15 going on 25 - Insights from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY)

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys

This report synthesizes findings from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) to describe how Australians’ school experiences and post-school decisions shape later outcomes. It covers plans and aspirations across school years, including Year 12 completion intentions, engagement, retention, subject selection, and VET participation. It then examines post-school study participation, fields of study, aspiration achievement, pathways, and student income. The report also analyzes labour market outcomes and social results such as financial and social independence, stress and wellbeing, and life satisfaction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages45

Reading Time1 h 53 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Introduction

What is LSAY?

Context for Australian Education Policy

The School Years

Plans and Aspirations

Student engagement and attitudes towards school

School Retention and Year 12 Completion

Subject Selection

VET participation

Post-school Study

Participation in post school study

Field of Study

Achievement of aspirations

Post-school pathways

Student income

Labour market outcomes

Employment by qualification level

Employment at Skill Level

Field of Study

Social Outcomes

Financial and Social independence

Stress and Wellbeing

Life and career satisfaction

Satisfaction with macro-issues

Conclusion

15 going on 25 Insights from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) © Commonwealth of Australia 2020 With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, the department’s logo, any material protected by a trade mark and where otherwise noted all material presented in this document is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution – NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Australia licence. The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on the Creative Commons website (see link) as is the full legal code for the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 AU licence ([creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/au/legalcode](creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/au/legalcode)) . The terms of use for the Commonwealth Coat of Arms are available from: [www.pmc.gov.au/government/commonwealth-coat-arms](www.pmc.gov.au/government/commonwealth-coat-arms). Suggested citation: The Department of Education, Skills and Employment 15 going on 25: Insights from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), Canberra: Australia Government Department of Education The findings and views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Department of Education. Disclaimer: The Department of Education, Skills and Employment acknowledges diversity and respectfully uses both the terms ‘Indigenous’ and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ interchangeably throughout this document. Contents Contents ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Executive Summary................................................................................................................................ 6 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 What is LSAY? .................................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Context for Australian Education Policy ............................................................................................ 9 2. The School Years........................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Plans and Aspirations ...................................................................................................................... 11 2.1.1 Year 12 Completion Plans............................................................................................................ 11 2.1.2 Post-school plans ......................................................................................................................... 12 2.1.3 Parental and Peer Expectations................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Student engagement and attitudes towards school ....................................................................... 15 2.3 School Retention and Year 12 Completion...................................................................................... 17 2.4 Subject Selection ............................................................................................................................. 19 2.5 VET participation ............................................................................................................................. 21 3. Post-school Study ......................................................................................................................... 23 3.1 Participation in post school study ................................................................................................... 23 3.2 Field of Study ................................................................................................................................... 27 3.3 Achievement of aspirations .........

FAQs

What does LSAY examine in relation to Australian youth outcomes?

LSAY tracks Australian youth over time to connect school experiences and post-school decisions with later labour market and social outcomes.

Which topics are covered in the school-years section of the report?

It addresses plans and aspirations, student engagement and attitudes, school retention and Year 12 completion, subject selection, and VET participation.

How does the report evaluate post-school and labour market outcomes?

It analyzes participation in post-school study, fields of study, achievement of aspirations, post-school pathways, student income, and labour market outcomes including employment by qualification and skill level.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys