In the middle of May, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age had an in-depth piece in their Saturday Good Weekend magazines titled “Can we fix it?” (SMH/The Age 17 May 2025). Jenna Price was the journalist who headlined her article by stating ‘Australia is in desperate need of tens of thousands of tradies over the next five years. Solving the shortage won’t be easy – and it all begins with job snobbery.”
In this article Price brings to the forefront what we have been trying to tackle for a long time. That is the perception that trades qualifications, of which the majority are delivered in TAFE as apprenticeships, are not as prestigious as university qualifications. While there have been many well meaning attempts to change that perception – it persists.
In Price’s article, one of the young people from a private school in Sydney who was interviewed said, that despite lots of career nights there was only “passing mention of trades.” Careers education continues to be part of the challenge.
It was excellent to see so many Queensland school young people visit WorldSkills in Brisbane two weeks ago; they saw trades in action. Seeing young people, like themselves, striving to deliver excellence in the huge number of trades on display is a contributor to changing that career conversation.
There are many attempts to focus on the importance of trades. For example, the commitment by governments across Australia to apprenticeships continues. The Skills Ministers who also met in Brisbane last week released the following statement in relation to apprenticeships: Skills Ministers agreed the critical importance of apprentices and trainees to meeting Australia’s skills needs, both in housing supply and more broadly. Ministers committed to prioritising increasing commencements and completions in priority areas. In 2025, the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council will explore, collaborate and address issues of national importance through a standing agenda item on apprenticeships and traineeships, including consideration of the longer-term opportunities identified in the Strategic Review of Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System. Ministers agreed to the development of a Future Apprenticeships Workplan to deliver immediate and long-term actions to support the ambitions for growth in priority areas, which will be approved by Skills Ministers in quarter 3.
Plugging away at changing perceptions and committing to policy changes that might help are both going to be essential.
The number of commencing apprentices and trainees has slumped, despite the recent strength of the broader labour market, according to new data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).
Apprentice and trainee commencements fell 16.4% to 27,755 in the December quarter 2024, compared to the same quartier in 2023.
Trade commencements were down 13.9% to 13,990 and non-trade commencements were down 18.7% to 13,770.
The downward trend in the apprentice and trainee pipeline has been attributed to the possible impact of cost-of-living pressures on apprentices, trainees and employers.
NCVER Managing Director John King said that employment growth and persistent skills shortages in the trades are not yet translating into higher apprenticeship commencements.
“People may be declining or deferring formal training in some trades and entering the workforce directly.
“We may also be seeing the ongoing impact of cost-of-living pressures on both businesses and individuals, making it harder to attract and retain apprentices,” Mr King said.
NCVER notes that trade apprenticeship commencements have historically tracked closely with the unemployment rate, illustrating their general responsiveness to the broader business cycle.
In the trades, there were large falls in commencements of Carpenters and Joiners, down 13.1%, and Plumbers, down 9.2%.
In the non-trades, there were falls in Community and Personal Service Workers, down 15.8%. However, commencements in Aged and Disabled Care rose by 40.7% in 2024 when compared with the previous year.
Join us to explore the evolving impact of generative AI on integrity and assessment. Dr Lenka Ucnik from TEQSA will outline TEQSA’s national AI guidelines for Higher Education and their relevance for TAFEs.
You will also hear from Dr Jenny Game from Chisholm Institute, who will share strategies to ensure assessment security and learning outcomes in AI-rich environments.
Finally, Dr Hayden Park and Dr Elly Thomson from Melbourne Polytechnic will present findings of their recent study on AI-generated feedback in teacher education, highlighting its benefits, risks and practical implications.
The West Australian government has committed $331 million to the VET sector in last week’s state budget, which includes new funding for free TAFE and campus upgrades.
A total of $100 million has been provided to keep fee settings for 2026 the same as 2025, across fee-free and low fee courses. New expenditure includes:
The expansion of South Metropolitan TAFE’s Munster Campus will provide state-of-the-art facilities to deliver future workforce skills for the renewables industry, including wind energy, battery technology, green hydrogen, electrification, automation and robotics.
