Last week was the beginning of several policy directions. To begin with, the revised RTO Standards started, Commonwealth prac payments began for Diploma of Nursing students, and the price for new visa applications for prospective international students went to $2000 for fulltime study. And last week 
was also the formation of the interim Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC), which I will focus on in this newsletter.
From discussions with various people in different parts of vocational education and training there seems to be a lack of clarity about ATEC. So it is worth drawing attention to the joint media release from the Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP, and the Minister for Skills and Training, the Hon Andrew Giles MP, and to the terms of reference (TOR) that are on the new ATEC website.
The ministers state “ATEC will play a key role in driving important structural reforms across the tertiary education system to help meet Australia’s skills needs. These reforms will better align the supply of skilled workers and new knowledge with Australia’s future workforce needs.”
ATEC will have a perspective on the important work of Jobs and Skills Australia regarding tertiary alignment. This is one very important mechanism for delivering on the above statement of “aligning the supply of skilled workers and new knowledge with Australia’s future workforce”. That is, ATEC “will engage with the tertiary education sector as a whole – comprising the vocational education and training (VET) and higher education sectors” (TOR).
In regard to universities, ATEC will do more. It will:
However, in regard TAFE, the National Skills Agreement between the Commonwealth and States and Territories is the mechanism for funding and policy. ATEC will work alongside existing mechanisms, not replace them.
Therefore, ATEC has a crucial new role in stewarding tertiary education. This will see ATEC “consulting, engaging, co-creating and building relationships with a wide range of tertiary education stakeholders”.
TDA welcomes this tertiary education stewardship.
TDA is excited to announce that the Call for Proposals for TDA Convention 2026 is now open. TDA Convention 2026, Power of TAFE, will take place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 5-7 May 2026. We warmly invite you to join TDA, our host partner TAFE Queensland, and Diamond sponsor ReadyTech to celebrate the strength, innovation and impact of TAFE in Australia’s education and training landscape.
The TDA Convention 2026 program will offer opportunities to be inspired and learn through shared practice and professional conversations. In 2026 we will be joined by two high profile International speakers: Pari Johnston, President and CEO, Colleges and Institutes Canada, and Professor Steven Dhondt, Senior Researcher at Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and Professor at KU Leuven (Belgium).
Pari Johnston is the 8th President and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada. Pari will share insights into the innovation and applied research contributions made by Canadian Colleges and Institutes and the economic and policy framework that supports their activities. Read more about Pari here: Pari Johnston — TDA Convention 2026.
Professor Steven Dhondt is a senior researcher at TNO and a professor at the KU Leuven. TNO is one of the largest Research and Technology Organisations in the European Union. Steven coordinates several major Dutch (Smart Working programme) and European projects (HorizonEurope Bridges 5.0), developing insights on the impacts of robotics and digitisation on organisational practices, and will be joining us to discuss Industry 5.0 and the impact on education and skills. Read more about Professor Dhondt here: Steven Dhondt — TDA Convention 2026
Sponsorships are still available but selling fast. For a discussion on sponsorship opportunities, please contact TDA’s Sponsorship Manager at ASN Events, Chad Murphy at chad.m@asnevents.net.au or on 03 8658 9530.
TDA Convention 2026 news and program updates will be provided through the TDA newsletter. We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane on 5-7 May 2026!
Pari Johnston, President and CEO, Colleges and Institutes Canada and Professor Steven Dhondt, Senior Researcher at Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research.
The CEO of Bendigo Kangan Institute, Sally Curtain (pictured), has announced her decision to stand down to take up the role of Chief Executive at the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
After almost six years in the role, Ms Curtain will finish up next month.
BKI Board Chair, Sharan Burrow said Ms Curtain has been a truly inspiring leader.
“Her warmth, integrity, and unwavering belief in the power of education have left a lasting mark on skills and training for Victoria. I thank her for her outstanding contribution and wish her all the very best in her future role,” Ms Burrow said.
Ms Curtain said it had been an absolute privilege to lead BKI.
“Our purpose has always been such a great source of pride, and I am so proud of what the team at BKI has achieved, and will continue to achieve, in the future,” Ms Curtain said.
The BKI Board will undertake a recruitment process to appoint a new CEO as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition.
TDA extends its enormous thanks to Sally for her contribution as a Victorian TAFE Institute CEO, and offers her congratulates and best wishes for the future.
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 TAFE SA Board has announced the appointment of an interim chief executive, following the departure of former CEO David Coltman, while an international recruitment process for a permanent CEO begins.
The chair of the TAFE SA board, Ingrid Haythorpe, has advised that Adam Kilvert, Executive Director, Policy and Community, at the Attorney-General’s Department, will join TAFE SA as Interim Chief Executive from Monday 14 July.
“He is a highly experienced public sector leader, having worked in senior roles across multiple government departments and portfolio areas,” Ms Haythorpe said.
“Adam has successfully led large, diverse teams delivering complex government reforms and brings deep experience working with Ministers, Chief Executives, and community leaders.”
Ms Haythorpe said that a global recruitment process for the chief executive is now underway.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has cancelled the registration of Arizona College, also trading as Invention Academy, and issued notices of intent to cancel qualifications issued by the college.
ASQA said the college was found to be critically noncompliant with its registration obligations.
The qualifications affected were issued between January 2024 and June 2025 and are in areas including child, youth and family intervention, ageing support, disability and mental health.
ASQA said that given the significant issues identified during the investigation and the potential safety risks, “urgent action is required by ASQA to consider the legitimacy of the qualifications and/or statements of attainment.”
