One of the nice things about early January is the media often does a series of summaries of thoughts from leaders. Not surprising, but nonetheless interesting, was the collective view of several chief executives (as reported in the Australian Financial Review on 5 January) about solutions for improving Australia’s productivity. Both skilled migration and training our young people were high on their list.
While skilled migration will always be a go-to solution for business, as it requires minimal investment by them, the double billing with training young people is pleasing. There are a lot of opportunities where businesses are stepping in. Businesses working with TAFEs to enable young people to gain new skills and qualifications to be productive in new industries is happening – these stories are on the TDA website.
Government is also stimulating partnerships between TAFEs and businesses to meet business needs for new skills. While most of the recipients of Free TAFE are individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, there are other innovative solutions directed at supporting business needs for new skills. For example, TAFE Queensland has recognised that for the automotive industry to get the labour force it now needs, Free TAFE is an effective solution. This is a small business solution supported by government.
John Tucker, CEO TAFE Queensland explains: “Queensland’s Free TAFE funding is being applied to nine skill sets in addition to full qualifications. One of these is the Battery Electric Vehicle Inspection and Servicing Skill Set (AURSS00064) which provides existing workers in the automotive industry, primarily small businesses, the skills and knowledge to safely inspect and service battery electric vehicle systems by safely depowering and reinitialising battery electric vehicles. (And to top it off), this Free TAFE skill set has achieved a 97% successful completion rate.”
If government money is to be used wisely it should go to initiatives meeting Australia’s priorities and to those entrants into the labour market who are economically disadvantaged. Prioritising skills development for young people, and for small businesses, is good government policy.
The federal and Victorian governments have announced the establishment of the Melbourne Polytechnic Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence – the first dedicated training facility in Australia focused exclusively on advanced construction courses.
The centre will be located at Melbourne Polytechnic’s Heidelberg campus and builds on the work of its Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence. It will also adopt the learnings from Melbourne Polytechnic’s Clean Economy Skills Lab for Residential Building and Skills Lab for Circular Design.
The centre will collaborate with industry, other TAFEs, universities, Jobs and Skills Councils and innovation partners, including the Building 4.0 Cooperative Research Centre, on applied research and real-world problem-solving programs in MMC and systems.
It forms part of the federal government’s $325 million investment under the five-year National Skills Agreement, to establish a network of up to 20 TAFE Centres of Excellence.
This session will explore how TAFE SA has transformed its apprenticeship programs through the adoption of a digital training plan and attendance management system.
It 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 – specially 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.
December was a busy month in VET, with a number of key pieces of work released as the federal government continues to implement its agenda for VET reform and the goals of the National Skills Agreement (NSA).
The joint stewardship model which underpins the NSA requires accountability for Australia’s reformed VET system to be shared between Commonwealth, state and territory governments. Each of these have developed Jurisdictional Action Plans which outline their contributions to achieving the priorities of the NSA and the commitments agreed to in the National Skills Plan (NSP).
The Jurisdictional Action Plans are aligned to the National Skills Agreement Outcomes Framework, also hot off the press in December. The Outcomes Framework establishes balanced scorecard monitoring and reporting on the VET sector’s progress against the nine outcomes of the NSA.
The federal government’s Jurisdictional Action Plan provides information on Commonwealth-led investment, actions and initiatives in relation to the National Skills Agreement and National Skills Plan.
At the time of writing, five state and territory Jurisdictional Action Plans were available, with the remaining plans to be published as they are finalised. The plans are unique, encompassing the varying priorities, opportunities and challenges experienced by each jurisdiction as they contribute to the agreed priorities and shared stewardship responsibilities in relation to the VET system.
For example, the Western Australian Government’s Jurisdictional Action Plan outlines geographical challenges characterised by thin markets and the higher costs of educational delivery and infrastructure, while the NSW Plan introduces the state’s Interim Skills Outcomes Framework which articulates six jurisdictional outcomes and associated metrics to be monitored and reported on via a public dashboard.
Some jurisdictions, such as Queensland and the Northern Territory, have repurposed and updated existing skills plans to create a more explicit alignment between their jurisdictional plans and responsibilities and the expectations of the NSA and NSP. Similarly, the Tasmanian Jurisdictional Action Plan is succinct, informed by the Tasmanian Training and Workforce Development Performance Report, and explicitly mapped to the existing Tasmanian Skills Plan 2024-2028.
