Last week was National Skills week. In his various presentations the Hon Andrew Giles MP, Minister for Skills and Training, outlined three priority areas that will drive the next term of government.
The first is equally valuing vocational and higher education. As the Minister said, “VET is key driver of national productivity.” The well-used term “parity of esteem” has re-emerged. We’ve been talking about parity of esteem for well over a dozen years and yet have we really moved the dial? Well, perhaps we have. There is acknowledgement now that a career based on a vocational education qualification has a lot going for it both in terms of an individual’s opportunity and financial return.
The Minister also called for a breakdown of the barriers between VET and higher education. The Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) has been tasked with leading the roadmap and making it easier to move between the two parts of tertiary education.
The second priority stated by the Minister was supporting lifelong learning. This is another term that has been well used during the last few decades. In many ways we have done a lot to foster lifelong learning, especially when you consider how many students in TAFE, and indeed now in universities, are mature aged. Many people are already acknowledging the need to continually gain new qualifications. It will become even more so as more people embrace the new skills required from technological change, such as AI.
And the third priority was strengthening partnerships. The Minister used the term ‘partnerships with purpose’. That’s a great way to consider it. What is needed are many different partnerships that embrace employers, unions, students, educators and other parts of the skills ecosystem such as Jobs and Skills Councils who represent industry.
One of the areas where employer and TAFE partnerships were evident this year was in the three pilots for self-accreditation. Bendigo Kangan Institute, TAFE NSW and Central Queensland University all delivered new diplomas or advanced diplomas that had been built on what local employers needed. The significant outcome of these pilot projects was that they developed qualifications for the market quickly. These TAFE self-accreditation pilots were also mentioned by the Minister.
These directions as outlined by the Minister, while not new, are solid. Continuing to focus on raising the profile of VET, lifelong learning and partnerships with purpose makes absolute sense.
I want to conclude my piece today by giving a call out to the students and staff at Canberra Institute of Technology who demonstrated skills in action at the launch of National Skills Week last Wednesday. I have a beautiful native flower display in my home produced by the students that is a testament to the creativity and skills of TAFE students and their teachers.
Australia will urgently need a significant boost in the number of apprentices if it is to meet its net zero ambitions, according to the Powering Skills Organisation’s 2025 workforce plan.
“Net Zero is a top government priority – but its success risks being held back by an underprepared and undersupplied labour market,” the plan says.
Titled, ‘High Load, Short Supply: Bridging the gap to 2030’, it says that very few workforces have faced such a sharp rise in demand for more workers, new skills and cultural change from such a low starting point.
It estimates the need for an additional 42,000 workers by 2030. This would mean boosting apprentices in training by 40%, or approximately 22,000 more energy apprentices.
“As of 2024, this would mean raising the current total from 55,000 to 77,000. Ideally, efforts to expand capacity should have begun ten years ago, given the structural and logistical challenges of scaling the training sector.”
The report is the product of engagement with more than 280 organisations, with some 3,000 comments. It says a major barrier to expanding the apprentice pipeline is the shortage of VET trainers and limited training infrastructure.
Seventy-nine per cent of training organisations surveyed by PSO reported needing more educators, with low pay being the main obstacle to attracting qualified candidates.
The plan sets out 31 actions to lift workforce capacity, capability, culture and industry confidence, and includes state-specific data to highlight regional workforce needs.
The number of students in government-funded training in Australia fell 2.6% in 2024 to 1,220,223, according to the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research.
The vast majority (94.7%) of government-funded students were enrolled in nationally recognised VET, with 85.7% enrolled in training package qualifications.
In 2024, 52.8% of government-funded students in Australia were enrolled at TAFE institutes.
NCVER said that the 2024 figures suggest a return to more stable, longer-term trends in student enrolments, following a spike in 2023.
“Overall student enrolments remain higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019, indicating ongoing strong engagement with government-funded VET nationwide.”
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The Queensland government has announced that John Tucker, the Chief Executive Officer of TAFE Queensland, will leave the role in December.
In a statement, the Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates thanked Mr Tucker for his contribution to TAFE Queensland over multiple decades and wished him success in future endeavours.
The minister said acting arrangements will be made, with a merit-based selection process to begin shortly.
Mr Tucker, who is also chair of the TDA board, has more than 30 years’ experience in the VET sector, including 18 years at TAFE Queensland. Before his appointment as CEO in 2023, he was the General Manager of TAFE Queensland Skills Tech.
TDA and the TAFE sector will celebrate John’s leadership and achievements at the end of the year.
Powering Skills Organisation (PSO) is proud to sponsor TDA Convention 2026, demonstrating PSO’s strong commitment to advancing Au
stralia’s training system and building the skilled workforce needed for the energy sector.
This sponsorship highlights PSO’s alignment with TAFE, recognising the pivotal role TAFEs play in delivering high-quality training that is responsive to industry needs.Together, PSO and TAFEs are working to strengthen vocational pathways, accelerate adoption of new training products, and ensure learners are equipped with the practical skills required for Australia’s clean energy future.
And, don’t miss your opportunity to share your industry and community partnerships, applied research, innovation and great practice at TDA Convention 2026. The Call for Proposals for TDA Convention 2026 Power of TAFE will close on 30 September 2025! TDA welcomes proposals from all partners and stakeholders.
