Last Wednesday was National TAFE Day. TDA applauds the work of all TAFE educators and other staff who walk beside their students ensuring they achieve the outcomes they aim for from their time at TAFE. “National TAFE Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of Australia’s public TAFE system which has supported and provided opportunities for individuals, communities and employers for decades” (AEU website).
Many of you would also have been involved in celebratory events last week. I was delighted to once again be invited to join Minister Giles and Correna Haythorpe, Federal President of the AEU as a judge for the AEU student photography competition.
The State and Territory finalist students were supported to travel to Canberra last week to showcase their photographs. These students represent the diversity of the TAFE student population. As Minister Giles said as he spoke to the finalists. On display tonight is “the diversity of TAFE which is as diverse as your individual stories”. The students came from every State and Territory, from many different courses, and from many different age groups, genders, and ethnicities.
The Photography Competition was a celebration of national TAFE coming together. It was a terrific event and congratulations to all the students, staff and AEU officials who made it possible. Special mentions to the winner, Valerie Walker from WA and to the runner up, Jason Yuyang Liu from Victoria.
Last week, Parliament House also welcomed the national World Skills 2026 Skillaroos squad. To be among this extraordinary group of young people (most aged 19-23) demonstrates to all of us that the future of Australia is in good hands!
The four Skillaroos who were on the panel on Monday night were from four different TAFEs, demonstrating four different skills. They spoke brilliantly about why they were proud to be Skillaroos. They also gave accolades to their mentors and expert TAFE teachers. A sentiment shared by all, as mentors and experts are volunteers giving their time to help this next generation become skilled in their respective industries.
Minister Giles was joined by Prime Minister Albanese spending time with the Skillaroos squad prior to the event. Our politicians hearing directly from young people about the opportunities that this experience brings is so important. Congratulations to all members of the Skillaroos squad and the World Skills team!
One of the great things about going to the Australian Parliament House is experiencing how it is a welcoming place for all people of Australia and how busy it can be. The two events last week will have a positive impact on the lives of all the students who participated. Congratulations to all the students and to the TAFE staff who support them.
New legislation governing TAFE in South Australia will bring major changes, including greater ministerial oversight, a requirement to deliver on government and industry priorities, and the right to ban anyone threatening staff or students for up to two years.
The TAFE SA Bill 2025 introduced into parliament last week establishes TAFE SA as a statutory authority.
“Becoming a statutory authority will ensure TAFE SA is best placed to function in the interests of the public, rather than focusing on profit,” the Minister for Education, Training and Skills Blair Boyer said.
A requirement for TAFE SA to deliver on government and industry priorities will be required by law for the first time.
The legislation authorises TAFE SA to issue barring notices to people for offensive, threatening, abusive or insulting conduct, including against TAFE SA staff or students. In extreme cases, a person may be banned from entering TAFE SA grounds for a maximum of two years.
Another change will require industry experience, and direct engagement in education, training and employment for board members.
The importance of regional delivery will be enshrined in the legislation.
Governance arrangements between the minister, the TAFE SA board and the CEO is framed “to maintain appropriate Ministerial direction and oversight”, Mr Boyer said.
“It will mean TAFE will be more agile to pursue state government priorities – such as construction, defence and early childhood – sectors where we need to build the skills workforce for the future.”
TechnologyOne is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the TDA Convention 2026, reaffirming its commitment to empowering higher education providers to enhance operational efficiency and deliver a compelling student and staff experience.
As a trusted technology partner to over 90% of universities and more than 60% of TAFE/VET institutions across Australia and New Zealand, TechnologyOne simplifies processes, reduces administrative burden, and delivers intuitive, student-centric services through its OneEducation SaaS ERP solution. Its partnership with TDA reflects a shared vision to drive digital transformation and help institutions adapt, innovate, and thrive in a rapidly evolving education landscape.
Finally, 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.
Valerie Walker from South Metropolitan TAFE in Western Australia has won $5000 and been named the winner of the Australian Education Union’s 2025 ‘Heart of TAFE’ photography competition.
Her winning photo, The Heart of Philomathēs, captures Brigette, a student at South Metropolitan TAFE, Murdoch, creating a ‘Lava Lamp’ using Fluroescein, a compound that fluoresces under UV light and is widely used in science and medicine.
The award was announced at a ceremony at Parliament House on National TAFE Day and presented by the Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles.
AEU Federal President Correna Haythrope said the competition is a celebration of the students, teachers and communities that make TAFE such a powerful public institution.
“Every image tells a story of determination, skill, and opportunity and together they show how TAFE changes lives. TAFE has been a gateway to a better future for so many students. It creates genuine pathways into employment and provides a bridge to lifelong learning and professional success.”
Valerie was joined by seven state finalists from across the country, each of whom will receive $1000.
Image on left: TDA Chief Executive Officer Jenny Dodd, AEU Federal President Correna Haythrope, competition winner Valerie Walker and Minister Andrew Giles. On right: Minister Giles announces the winner of the ‘Heart of TAFE’ photo competition.
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.
TAFE students and teachers picked up major prizes at 2025 WA Training Award last Friday night.
Winners included:
The goal of a joined up tertiary education system is one of the key challenges being considered by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) in a new consultation paper.
The paper, ‘Modernising and Strengthening TEQSA’s Powers’, poses 16 key questions aimed at reforming the higher education regulatory system.
One of the areas of discussion looks at dismantling barriers between TAFE and university systems.
It says TEQSA and ASQA commenced work to improve the regulatory approach for dual-sector providers through the development of a dual sector regulatory strategy. This includes initiatives to improved information sharing between ASQA and TEQSA, alignment of regulatory requirements between the two bodies, and raising of academic and corporate governance across the VET and higher education sectors.
“Greater streamlining between TEQSA and ASQA will help tertiary education providers respond effectively to students and meet the requirements of a more joined-up sector that encourages more dual-sector provision,” it says.
It also poses the following question: “Are changes to the TEQSA Act needed to support better joined-up arrangements across higher education and vocational education? “What are the current regulatory challenges faced by students and providers and how could changes to the TEQSA legislation support a more streamlined experience?”
Responses to the paper are open until October 17.
Adult Learners Week is celebrating 30 years of activities with the theme, Celebrate Learning Together.
Running from 1-8 September, it highlights the tremendous achievements from adult learning and the opportunities it has created.
Adult Learners’ Week is now a UNESCO initiative and is celebrated in many countries around the world.
The week emphasises that learning is a lifelong journey and that it’s never too late to start or continue learning.
Adult Learners Week encourages individuals to reflect on their learning journeys, explore new opportunities, and promotes participation in adult and community education.
Chisholm Institute has been named as a finalist in two categories of the Australian Service Excellence Awards.
Chisholm joins finalists in the running for Customer Service Organisation of the Year – Government / Not-for-Profit, and Customer-centric Culture of the Year.
The ASEAs are hosted by Customer Service Institute of Australia and are the top awards for customer service across all industries, not just education.
Chisholm CEO, Stephen Varty said he was very proud of the team for this achievement.
“Being recognised across two separate categories reflects Chisholm’s unwavering commitment to educational excellence and exceeding customer expectations,” he 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.
Applications are open for the $5000 Australian Seniors Aged Care Futures Grant for students in the nursing and care sectors.
It is open to domestic undergraduate, full-time students in Aged Care Nursing, Dementia Care, Disabilities Care or any other courses leading to similar careers as an aged carer.
The 5000 grant is paid as a one-off payment to the winner.
Applications are open until October 31.
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.
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
More information
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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