- Information and promotion
- This chapter sets out measures to increase awareness and understanding of the vocational education and training (VET) sector and promote VET as a sector of choice to prospective students and other key stakeholders.
- The chapter also emphasises that improving perceptions of VET cannot rely solely on providing information and promoting the sector to students, employers, and other stakeholders. Improvements must also be made to ensure the sector delivers the quality education and training required to respond to current and emerging skills need. Specific measures to improve the sector are outlined in subsequent chapters.
VET sector and pathways
3.3Reliable, accurate information is critical to ensuring that prospective students can make informed decisions about training and career pathways. This in turn helps to reduce rates of student attrition and lift perceptions of the sector. Stakeholders indicated that information on the VET sector should capture courses, qualifications, and individual registered training organisations (RTOs), and provide clear guidance on VET pathways and career—differentiated by categories of learner.
3.4Independent Schools Australia (ISA) asserted that information on the sector must be clear, concise, and promote a good understanding of VET and VET outcomes, with consistent information between jurisdictions. Information should also be tailored to groups of stakeholders, including students, parents and carers, career practitioners, VET educators, and school leaders. ISA also observed that providing information on how VET and university offerings intersect will help address an unhelpful dichotomy between the sectors.
3.5TAFE Directors Australia recommended that Commonwealth-funded information on VET take into consideration the different profiles of people using the VET system and be targeted appropriately to each demographic. It also emphasised that people enrolling in technical and further education (TAFE) are extremely diverse. Some have been in the workforce but are looking for a start in a clearly defined career pathway, others are looking to re-skill or upskill, and others are returning to work after a prolonged absence. Students also come from a range of cultural backgrounds and have varying levels of education.
3.6Newbery Consulting (Newbery) recommended that government implement a strategy to communicate key information on available VET-related career pathways in a way that engages users and is easy to navigate and share. The information should cover:
- Education and training pathways, differentiated by life stage (for example, school leaver or career advancement).
- VET-enabled roles by industry sector, including entry-level and senior roles.
- The skills and tasks to be performed in identified positions and an explanation of how these skills and tasks will change over time.
- Careers information and support with goal setting, tailored to individual needs.
- Remuneration for various roles within the sector.
- Certifications or licences required for different roles within the sector.
- How various roles impact on work-life balance.
- Work health and safety hazards, informed by recent and historic trends.
- The Isolated Children’s Parents Association of Western Australia (ICPAWA) called for the establishment of a ‘one-stop-shop’ comparison website, including information on RTOs, job availability, non-financial and financial support offered by government, and tools to assist with career decision-making.
- The Tasmanian Government called for more information on pay and conditions and the linkages between VET and universities, as well as for material highlighting those employers which learners may find inspiring as they move from VET to employment.
- The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) stated that evidence-based resources on immediate and expected skills needs would be an asset for parents, teachers, and career advisors in terms of supporting students’ decision-making and asserted that Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) has a vital role in delivering these resources. The MCA recommended the following measures:
- The workforce analysis and planning functions of JSA be accelerated to develop a comprehensive workforce plan that:
- captures skills in immediate and growing demand and where job opportunities lie (inclusive of existing and emerging sectors); and
- enables linkages and connections by career pathways platforms to promote national consistency.
- Government, industry, and training providers work collaboratively to provide key influencers with the relevant information, resources, and tools to confidently support students’ decision-making about career pathways.
Access to information
3.10Stakeholders highlighted ways in which current and prospective VET students access information, indicating that these must be considered in the development of information resources and promotional material.
3.11The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) drew attention to interviews with students in Victoria which suggested that students’ choices regarding VET study involve weighing up various factors and accessing information from a range of sources. Factors impacting the perceived value of information to students broadly fall into the following categories:
- Content: the relevance, influence, and informative qualities of the information. The main types of information students use to select VET courses are location, cost, and quality of training. Students frequently seek actual and total costs—rather than estimates or partial costs—and value firm start and completion dates.
- Source: the preferred ‘messenger’ for accessing information and the channels used to communicate with students. Google was identified as the default search strategy, followed by information on providers’ websites, course guides, and to a lesser extent government websites. Word of mouth and local intelligence also played a vital role in decision-making.