WorldSkills Australia has officially announced the 39 young apprentices, trainees and professionals who make up the National Training Squad – the first step towards selection for Team Australia, set to represent the nation at the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China next year.
Members come from every state and territory in skills categories from carpentry, plumbing and patisserie to cyber security, additive manufacturing and graphic design.
They were selected following the 2025 National Championships in Brisbane, earning medals across 35 skill categories.
Over the next 12 months, the squad will embark on an intensive training program, honing their technical skills, building resilience, and preparing to take on more than 1,400 competitors from more than 60 countries.
The squad’s journey has commenced with a team development camp. They will be officially launched at Parliament House today, with Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles, WorldSkills Patron Brendan O’Connor, MPs, TAFE leaders and industry representatives.
See all the members of the National Training Squad
Join us for an engaging TAFETalks session exploring how tertiary harmonisation can be supported through shared data standards. The Australian Government is taking action to break down barriers between TAFE and Higher Education to create a more aligned tertiary education system.
In this TAFETalks session, Megan Lilly, Deputy Commissioner Jobs and Skills Australia, will set the scene, discussing progress against the recommendations outlined in JSA’s Tertiary Harmonisation Roadmap.
Olivia Roberts from TechnologyOne, TDA’s longest Corporate Affiliate, will talk about the importance of higher education data standards. A critical challenge to harmonisation is that tertiary providers’ data systems are not aligned, limiting collaboration, creating duplication, and making student mobility difficult.
Large scale HE tech companies have been working towards data standards as a key ingredient of harmonisation for some time. MortarCAPS has been set up a not-for-profit model to pursue the development of these data standards.
Charlsey Pearce, CEO of MortarCAPS, will explain how the MortarCAPS Higher Learning Data Standard (MCDS) is helping to break down barriers between universities, TAFEs, and vocational providers, and the benefits of implementing the shared data standards.
You will gain practical steps to explore MCDS and learn that harmonisation is not about forcing institutions to be the same, it’s about allowing them to be different while still connected.
Skill shortages in remote areas means that something as simple as repairing a leaky tap can cost thousands of dollars.
A new program from Charles Darwin University, is offering people training in some of the skills that would otherwise require a contractor, who might have to travel hundreds of kilometres to provide services costing thousands of dollars.
The Northern Territory Government provided CDU funds to deliver in-community training to expand On Country skills at seven remote Community Hubs that service more than 20 remote communities.
A new national licensing scheme for electrical occupations would allow workers to operate anywhere in Australia without having to reapply for multiple licences, a new Treasury discussion paper says.
The paper, released on Friday, says that removing barriers to mobility and entry to the electrical industry could help address workforce shortages, increase productivity and grow the economy as whole.
“A harmonised national approach to electrical licensing could provide a balance that maintains or improves safety and quality standards without imposing excessive compliance costs,” it says.
The paper, National licensing for electrical occupations, proposes three options for a national licensing system.
The federal government announced in March that it would work with states, territories, businesses and unions to design a national licensing scheme for electrical tradespeople.
Consultations on the discussion paper are open until September 26.
Chris Altis has been announced as the new Chair of William Angliss Institute, replacing John Pandazopoulos.
Mr Atlis has been a director since October 2023 and commences today.
The VET Development Centre is hosting a Vocational Degrees Symposium, October 15, which will explore the transformative potential of vocationally delivered undergraduate degrees at AQF Level 7.
It will examine how these qualifications, developed in close partnership with industry, are expanding access, driving innovation, and building a future-ready workforce.
Featured speakers are:
As part of AVETRA’s OctoberVET, this symposium offers timely insights into how vocational degrees are reshaping Australia’s skills landscape.
Register here to attend either in-person (Melbourne) or online.
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.
The federal government has commenced consultations on the 2025 Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL).
The CSOL plays a key part in determining Australia’s migration intake. It is one of the criteria for the new Skills in Demand (SID) visa in addressing temporary skills shortages.
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship is the decision maker on the final CSOL and Jobs and Skills Australia is responsible for labour market analysis and stakeholder engagement.
HumanAbility has consultation workshops for its Sterilisation Services Qualification Review project.
Register for a consultation workshop
HumanAbility is also seeking interested people for new projects:
To apply, please complete this Expression of Interest form before closing this Wednesday.
HumanAbility has released its National Workforce Plan 2025, supporting the care and support sectors. It draws on the significant data gathered through forums, roadshows and consultations.
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.
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Vocational Degrees Symposium
15 October 2025
VET Development Centre Melbourne and online
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TAFETalks: Tertiary harmonisation and the importance of shared data standards
22 October 2025, 2pm-3pm AEDT
Register here.
TAFETalks: Build the future of education with humans and GenAI
29 October 2025 14:00 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
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Velg Training National VET Conference
30-31 October 2025
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
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Association of Colleges Annual Conference
18-19 November 2025
Birmingham, England
More information (contact TDA memberservices@tda.edu.au)
11th Annual Conference on VET Teaching and VET Teacher Education
Australian Council of Deans of Education Vocational Education Group
‘VET teaching in the tertiary education sector: New horizons and possibilities’
11-12 December 2025
Canberra
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TDA Convention 2026
5-7 May 2026
Brisbane
Call for proposals now open!
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VET National Teaching & Learning Conference
13-14 August 2026
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
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48th WorldSkills International Competition Shanghai
22-27 September 2026
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2026 WFCP World Congress
23-28 November 2026
Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kenya
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