The vocational education and training (VET) information landscape is complex. The multitude of training providers, the diverse range of courses available, varying fees, and differences among providers can present a daunting environment for students.

Prior studies have identified several key influences on student choice of training provider, such as the views of trusted influencers, course timetables, location of the training, perceived quality of training provider and affordability. However, how these drivers of student choice compare with one another and whether student support services also play a role remain unclear.

Using a discrete choice experiment, this research investigates the influence of student support service offerings on students’ choice of training provider and how they compare with other drivers of student choice, for example, course cost, delivery mode and travel time. In particular, the research focuses on health and welfare support, career counselling and job-search support, and tutoring and guidance on study skills.

Key messages:

• Student support services have some influence on student choice, but it is not as significant as that of course cost, delivery mode and travel time. Course cost was found to be the most influential factor on student choice of training provider.
• When examining the availability of different levels of student support services, any type of support was considered much more valuable than none at all.
• The desire for support offerings does not vary greatly with course cost, with participants indicating they would be willing to pay extra for student support services.
• To help students with their decision-making, training providers could provide more detailed information online about their student support services. They could also provide information on the student support services available to all students, rather than merely for certain groups, such as people with disability, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, or those from a non-English speaking background, as may currently be the case.