- Customisation: ensuring that relevant and accessible information is not generic, jargonistic or beyond the comprehension of users. Students must be able to navigate, access, and interpret information at the course and provider levels.
- Newbery noted that web searches are a common means of finding information on VET and raised concern that most paid and organic results on search engines such as Google promote university pathways. Newbery suggested that government work with experts to identify the most common keywords related to job opportunities and VET qualifications and incorporate those keywords into online job postings and career websites.
Training providers and courses
3.13A key theme in evidence was that more information on individual RTOs and courses should be available to ensure students are able to make informed decisions about VET pathways. Stakeholders suggested that publishing this information would also help lift overall perceptions of the VET sector.
3.14Master Builders Australia (MBA) noted that information on individual RTOs and their courses is limited to a small number of indicators including cost, duration, location, delivery model, and whether the RTO has been subject to a regulatory decision. No information is provided on the quality of trainers or facilities, student satisfaction, or student employment or salary outcomes. By contrast, information relating to higher education is available via the CompareED website. MBA stated that information on training quality and employment outcomes at the RTO and course level should be made publicly available, noting that the NVCER collects but does not publish this information.
3.15The Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union (QNMU) noted that a key source of information on the direction and future effectiveness of the sector is engagement in and outcomes from courses. The QNMU observed that while the NCVER provides some information on these matters, the data is highly aggregated. Data on course completion at the individual provider or jurisdiction level would support enhanced decision-making for students and assist employers with workforce planning.
3.16Ms Claire Field emphasised that information relating to the quality of individual VET providers is critical, and proposed:
- Provider-level student and employer satisfaction data be published, given this data is published in the higher education sector on an annual basis.
- The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) publish key summary information on its most recent audits of VET providers.
- Audit reports by ASQA or state regulators be published on regulators’ websites or made available via training.gov.au. Measures should be implemented to make this information more accessible to students.
- ASQA ensure data in its annual reports is consistent with data published by the Productivity Commission in its annual Review of Government Services (RoGS).
- Information provided by RTOs and private organisations is of varying quality and is often designed to market rather than to inform. Stakeholders raised concern that this creates challenges for prospective VET students who often rely on this information when making decisions about future pathways. For example, the Integrated Information Service (IIS) stated that users want general information—not sales material—particularly when starting to make decisions in relation to their careers.
- The National Union of Students (NUS) stated that information on individual providers’ websites is limited and rarely updated. The NUS indicated that providers should take steps to improve the information they publish on their own websites and advertise the My Skills website (now Your Career) to users.
- Mr Robert Heron noted that many websites which aim to attract talent into industry sectors are professionally written by university graduates and do not provide a clear picture of VET-related jobs. Mr Heron noted that while plumbing covers a range of occupations, including maintaining medical gas systems, recruitment websites often focus heavily on sanitation. Mr Heron also identified an over-emphasis on work safety in TAFE brochures, noting that this may not attract students to TAFE.
System navigators
3.20The Committee heard that simply providing information on VET courses can be insufficient to enable users to make informed decisions about training and career pathways. There may be a role for system navigators and other support services—particularly for individuals in situations of disadvantage.
3.21The NSW Department of Education, TAFE NSW, and NSW Education Standards Authority (NSW Department of Education et al) noted that although disadvantaged learners often obtain information about VET via similar sources to other community members, they may find those sources challenging to navigate. This is particularly the case for people with limited language, literacy, or digital skills who may require support to process information and navigate enrolment processes.
3.22The Tasmanian Government stated that easy navigation of training options is critical to raising the profile of VET, noting that with over 150 RTOs in Tasmania it can be daunting for learners and employers to identify the RTOs and qualifications that meet their skills needs. Further, information on VET at the national level is often pitched at learners and could be enhanced to provide targeted advice for employers.
3.23The Queensland Government noted that the Training Ombudsman in that jurisdiction assists stakeholders to navigate the VET system and provides in-depth guidance on students’ rights and responsibilities. The Queensland Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training has established regional networks to support place-based employment solutions that link individuals with jobs, promote VET pathways, and educate schools regarding VET opportunities to support school-to-work transitions.
