In the TDA Monday Newsletter last week we reported on the second study by Jobs and Skills Australia into Australia’s gendered workforce and training system. This paper, Education and training divides: Gendered skills, pathways and outcomes, highlighted the significant gender based choices of Australians in terms of career and therefore education choices.
It is interesting to note that a female aged 25- 39 years with a Certificate IV TAE is likely to earn around $18,000 per year less than a male with a Certificate IV TAE. This is possibly because female trainers are employed in or delivering training to low paying industries, such as the care industry.
There may well be other reasons, such as males in this age bracket with Cert IV TAE have taken less time out of the workforce and therefore have progressed to higher levels of pay. That is, if the employer has similar numbers of females to males and has an enterprise agreement that covers both, then males that take no time may progress more rapidly through the levels.
However, of this group who have studied the Cert IV TAE, females were more likely to progress to higher education. It would be interesting to then look at the data, if it is available, of what sort of debts the females have incurred if they have undertaken degrees in education. The question arises: does that set females back even further financially?
It is difficult to come to conclusions about why there is a discrepancy in pay for the same qualification. However, the couple of suggestions above might hold the key. If employed at TAFE, there would be little difference due to gender.
There are lots of questions to ask about these findings. Jobs and Skills Australia’s work is bringing data to the forefront from which those questions can be further examined.
The Canberra Institute of Technology has been chosen as the new Cyber Security TAFE Centre of Excellence, a national initiative aimed at building Australia’s cyber workforce and addressing the country’s critical skills shortage.
The centre is funded by a $5 million matched investment from the federal and ACT governments as part of the National Skills Agreement.
In partnership with the Canberra Cyber Hub, Future Skills Organisation, and the University of New South Wales Canberra (UNSW Canberra), the Centre will play a pivotal role in strengthening Australia’s cyber capability, digital skills base and sovereign resilience.
It is the 13th TAFE Centre of Excellence announced by the federal government.
The centre will launch a fast-track skills program featuring modular microcredentials in cyber operations, governance, ethics and risk. Co-designed with university and industry partners, AI capabilities will form the foundations of the centre programs.
CIT CEO Dr Margot McNeill said, “CIT is honoured to lead this vital project. It will help address a significant skills gap and empower a new generation of cyber defenders to protect our nation.”
“VET delivers hands-on, job-ready training that connects directly with industry and government priorities. It provides a vital bridge between education, industry, and government, ensuring training is practical, adaptable, and directly aligned with workforce needs,” Dr McNeill said.
Image: The federal Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles and the ACT Minister for Skills, Training and Industrial Relations Michael Pettersson at the launch.
Some of the best and brightest from Queensland’s VET sector have been honoured at the state’s training awards.
From more than 740 nominations across Queensland and seven regional finals, 14 winners were honoured at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The winners include:
The Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training, Ros Bates said most of the winners came from outside the south-east corner – showing that training and skills are creating opportunities right across Queensland.
“Our 14 winners are not only role models in their communities – they are shaping the skilled workforce Queensland needs for the future,” Ms Bates said.
See all the winners and finalists
You asked, and we have listened.
The closing date for the Call for Proposals has been extended to 5pm (AEDT)15 October 2025 in response to the many requests we have received.
Don’t miss this extended opportunity to share your industry and community partnerships, applied research, innovation and great practice at TDA Convention 2026.
TDA welcomes proposals from all partners and stakeholders.
The Victorian VET sector celebrated its annual state training awards at a gala event on Friday night.
Winners include:
See all the winners and finalists
Image above: (from left) Award winners, Tarmi A’Vard, Amber Leyshan, Akwal Magek, Stavriana Taliadoros and Shirley Darcy.
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, Dr Fan Xiang, Acting Assistant Secretary, National Skills System, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), 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.
The best of Tasmania’s skills and training system were announced at the state’s training awards last week.
Winners include:
The Minister for Skills and Jobs, Felix Ellis, said the 61 finalists across 13 categories represent the very best of what our training system can achieve.
“Not only do these awards celebrate excellence in our VET system, they mark the dedication and commitment of our learners, teachers, trainers and employers to take our state forward.”
See all the winners and finalists
The Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance has launched ’Make It ManuFACTuring’, a campaign designed to show young Australians that manufacturing is modern, innovative and future-focused.
Created with direct input from industry leaders, the campaign challenges outdated stereotypes and features authentic stories, showcasing real people thriving in a wide range of manufacturing roles.
The campaign will be rolled out across television, radio, outdoor advertising, social media, and a dedicated website.
“Australia has a strong manufacturing sector with a proud legacy, but with an ageing workforce and skills shortages in priority areas, there is a need to attract the next generation,” the CEO of Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance Sharon Robertson said.
“We want people to broaden their search and see the modern face of manufacturing that exists today.”
Make It ManuFACTuring is running as a pilot across Victoria, Tasmania, and Queensland for an initial period of three months.
There is a large element of “invisible demand” for VET across key areas of the economy that is leaving certain industries without the skills they need, according to Skills Insight’s latest workforce plan.
The Skills Insight Workforce Plan 2025–2026 says that the unmet demand for VET delivery represents a critical gap in the data ecosystem.
“This demand may be actual, where prospective learners or enterprises actively seek training that RTOs are unable to deliver; or latent, where individuals and businesses operate in VET markets that have already failed, leading them to no longer pursue opportunities they know do not exist,” the paper says.
“Both forms of unmet demand remain largely invisible, limiting the ability of the system or government policies to respond effectively.”
Skills Insight supports about 70 sectors across the agribusiness, fibre, furnishing, food, animal and environment care industries, which employ over 585,000 people. While larger enterprises account for a broad share of production value, smaller operators dominate in regional, rural and remote communities.
“Stakeholders also highlight ongoing concerns about the drift away from workplace-based learning in VET towards classroom delivery, a shift perceived to align more closely with university practices than with the applied learning philosophy at the heart of VET,” the plan says.
“On a practical level, newer technology is found in workplaces long before it makes its way to RTOs.”
Jessica Hocking, Acting CEO of Skills Insight said the plan sets out four priorities shaped through industry collaboration.
“The priorities in this year’s Workforce Plan of leadership, skills needs, accessibility, and data and evidence will guide Skills Insight’s activities over the coming year,” Ms Hocking 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.
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
Register here
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
More information
Abstract due date for presentations and workshops extended to 30th September.
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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