Premier Roger Cook said the budget reflects the government’s support for fee-free TAFE and securing a future that’s Made in WA.
“Building a skilled workforce helps keep our economy the strongest in the nation, powers our transformation to renewable energy and delivers on our commitment to make more things in Western Australia,” he said.
Born in Korea and raised in Melbourne, Susan Lee spent 17 years in London with her husband before returning to Brisbane two years ago to be closer to family and give her children a better quality of life.
However, after struggling to find steady work as a musician, Susan decided to change career and pursue her interest in the legal profession.
“I have friends in the legal industry who shared insights on its job security and encouraged me to study a subject related to law. So, I decided to learn something that interests me as well as earn a steady income,” Susan explained.
Before enrolling to study the Certificate IV in Justice Studies (10971NAT), her husband discovered the course was funded by Fee-Free TAFE, which made her decision to go into the legal profession easier.
Susan is saving thousands of dollars by using Fee-Free TAFE funding to study for her legal career, which is part of the Queensland Government’s Good People. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022–2032.
Join us for an engaging TAFETalks session exploring how TAFE Queensland is strategically transforming digital learning to drive educational innovation and learner success. Michelle Roberts from the Brisbane Educator Capability team will share how Adobe tools are being embedded across teaching and administrative functions, with a spotlight on their powerful impact in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), enhancing both engagement and accessibility.
Michelle will be joined by educator Sophie Nguyen to present a recent digital capability project focused on boosting learners’ digital literacy. Discover how creative and strategic approaches are being used to make learning more accessible, inclusive, and engaging across diverse student cohorts.
This session is ideal for TAFE leaders, educators, and decision-makers seeking practical insights and scalable strategies to embed digital capability and innovation across the education sector.
Total government recurrent funding on VET totalled $8.3 billion in 2023, a decrease from $8.8 billion in 2022, according to the latest Report on Government Services 2025, from the Productivity Commission.
Total government appropriations and real recurrent program funding for VET, inclusive of Australian Government transfers to the states and territories, totalled $10.4 billion in 2023 – down from $11.2 billion in 2022.
Nationally in 2023, $3.7 billion of VET funding was allocated through a competitive basis – an increase from $3.4 billion in 2022.
Nationally in 2023, government VET delivery funding paid to non-TAFE providers totalled nearly $1.5 billion – around 24% of total VET delivery funding and a 3.6% real increase from 2022.
Chisholm TAFE is leading a collaborative knowledge exchange activity with Audit Express that is forging closer ties in VET between Australia and Vietnam.
Participants in the four-part Aus4Skills activity include Dr Phạm Vũ Quốc Bình, Deputy Director General, Department of Vocational and Continuing Education and Training and 19 senior leaders from Vietnamese VET colleges, other government authorities and a VET accreditor.
The second part of the actvity, held in Melbourne from 16-20 June, provided an in-depth understanding of Chisholm’s quality management, control, assurance and improvement, and transition to the new standards with a focus on the risk-based and digital internal QA approaches and processes. It drew on the expertise of Audit Express and a diverse range of guest speakers from the Victorian Skills Authority, Industry Skills Australia, ReadyTech and the Victorian Ombudsman.
Chisholm’s internationally awarded ‘Educator Passport’ was presented as a practical example of a digital solution to support best practice in teaching excellence.
Audit Express brought expertise in Australian best practices in developing and reviewing internal QA tools that participants can, in turn, implement within their own organisations. Dr Binh commended the program for its comprehensive approach.
Led by Dr Sam McCurdy (Chisholm), Kevin Ekendahl (Audit Express), and Chris Hogg (Chisholm), the program is part of Aus4Skills, funded by the Australian Government. Aus4Skills is a ten-year partnership between Australia and Vietnam supporting Vietnam’s human resource development goals.