3.24Some organisations that may be considered system navigators may not be providing effective support. For example, the National Youth Commission Australia (NYCA) stated that while young people in receipt of income support may obtain assistance from employment service providers, those providers focus heavily on compliance and participation rather than connecting younger people to training opportunities.
Simplifying information
3.25There are multiple sources of information on VET dispersed across jurisdictions and individual entities. Information may be outdated and is often inconsistent across sources. Stakeholders called for measures to consolidate information on the VET sector and ensure its ongoing reliability, with the ultimate aim of providing a single, trusted source of information.
3.26Professor Erica Smith noted that the lack of consistent, trusted sources of information on the VET sector leads potential students and other stakeholders to form ideas and make decisions about VET pathways based on personal experiences and advice from others. This issue is compounded by the fact that VET receives little attention in the media. By contrast, there are a variety of films and television series relating to the experience of attending university.
3.27The Tasmanian Government noted that the national VET system is complicated and poorly understood by participants, and particularly by learners and employers trying to navigate training options. The Tasmanian Government stated that there is a clear need to clarify the roles of VET participants—including Commonwealth, State, and Territory governments, individual RTOs, and the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN)—in providing information on the VET sector.
3.28The MCA stated that challenges for students, parents, and other stakeholders in navigating the variety of sources of information at the national, state, and industry levels include:
- Confidence in the quality, consistency, and currency of information.
- Functionality and accessibility of the tools, including the level of prior knowledge required to explore different options and pathways.
- Awareness of the tools, and the extent to which they are promoted to users; and
- Alignment with current and anticipated skills needs and direct links to tangible job opportunities.
- The Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) asserted that there is a need for a consistent, co-ordinated information strategy led by the Australian Government with a focus on enhancing the perception and status of VET as an attractive career option. The MTAA noted that while the National Careers Institute (NCI) provides access to career information, resources, and support for those interested in a VET qualification, it is often difficult to find this resource on the internet. Moreover, the information on the NCI website is not always up to date.
- Ms Claire Field noted that government website addresses are often altered owing to machinery of government changes and/or name changes to public entities. Ms Field stated that if prospective students, parents, career advisors and others are unable to find relevant information on VET, it is easier to recommend university study.
- Independent Schools Tasmania (IST) stated that although there is an abundance of information on VET, it is often fragmented and duplicated across jurisdictions. IST suggested there may be value in a single organisation taking the lead in producing and disseminating information on VET, suggesting that this should be the NCI.
- The Independent Education Union—Queensland and Northern Territory (IEU-QNT) observed that the mere provision of government advice is unlikely to have a substantial impact on student career choices. It also stated that establishing a single point of information should not be used to justify a reduction in the quantum and quality of career guidance provided by school-based counsellors.
- Some stakeholders indicated that one means of simplifying access to information on the VET sector would be to consolidate government websites relating to the VET and university, noting that this would also help promote integration between the sectors.
- The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) stated that there is an opportunity to create a new process for learners to access information on VET qualifications, careers, RTOs, and other key matters via an organisation such as JSA. According to COSBOA, this would enable a greater range of stakeholders to have input into the information that is available and how it is disseminated.
- The NUS called for the My Skills website (now Your Career) to be made a ‘one-stop-shop’ for information on tertiary education, including in relation to matters such as scholarships and loans. According to the NUS, providing access to resources via a single portal or entity could also be used to promote interoperability between the VET and university sectors.
- The Government of South Australia (SA Government) recommended establishing a digital portal owned jointly by all jurisdictions. This would be designed for students and their families accessible to business and industry and would contain information pitched to diverse audiences across the VET sector. The portal should include information, job openings, skills demand, profiles of key sectors, interactive mapping, career and training options, and information on subsidies and supports.
- In its 2020 Review of the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development (NASWD), the Productivity Commission envisaged an enhanced role for the NCI, with the institute responsible for publishing much of the information outlined above—including information on individual RTOs and courses. The Commission asserted that the NCI should publish information on fees; learning and teaching quality; student and employer satisfaction; expected employment outcomes; and credit pathways. The information should be reliable and easily understood.
- The Commission also asserted that governments at all levels should work together to establish the NCI as a central information hub, require all RTOs to provide up-to-date student fee information; and task the NCVER to develop a set of summary indicators on RTO quality and student outcomes—to be published by the NCI.