Students impacted have until Thursday to respond to ASQA, outing why their qualifications should not be cancelled.
To mark NAIDOC Week 2025, TDA is proud to showcase the efforts of its members who are partnering with communities to drive long-term change and development.
This week we are featuring TasTAFE
TasTAFE graduate Harley Mansell is inspiring a new generation of tour guides
A proud pakana man from nipaluna / Hobart, Harley Mansell works as a tour guide with wukalina Walk, a 4-day Aboriginal-owned guided cultural walk in north-east lutruwita / Tasmania.
Harley completed his Certificate III in Guiding at TasTAFE in 2024 and has become a strong advocate for VET within his community – but it took him a while to find this pathway.
“When I graduated from school back in 2005, I did a bit of cherry picking down in the Huon Valley,” Harley said. “A bit of factory work, a bit of trade work now and then… But I never really found my feet in my 20s. Then I went back to TAFE in my 30s, and look at where it’s leading now – I’m doing good things.”
Jobs and Skills Australia has released the first phase of the Jobs and Skills Roadmap for Regional Australia.
The roadmap is built around four key components:
To further discussion on the roadmap, JSA is holding a webinar tomorrow, Tuesday 8 July.
The webinar will feature JSA’s Commissioner, Professor Barney Glover, Deputy Commissioner Megan Lilly and Assistant Secretary of Workforce Futures Bjorn Jarvis, and Regional Education Commissioner, the Fiona Nash and CEO at the Regional Australia Institute, Liz Ritchie.
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.
Queensland’s TAFE Centres of Excellence have opened applications for applied research grants, with an initial round of $2.4 million to address innovative solutions for the clean energy battery and health care sectors.
The grants are available through the TAFE Centre of Excellence Clean Energy Batteries and the TAFE Centre of Excellence Health Care and Support, with several grant rounds planned over the next few years.
Researchers, universities, industries, organisations, communities and other stakeholders keen to identify and study issues impacting these sectors are encouraged to collaborate and submit an application.
TAFE Queensland Chief Executive Officer John Tucker said the grants will support the centres to develop innovative training to address the skill needs of their industries.
“Health care and social assistance is Australia’s largest employing industry, with the workforce growing by more than 73,000 in the last year,” Mr Tucker said.
“As Australia progresses towards its Net Zero emissions target, Queensland’s energy transformation is predicted to support up to 100,000 direct and indirect new jobs by 2040.
“With strong future job growth predicted in the clean energy and health industries, the Centres’ applied research grants will support the development of targeted training to build a skilled workforce, ensuring the long-term growth and sustainability these vital industries,” he said.
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety identified the importance of nutrition for health and wellbeing of senior Australians. It also identified the need for a multi-pronged approach to improve the practices relating to food and nutrition in residential aged care.
According to Jobs and Skills Council, SaCSA, extensive consultation revealed that current training does not fully equip culinary workers involved in Aged Care food service to meet the complex nutritional needs of ageing Australians. In response, four new Units of Competency are being developed through SaCSA’s Culinary Skills for aged care food service project, covering:
This work will build upon previous programs provided free of charge through the Maggie Beer Foundation, funded by the Australian Federal Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care.
SaCSA has put a call out for experienced professionals to contribute to the project. Please refer to the SaCSA project website or the JSC Consultation section of this newsletter for information on how to participate in the consultation.
Bendigo TAFE and Kangan Institute are joining with industry, unions and community organisations to transform the experience of women in trades through three significant projects, funded by the federal government, under the Building Women’s Careers program.
The three projects are:
Breaking Barriers: Women in Trades and Tech
In partnership with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, BKI will lead the delivery of four pre-employment training programs for women seeking careers in engineering and construction. With Women’s Health Services, BKI will conduct a gender lens assessment of its current programs to ensure they are inclusive and responsive for female learners.
Transforming Gender Equity in Clean Energy Apprenticeships
BKI is partnering with Future Energy Skills on a Victoria and Tasmania-wide project to advance women’s participation in clean energy apprenticeships. This includes participating in focus groups, piloting flexible delivery models for the Certificate III in Electrotechnology (including solar and battery electives) and helping to recruit and support at least 12 new female apprentices.
Together We R.I.S.E.
BKI is partnering with the National Apprenticeship Employment Network (NAEN), the Australian Workers’ Union, ECA Training, HVTC, MEGT, and Women in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE) to develop leadership and capacity-building for Group Training Organisations, focussing on women in trades like civil construction, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
BKI Chief Executive Officer Sally Curtain described the projects as “groundbreaking”, and ones that would open up inclusive, flexible training for women.
“We’re backing the Australian Government’s Building Women’s Careers initiative – delivering real skills and driving cultural change across key industries. A future-ready workforce is inclusive and diverse – we’re helping make it happen,” Ms Curtain said.
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.
SaCSA Culinary Skills for Aged Care Food Service Project
Extensive consultation by SaCSA has revealed that current training does not fully equip culinary workers to meet the complex nutritional needs of ageing Australians. SaCSA is seeking experienced professionals to contribute to the Culinary Skills for aged care food service project by joining the Technical Committee and/or providing feedback via a short Survey and upcoming virtual workshops. Full details on the SaCSA website Project Page.
Powering Skills Organisation (PSO) is seeking subject matter experts to support the UEE Full Training Product Review and UEE V2X Accreditation – Vehicle to Everything Project. Expressions of Interest for Technical Committee and Subject Matter Expert Roles are due 18 July – apply here.
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
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