2024 has been a busy and uncertain year for those involved in international education, which has ended with nearly as much uncertainty as it began. The Commonwealth Government’s widely discussed, debated and publicised proposed changes to ESOS legislation, were unexpectedly opposed and therefore, paused, during parliament’s final sitting for 2024.
TAFE, universities and private VET providers had no choice but to plan ahead of the legislation’s 
expected implementation, which included a repeal of Ministerial Directive (MD) 107 but introduced provider caps for international students, referred to as National Planning Levels. TDA analysed the potential impact of National Planning Levels for TAFE in September 2024, and although important policy details remained unfinalised (including exemptions for transnational programs) and there were varying levels of satisfaction with the planning levels (caps) applied, the measures proposed in the bill were expected to be manageable if accompanied by the repeal of MD107.
MD107 prioritises the order in which student visa applications are assessed and the evidence that must be supplied with the application, according to an education provider’s Evidence Level.
Evidence Levels are calculated based upon a number of risk factors, including visa refusals and cancellations of students linked to the education provider, with Evidence Level 1 representing the lowest calculated risk, and Evidence Level 3 the highest. Although visa processing delays and backlogs had created problems for the embattled international education sector prior to the introduction of MD107, the calculated Evidence Levels represented an inequitable playing field for many providers, particularly regional universities and TAFE.
Evidence Levels have recently been reviewed, with some good news for TAFE. Public providers who have shown an improved Evidence Level rating will move up Evidence Levels, while those with a worsening Evidence Level will stay paused, with the Department closely monitoring outcomes. TDA members have been encouraged to move forward to ensure student visa applications are submitted as quickly as possible, and with all supporting evidence supplied to avoid delays.
2025 is a federal election year, and the issue of student visas and changes to ESOS legislation will be ones that TDA will be monitoring closely. Advocacy on this topic will be particularly important, noting that opposition to the proposed bill was due to concerns that it did not go far enough in reducing the total number of international students entering Australia each year.
TDA and members of our Australian TAFE International Network (ATIN) met and communicated regularly in anticipation that the legislative changes would be passed and come into effect during the last Parliamentary sitting for 2024. We expect to be continuing to do the same in 2025!
Dr Teressa Schmidt is Director, Policy and Governance at TDA.
TAFE SA has taken out the large Training Provider of the Year Award at the Australian Training Awards in Canberra on Friday night, while a host of students, teachers and trainers have also been honoured.
TAFE SA took the Gold for its its crucial place in delivering high quality VET to the state’s workforce.
The Silver in the category went to Charles Darwin University.
Other TAFE winners were:
Apprentice of the Year – Matthew Tyquin, William Angliss Institute
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year – Runner-up, Harley Mansell, TasTAFE
Australian School-based Apprentice or Trainee of the Year – Runner-up, Dascha Harrison, TAFE NSW
Vocational Student of the Year – Zander Lee, TAFE SA
VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year – Dr Adam Bignold, Federation University
Runner-up – Maureen Simon, Charles Darwin University
Excellence in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice – Gemma Beall, TAFE NSW
The late Professor Peter Noonan was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in the VET and Skills Sector for his enormous contribution over a 40-year career.
See all the winners and finalists for the Australian Training Awards
This session will explore how TAFE SA has transformed its apprenticeship programs through the adoption of a digital training plan and attendance management system. We will discuss the specific challenges TAFE SA sought to address, the outcomes achieved, and the broader implications for managing apprentices in the field using technology.
The conversation will extend beyond this case study to explore how technology – especially AI – can enhance workplace-based apprenticeship management, focusing on communication, monitoring, and engagement.
Attendees will leave with actionable strategies and forward-looking insights for modernising apprenticeship management.
The federal and NSW governments have announced funding of $47 million to establish the latest TAFE Centre of Excellence in heavy manufacturing at Wollongong.
The Illawarra Heavy Industry Manufacturing Centre of Excellence at TAFE NSW Wollongong will give students access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, including digital and robotic technologies, and advanced manufacturing techniques.
It will pilot a new qualification model, the Associate Degree in Manufacturing and Applied Digital Technologies. This Degree Apprenticeship will provide a pathway between school, vocational education and training, and higher education. Courses on offer include Engineering Mechanical Trade, Laboratory Skills and 3D Printing.
It is the third NSW TAFE Centre of Excellence and follows the announcement of the Western Sydney Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence and the Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence.
Melbourne Polytechnic has joined the inaugural World TVET League, an exclusive grouping established under the World Vocational Technical Education Development Conference, and has also been confirmed in the role of Vice Chair.
As the only Australian member of the World TVET League, Melbourne Polytechnic has the opportunity and responsibility of leading Australia’s engagement with the forum to influence the direction of international TVET collaboration.
The inauguration of the World TVET League took place at the 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference in Tianjin, China.
Melbourne Polytechnic Vice President International Development, Tim Gilbert (pictured, right), accepted the nomination to become Vice Chair.
The World TVET League is expected to play an important role in promoting TVET internationally, and creating opportunities for extended partnerships among member nations.
Image, top: Inaugural members of the World TVET League in Tianjin, China.
More than 1200 students in building and construction face the prospect of having their qualifications revoked after the cancellation of another private training college by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).
ASQA has cancelled the registration of DSA Ventures Pty Ltd, trading as Australian Academy of Elite Education. It says the college did not meet the fit and proper person and financial viability requirements. Also, it had issued qualifications and statements of attainment without adequate assessment.
