on a degree
The student decides to pursue a bachelor degree, without an ATAR.
04 · The way in
Applies with a Diploma
Completes the Diploma of Business. Institutions assess a completed diploma in its own right, and it can carry credit towards the degree.
Bachelor study areas this diploma commonly leads to
BusinessCommerceMarketingManagementCommunication
You can start at any level. You don’t need a Certificate III before the Diploma. Each qualification is recognised nationally, whether or not you continue to the next one.
University admission rules vary between institutions and can change between admission years. Always confirm current requirements directly with the institution you are applying to.