What’s next? Jurisdictional Action Plans will be refined and updated according to insights from stakeholders and reported data. The outcomes framework will be further refined following consultation with a number of key stakeholders, including First Nations people. The first balanced scorecard report (based upon the indicators of the Outcomes Framework) is expected to be released in mid-2025, followed by an annual reporting cycle. The effectiveness of the stewardship model will also be independently reviewed in mid-2025 to inform the next planning and review cycle.
ASQA has announced the three providers that will be participating in a delegated course accreditation pilot, along with the courses to be to developed and self-accredited.
The providers and courses are:
This is an important pilot which will allow innovation and a faster response to industry’s emerging skills needs. It is also a critical step towards a harmonised and more effective tertiary education system.
ASQA will work with the three providers to ensure the pilot informs future self-accreditation processes, and TDA will monitor and report as updates are available.
With the support of Fee Free TAFE, Bradley Edwards has successfully transitioned his career from retail to early childhood education and care through TAFE SA.
A father of one, Bradley said he had been contemplating a career change since the COVID pandemic and chose the early childhood education and care sector because he was interested in engaging with children and helping them learn.
The “final push” that he needed to enrol in early childhood education and care training was Fee Free TAFE.
Image (from left) SA Minister for Education, Training and Skills, Blair Boyer, ECEC student Gloria Phuatthakum, Member for Boothby, Louise Miller-Frost, former Federal Minister for Skills and Training, Brendan O’Connor, and ECEC student Bradley Edwards.
Experienced senior executive, David Miller has been appointed Chief Executive of the Victorian government’s Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery.
David previously served in the unit as Executive Director of TAFE Service Delivery, and will commence in the new role today.
He has more than 20 years of experience in public sector policy and program management including in the VET sector. He has held executive and management roles at the Australian Skills Quality Authority, Skills Canberra and the ACT Education and Training Directorate.
Following the appointment, Grant Radford will return to his role as CEO of Box Hill Institute, following his tenure as Acting CEO of the Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery during the recruitment process.
TDA extends its warm congratulations to David Miller on this appointment and its appreciation to Grant Radford on serving in the interim
An upcoming NCVER webinar will explore trends in employment and further study outcomes for VET students and the reasons why some students don’t complete.
The webinar, ‘What’s going on with student outcomes?’ features John King (Managing Director, NCVER), Peita Davis (Director Skills, Education and Research at Business Council of Australia), Mary Faraone (Chair of TAFE Directors Australia and Chief Executive of Holmesglen Institute) and Felix Pirie (Deputy Chief Executive, Policy & Research at ITECA).
The panel will examine the latest findings from NCVER’s National Student Outcomes Survey.
The webinar will be held at 1:30pm ACDT on Tuesday 25 February.
The TEQSA Commission has confirmed the registration of the Australian College of Theology (ACT) in the Australian University category.
The decision followed consultation with state and territory ministers responsible for higher education following a decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal last October.
The AAT decision noted that TEQSA needed to consult with the responsible state and territory ministers in accordance with Section 39 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act).
In making its decision, TEQSA noted that the Tribunal had formed the view that ACT met the requirements for registration as an Australian University, and State and Territory Ministers did not oppose the change in provider status.
The Australian College of Theology was founded in 1891 and was granted self-accrediting authority in 2010 and gained University College status in 2022. It has approximately 3,000 students enrolled in courses in Theology, Ministry and Christian Studies.
ASQA has released the first in a series of draft Practice Guides to support training providers in the transition to the revised Standards for RTOs.
The first four have been published and are available on the ASQA website. The drafts include:
The guides are published as drafts to provide an opportunity for feedback ahead of the revised Standards coming into effect from 1 July 2025.
The federal government has released further details of the structural reforms being undertaken as part of the Australian Universities Accord.
The information is included in the Australian Universities Accord: 2024-25 MYEFO Summary, released in late December.
Key reform details announced include:
TAFETalks: Insights from TAFE SA on revolutionising apprenticeship management
29 January 2025
2.00-3.00pm AEDT
Register here
NCVER Webinar
What’s going on with student outcomes?
25 February 2025
More information
2025 VET AI Symposium
18 March 2025
VET Development Centre Melbourne and online
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9th Research Conference of the International Network for Innovative Apprenticeship (INAP)
8-9 May 2025
University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, England
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National Apprentice Employment Network 2025 National Conference
11-13 June 2025
Sofitel, Brisbane
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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
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VET National Teaching & Learning Conference
14-15 August 2025
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
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Velg Training National VET Conference
30-31 October 2025
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
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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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