Notices of intent to cancel qualifications have been sent to 1,220 former DSA Ventures students who will have an opportunity to respond. The qualifications are across building and construction related areas.
It is the fourth private college to have its registration cancelled in recent weeks.
Qualifications issued to 17,500 students are being investigated, or have been cancelled after three colleges were deregistered, operating predominantly in the care sector.
ASQA says it is undertaking an ongoing program of regulatory actions following a series of compliance investigations targeting illegal behaviour and non-genuine providers.
Commonwealth, state and territory skills ministers have agreed to a series of recommendations from the Qualifications Reform Design Group, which call for an overhaul of the system of VET qualifications to bring greater flexibility and less complexity.
The final report of the QRDG, Unlocking the potential of VET, recommends a move away one-size-fits-all qualifications system to one that that accommodates the different purposes of VET.
The Chair of QRDG, Craig Robertson, says the priority is to prepare graduates with adaptable skills for both work and lifelong learning, supporting career mobility and flexibility, rather than training solely for specific roles.
“Remodelling qualifications to purpose as the QRDG proposes is essential, as there are too many qualifications and units which dilute the effectiveness of VET, and the regular rate of change has significant cost to students and providers,” he says.
The report outlines three differentiated qualification models to meet the different purposes of training:
Skills Ministers meeting on Friday accepted the recommendations of the report. The Communique stated that the reforms provide industry with opportunities for new approaches for qualifications linked to a broader industry or vocational education purpose.
A key feature of the proposed reform is to reduce the prescriptive approach to qualifications so that RTOs can respond with the best teaching and learning methods.
It says foundation skills like literacy and digital literacy should be embedded across qualification levels, ensuring consistent standards and reducing assessment burdens on RTOs.
The federal government has announced the appointment of Sarah Bendall as the new National Student Ombudsman within the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s office.
Ms Bendall brings extensive expertise in complaints management, investigations and dispute resolution from a variety of state departments and agencies.
The Ombudsman will have responsibility for higher education students, and will enable complaints about the actions of higher education provider, including complaints about sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Ms Bendall will start fielding complaints from students on February 1.
Ms Bendall has served as Chief Dispute Resolution Officer at the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety, as well as Director of Community Services Quality and Safety at the Department of Families, Fairness & Housing.
Tasmania’s civil construction workforce continues to grow, with another round of graduates recently completing the High-Vis Army Civil Construction Pre-Employment Program in Burnie.
The graduates undertook a six-week program, gaining skills and knowledge for a range of roles including civil labouring, truck driving, traffic control, pipe-laying, plant-operating, concreting and a range of other skilled roles in civil construction.
Generative AI is a widely discussed topic in all education sectors, with providers and educators grappling with the need to equip students with the digital skills required by industry, while managing ethical and academic integrity.
Australia’s Tertiary Education regulator, TEQSA is leading the way, supporting providers with the recent release of a Generative AI toolkit for the sector – Gen AI Strategies for Australian higher education: Emerging practice.
The guide contains practical strategies relevant to TAFE as well as for the intended Higher Education audience. It focuses on the three key areas: process (including risk management, monitoring and review), people (encompassing staff, students and external partners), and practice (learning, teaching and assessment).
Checklists of recommended strategies are included, along with illustrative examples compiled from an analysis of information supplied by Higher Education providers to TEQSA earlier this year.
TDA will continue to have discussions on Gen AI throughout 2025 as part of our TAFETalks series and we look forward to inviting TEQSA to be part of one of those.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has published the first edition of the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA), bringing a new approach to organising occupation-related information.
OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) which has been used in Australia since 2006.
The ABS uses OSCA to describe occupations in its statistical output from collections such as the Census of Population and Housing and Labour Force Survey, and administrative data such as the Linked Employer-Employee Dataset.
OSCA can also be used to measure and understand the labour market.
TDA Corporate Affiliate, D2L is hosting a webinar next week on ways to create an inclusive learning experience for associations and members.
The webinar, Inclusive Learning: empowering every association member through accessible education, will be held Wednesday 11 December, 11.00am – midday AEDT.
Expert speakere are:
Australian Council of Deans of Education Vocational Education Group (ACDEVEG) 2024 Conference
9-10 December 2024
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
More information
A catalyst for skills transformation: the UNESCO-UNEVOC TVET Innovation Framework
10 December 2024
More information
D2L Webinar – Inclusive Learning: empowering every association member through accessible education
11 December 2024, 11.00am – midday AEDT.
Register here
OECD International Conference on AI in Work, Innovation, Productivity and Skills
12 December 2024
More information
2025 VET AI Symposium
18 March 2025
VET Development Centre Melbourne/online
Save the date
National Apprentice Employment Network 2025 National Conference
11-13 June 2025
Brisbane
Save the date
WorldSkills Australia National Championships and Skills Showcase
12-14 June 2025
Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
34th National Vocational Education and Training (VET) Research Conference ‘No Frills’
9-11 July 2025 (Abstract submissions due by 7 March 2025)
Gold Coast
More information
VET National Teaching & Learning Conference
14-15 August 2025
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Save the date
TDA Convention 2026
SAVE the DATE
5-7 May 2026
Brisbane
2026 WFCP World Congress
23-28 November 2026
Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kenya
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