Person—level of highest non-school qualification, code N

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Community Services (retired), Standard 06/02/2012
• Disability, Standard 13/08/2015
• Health, Superseded 28/04/2016

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Collection and usage attributes

Non-school qualifications are awarded for educational attainments other than those of pre-primary, primary or secondary education. They include qualifications at the Postgraduate Degree level, Master Degree level, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate level, Bachelor Degree level, Advanced Diploma and Diploma level, and Certificates I, II, III and IV levels.

CODE 1   Trade Certificate (Certificate I-IV)

Includes Certificate IV, Statement of Attainment at Certificate IV level, Bridging and Enabling Course at Certificate IV level, Certificate III, Statement of Attainment at Certificate III level, Bridging and Enabling Course at Certificate III level, Certificate II, Statement of Attainment at Certificate II level, Bridging and Enabling Course at Certificate II level, Certificate I, and Statement of Attainment at Certificate I level.

CODE 2   Advanced Diploma and Diploma 

Includes Advanced Diploma, Statement of Attainment at Advanced Diploma Level, Associate Degree, Statement of Attainment at Associate Degree level, Bridging and Enabling Course at Advanced Diploma and Associate Degree level, Diploma, Statement of Attainment at Diploma level, and Bridging and Enabling Course at Diploma level. Excludes Graduate Diploma.

CODE 3   Bachelor degree

Includes Bachelor (Honours) Degree, Bachelor (Pass) Degree, Statement of Attainment at Bachelor Degree level, and Bridging and Enabling Course at Bachelor Degree level.

CODE 4   Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate

Includes Graduate Diploma, Graduate Qualifying or Preliminary, Professional Specialist Qualification at Graduate Diploma level, Statement of Attainment at Graduate Diploma level, Bridging and Enabling Course at Graduate Diploma level, Graduate Certificate, Professional Specialist Qualification at Graduate Certificate level, Statement of Attainment at Graduate Certificate level, and Bridging and Enabling Course at Graduate Certificate level.

CODE 5   Postgraduate degree

Includes Higher Doctorate, Doctorate by Research, Doctorate by Coursework Professional Specialist Qualification at Doctoral Degree level, Statement of Attainment at Doctoral Degree level, Bridging and Enabling Course at Doctoral Degree level, Master Degree by Research, Master Degree by Coursework, Professional Specialist Qualification at Master Degree level, Statement of Attainment at Master Degree level, Bridging and Enabling Course at Master Degree level.

CODE 9   Not stated/inadequately described

This code is not for use on primary collection forms. It is primarily for use in administrative collections when transferring data from data sets where the item has not been collected.

The categories in this metadata item are based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Standard Classification of Education, Level of Education (ASCED) 2001.

CODE 1 Trade Certificate (Certificate I-IV) maps to Broad Level, 5 Certificate Level of the ASCED

CODE 2 Advanced Diploma and Diploma maps to Broad Level 4, Advanced Diploma and Diploma of the ASCED

CODE 3 Bachelor Degree maps to Broad Level 3 Bachelor degree of the ASCED

CODE 4 Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate maps to Broad Level 2, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate of the ASCED

CODE 5 Postgraduate degree maps to Broad Level 1 Postgraduate Degree level

Source and reference attributes

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

Operationally, 'level of highest non-school qualification' is defined as the highest completed non-school qualification reported for a person in any field of education except General Primary and Secondary Education Programmes. Data are obtained by direct question and often sequenced to follow a direct question on 'Highest year of school completed'. The question is worded in terms of qualifications attained and when information is not collected about multiple qualifications, the result is dependent on respondent perception of 'highest'.

The 'Level of highest non-school qualification' excludes partial completion of or current participation in a course of study and Statements of attainment awarded for partial completion of a course of study at a particular level.

Qualifications generally associated with school education, such as the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education, are excluded from this data element even if they are awarded as the result of study at a non-school institution (ABS 2001).

The level of non-school qualification categories are based on the ABS Australian Standard Classification of Education, Level of Education (ASCED) 2001.

Source and reference attributes

ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2001. Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) 2001. ABS cat. no. 1272.0. Canberra: ABS

ABS 2002. Education variables. ABS cat. no. 1246.0. Canberra: ABS

Relational attributes