India, Nov. 18 -- justify;">A growing number of Indian students are shifting their sights from traditional university degrees to vocational education and training (VET) pathways in Australia, responding to changes in skilled migration priorities and labour market conditions. This movement is reinforced by structural shortages in Australia's workforce and the federal government's inability to meet its VET sector completion targets.

According to data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), just 45.4% of students who began government-funded VET qualifications in 2020 completed their programs within two years. Among international students, the rate is often lower, particularly in sectors such as construction, aged...