National Careers Institute
3.39The NCI is a non-statutory entity in the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR). It was created in 2019 with the aim of providing school leavers, people returning to the workforce, people wishing to change careers, and people wishing to update their skills with advice and information on education and training.
3.40According to DEWR, the NCI meets its objectives by:
- Conducting research and sharing best practice.
- Providing career information.
- Maintaining a national register relied upon by stakeholders and IT systems in the VET sector as the central source of data on training and providers.
- Supporting Australia’s training market by collating information to support students and employers to find courses and providers that best suit their needs.
- Developing targeted and tailored resources supported by research to understand how, when, and why people make career-related decisions.
- Collaborating and engaging in partnerships and outreach across industry and jurisdictions to improve the status and appeal of VET.
- Showcasing excellence through the Australian Training Awards, VET Alumni Network and WorldSkills Australia.
- The NCI’s work is supported by market intelligence from JSA and research and data held by the NCVER. This is translated into practical information and tools for users.
- A core offering of the NCI is the Your Career website. This enables access to advice and information on career pathways and a database of tertiary courses and programs across the country. Previously, the NCI administered the My Skills website. This has been rolled into Your Career. The NCI also administers training.gov.au, the national register of VET courses and providers. DEWR indicated that Your Career is widely used, with 2.3 million individuals viewing the website since launch in October 2022. Users were likely to be 18 to 34 years of age and more likely to be female.
- The strategic direction of the NCI is set by an advisory board. The board has diverse representation, including members from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and First Nations communities, and often works closely with industry and with state and territory governments.
- DEWR explained that the NCI was nearing the end of its ‘establishment’ phase, having been in place since 2019. DEWR also observed that measures were being implemented to enhance the NCI’s offerings, including integrating My Skills into the Your Career website to create a more seamless, personalised experience for users. In the 2023-24 Budget, the Government committed an additional $5.1 million to the NCI to provide Australians with an authoritative source of information on education, training, and careers pathways.
- Some stakeholders expressed support for the policy intent of the NCI as a trusted source of information on to tertiary pathways, noting wide variety of often conflicting information relating to VET on private and public sector websites and the fact that many place a high value on government websites as an unbiased source of advice.
- However, the also Committee heard that the NCI is not operating effectively and more could be done to raise awareness of the NCI and improve its services. It was also suggested that the NCI would benefit from a strategic review to assess whether it is delivering on its objectives.
Awareness and visibility
3.47Some stakeholders advised that despite having worked in or engaged with the VET sector for some time, they were not aware of the NCI or its work.
3.48The Australian Centre for Career Education (ACCE) observed that the NCI does not have a prominent role in schools—including in supporting careers advice. The ACCE proposed expanding the scope of the NCI’s work to enhance its value as a resource for career educators, students, and parents.
3.49The Western Australian (WA) Government indicated that employers often face difficulty in identifying training opportunities via My Skills (now Your Career) and training.gov.au. Suggested solutions included improving the visibility and accessibility of the websites via an awareness campaign and providing online resources for employers and industry on how to search for qualifications.
3.50Dr Stephen Billett shared feedback from young people that while the NCI provides ‘mountains’ of information, there is limited knowledge as to how that information should be used. Dr Billett indicated that the NCI could do more proactive outreach to local communities to enable engagement at the local level.
3.51The Australian Industry Group Centre for Education and Training (AiGroup) highlighted the need to review the NCI’s activities to assess whether information is reaching its target audience. The AiGroup indicated that that career-related initiatives in individual states and territories (for example, Careers NSW) could be examined to determine if their activities have greater penetration of the market.
Quality of information and resources
3.52Evidence suggested that the Your Career and (former) My Skills websites do not provide sufficient, relevant information on career pathways and available courses.
3.53Newbery noted that My Skills does not include information on career pathways, while Your Career only provides a ‘snapshot’ of certain occupations (for example, key information on day-to-day duties and available courses). By contrast, the Course Seeker website provides information and advice on a variety of university pathways.
3.54Newbery raised concern that information on the Your Career website is confusing, noting that searching for certificate-level qualifications in individual, aged or disability care led to listings for First Nations primary care, early childhood education, and animal care. Newbery asserted that Your Career and My Skills link to information that is neither relevant nor accurate.
