A study used data collected under the Australian Vocational Education Training and Management Information System Standard to examine the effectiveness of enabling courses (lower-level preparatory and prevocational) in assisting members from "disadvantaged" backgrounds to progress to other training programs. It also identified factors that influence the likelihood of these individuals enrolling in a course at a higher level of qualification. Students who completed an enabling course in 1997 were tracked in 1998. The level of qualification of the course undertaken by these students in 1998 was compared to the level of qualification of the enabling course completed in 1997. Findings indicated enabling courses produced positive outcomes for many people. Nevertheless, while not all enabling course students were moving from one enabling course to another, the tendency for some students to enroll in the same level of qualification in the following year raised some concern. Moreover, those who decided to enroll in the same level of qualification in the following year were usually enrolled in the same enabling course. These students were more likely to be women, adults aged 40-64, students with a disability, students from a non-English speaking background, and students whose highest level of secondary schooling was year 9 or below. (YLB)