It reflects a shared commitment to strengthening VET, encouraging industry engagement, and fostering institutional partnerships under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Aware Super State of retirement report reveals that 
many still feel 
unprepared for what comes next. They’re concerned about their financial security and whether their money will last. They’re seeking clarity on how to make smart financial choices for both themselves, and their families.
Many are turning to friends and family for advice rather than engaging with a super fund or retirement expert. And with cost-of-living pressures weighing heavily on people’s minds, financial confidence is directly shaping decisions.
The report highlights the role that knowledge, preparation, and confidence play in helping people shape their own unique retirement journey.
General advice only. Consider your objectives, financial situation, or needs, which have not been accounted for in this information and read the PDS and TMD at aware.com.au/pds before acting. Issued by Aware Super Pty Ltd (ABN 11 118 202 672, AFSL 293340) trustee of Aware Super (ABN 53 226 460 365).
What happens when the power of generative AI meets the practical needs of TAFEs?
In this engaging webinar, Build the future of education with humans and generative AI, Professor Martin Bean unpacks how leading TAFE providers can harness this emerging technology to transform learning, streamline student services, and build a stronger sense of belonging across campuses.
Drawing on real-world insights and sector-wide shifts, Martin explores the opportunity for TAFEs to go beyond automation, leveraging AI to empower staff, personalise learning pathways, and drive measurable impact for learners and institutions alike.
Applications are closing soon for the Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Vocational Education and Training.
This is a prestigious opportunity for VET leaders, managers, and educators to undertake research in the United States.
The Fulbright Professional Scholarship in VET is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education and is open to TAFE employees.
It supports four months of study that advances practice, policy, or innovation in vocational education. Awardees gain access to a world-class network and bring valuable insights back to Australia.
Over the years, the scholarship has seen a number of fascinating projects, including:
Applications close 1 July 2025. If you’re interested in applying, contact Alex Maclaurin: alex.maclaurin@fulbright.org.au, or check out the website.
Apprentice Employment Network NSW & ACT
2025 Skills Conference
24 June 2025
Amora Hotel, Sydney
More information
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Symposium 2025
Navigating Authentic Assessment and Learning in a Digital World
25-26 June 2025
University of Sydney
More information
Scholarship of Learning and Teaching (SoLT) 2025
3 July 2025
South Bank, Queensland
More information
34th National Vocational Education and Training (VET) Research Conference ‘No Frills’
9-11 July 2025. Registrations are now open.
Gold Coast
More information
TAFETalks: Navigating assessment and integrity in the age of GenAI
Wednesday 23 July 2-3pm AEST
Register here
TAFETalks: Evolving digital learning for strategic impact at TAFE Queensland
6 August 2025 14:00 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Register here
Victorian TAFE Association TAFECreates25 Conference
7 August 2025
Melbourne Polytechnic Conference Centre, Melbourne
More information
VET National Teaching & Learning Conference
14-15 August 2025
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
More information
National Skills Week
‘Explore All the Options’
25-31 August 2025
More information
MyeQuals Connect
2 September 2025
Venue: Rydges Latimer Christchurch
Register here
25% discount code: TDAMyeQuals
Impact ATEM 2025
Association for Tertiary Education Management annual conference
7-10 September 2025
Australian National University, Canberra.
More information
TAFETalks: Build the future of education with humans and GenAI
29 October 2025 14:00 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Register here
Velg Training National VET Conference
30-31 October 2025
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
More information
Association of Colleges Annual Conference
18-19 November 2025
Birmingham, England
More information (contact TDA memberservices@tda.edu.au)
TDA Convention 2026
SAVE the DATE
5-7 May 2026
Brisbane
More information
48th WorldSkills International Competition Shanghai
22-27 September 2026
More information
2026 WFCP World Congress
23-28 November 2026
Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kenya
Save the date
© 2020 TAFE Directors Australia – Website Developed by G.I. Computer Innovations
