Community engagement takes many forms. This section presents information on Australians' engagement in two critical areas—education and employment—in which participation is strongly associated with individual and family wellbeing, as well as bringing benefits to the nation at large.
Students are staying at school longer
Students who leave school early are at risk of facing reduced employment opportunities and longer periods of unemployment compared to Year 12 graduates. Retention rates have increased in recent years, especially for Indigenous students. However, in 2010 only 47% of Indigenous students remained in school until Year 12, compared to 79% of non-Indigenous students. Overall, retention rates were higher for girls (83%) than boys (73%).
Not everyone who remains at school until Year 12 necessarily completes Year 12. In 2010, 70% of school leavers aged 15–24 had completed Year 12; a slight increase from 68% in 2001.
Retention to Year 12
Fast facts
Of the teenagers aged 15–19 who left school in 2008, by May 2009:
- 86% of those who completed Year 12 were working or in full-time study.
- 60% of those who did not complete Year 12 were working or in full-time study.
Australia's welfare Chapter 4
More females than males now participate in higher education
People with a non-school qualification such as an advanced vocational certificate, diploma or degree are more likely to be employed, and had higher earnings, than people who completed high school only.
In 2010, more than half of all Australians aged 15–64 had completed a non-school qualification. Overall, males were slightly more likely to have a non-school qualification than females. However, there were more females than males enrolled in 2010: 12% of males and 14% of females.
Participation in a bachelor degree or postgraduate qualification was higher for females in all age groups.
On the other hand, up to the age of 25 there were more males than females enrolled in certificate or diploma level courses.
Participation in non-school education, 2010
Fast facts
In the past, males were more likely than females to participate in higher education: 60% of men aged 55–64 in 2010 had completed a non-school qualification, compared to 48% of women the same age.
Australia's welfare Chapter 3
Increasing workforce participation among women and older Australians...
Over the past decade, labour force participation rates increased markedly for older workers, including people who had reached retirement age. Overall, 72.5% of men and 59.0% of women aged 15 or over were in the labour force in 2010–11—an increase of 0.4 and 4.1 percentage points, respectively, over the participation rates 10 years ago.
For men, almost all of the modest increase in labour force participation was in the age group 55 or over; for women participation grew strongly from 45 years, including more than doubling among those in their 60s.
Participation also rose by 4–5 percentage points among women in their 30s—at the same time as fertility rates rose in this age group. This suggests that women increasingly choose to remain in the workforce while having young children.
Labour force participation rates
Fast facts
Almost one-third of Australian workers were employed part time in 2010–11 (working less than 35 hours per week)—16% of men and 46% of women.
Half (53%) of all employed people aged 65 or over worked part time—45% of older men and 70% of older women.
Australia's welfare Chapter 3
...but some people still miss out on the benefits of work
Some groups have lower rates of labour force participation and/or higher rates of unemployment than the wider Australian population. This puts them at increased risk of social exclusion, economic instability and reliance on government assistance. People who experience extended periods outside the labour force are less able to build up wealth (including superannuation and home ownership) to provide financial security as they age.
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Participation rate
(15–64 year olds) |
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Unemployment rate |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders |
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| People with disability |
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| Primary carers |
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Information not available |
| Social housing tenants |
Information not available |
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| Recent migrants from English-speaking countries |
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| Recent migrants from non-English-speaking countries |
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| People living outside capital cities |
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Rate for this group is generally lower than for the total Australian population
Rate for this group is generally higher than for the total Australian population