This report explores access to vocational education and training (and university) currently and historically over the past 20 years. It reports that those young people most likely to miss out on vocational education and training include those with disabilities, young people still living at home, children from single-parent families and those families with a history of parental unemployment. Those individuals face patterns of "cumulative disadvantage." In addition, the report argues strongly for striking a balance between the pursuit of social and economic outcomes as being essential for community-based initiatives aimed at addressing access and equity in vocational education and training. (Contains 4 tables.) [This report was produced with funding provided through the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training. The author/project team was funded to undertake this research via a grant under the National Vocational Education and Training Research and Evaluation (NVETRE) program. For related support document, see ED495267.]