3.55The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) similarly noted that while information and advice on VET pathways is available via the NCI, users must know what they are looking for—up to and including the name of specific qualifications. The (former) My Skills website also relied on information contributed by RTOs and was frequently out of date. According to the ACCI, the reputation of the NCI could be enhanced via an awareness campaign, and the NCI’s websites need a ‘visual makeover’ and better course information.
3.56These views were echoed by SkillsIQ, who drew attention to its GetABOVE system as a means of enhancing the information and advice available to prospective VET students. SkillsIQ explained that:
GetABOVE provides an accessible platform for individuals to get informed and identify where to get the best skills training. The information available is based directly on student and employer feedback. Students rate key elements of their learning experience, including course content, quality and relevance of work experience and employment outcomes. Employers are asked instead to rate the qualifications’ relevance to job roles, the value of work-based training, and the outcomes of the training for their businesses.
3.57SkillsIQ noted that it offered the NCI a prototype of GetABOVE,but was advised that the system was unnecessary.
3.58Your Career also appears to have an inbuilt bias in favour of university. For example, the National Australian Apprenticeships Association (NAAA) stated:
[If] you use the tools on 'Your Career’ … [and enter] 'I would like to work with my hands in construction,' you don't get a recommendation for a trade pathway until about the 40th option. It starts with, 'Oh, if you'd like to work with your hands in construction, perhaps you'd like to become an architect or perhaps you'd like to become a project supervisor.'
3.59The NAAA stated that, as a result, it does not rely on Your Career for information on VET- or apprenticeship-related careers, preferring to use the website administered by the Australian Apprenticeships and Traineeships Information Service (AATIS).
3.60This view was echoed by the IIS, who raised concern that the apparent bias in favour of university appears even when a person is expressly searching for VET pathways:
When selecting the two interests of ‘working outdoors’ and ‘working with my hands’ and sorting by the default of ‘relevance’, the first eight results are for professional engineers (which includes ‘naval architect’), and the first page of results does not include any traditional trade apprenticeships including those listed on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List.
3.61Newbery observed that while Your Career states that training in cybersecurity may be available via VET providers and industry bodies, it indicates that a career in the industry will generally require a university education. Newbery indicated that this is because government has failed to update the website with current cybersecurity qualifications.
3.62TAFE Directors Australia asserted that the NCI has too broad a remit—that is, a remit covering both VET and higher education and pathways for both school students and adult learners. As such, more work is needed to clarify the information requirements for different cohorts, and whether the NCI is providing—and indeed can provide—a tailored service.
3.63Some stakeholders indicated that the information provided via the NCI does not include certain skills and qualifications. For example, the NUS stated that the NCI focuses on ‘in demand’ skills and qualifications, noting that this may limit the options available to students and jobseekers and may not represent the diverse range of careers available. The Royal Life Saving Society of Australia (RLSSA) echoed this view, stating that Your Career lists no short-term study options for pool lifeguards or key roles for aquatic facilitators.
3.64The WA Government suggested enhancing My Skills to include a dedicated section for employers that uses the latest technology to curate support and assistance for employers to navigate the VET system and engage with RTOs and job applicants.
Promotional and marketing initiatives
3.65In addition to enhancing the quality and consistency of information on VET, more must be done to market the sector. This will be critical to dispelling negative perceptions of VET, enhancing the status of the sector relative to higher education, and responding effectively to skills shortages.
3.66Stakeholders noted that—as with the provision of information generally—promotional material should:
- Use clear, consistent messaging, and be delivered by a trusted source.
- Be diffused through a variety of platforms, including but not limited to digital platforms which are inaccessible for many users.
- Be diffused at both the national and local level, with clear linkages between national- and local-level initiatives;
- Promote the VET sector to employers and students;
- Be targeted to different cohorts of current and prospective learners, based on factors such as demographic characteristics and career and life stage; and
- Leverage existing initiatives at the national and local levels and explore innovative delivery methods.
- The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) emphasised that promotional material must include diverse voices, to ensure people in historically disadvantaged cohorts know they can aspire to a VET-assisted future. It asserted that promotional material should not focus on stories that indicate that VET is only for people who need to overcome hardship.
- The University of Newcastle indicated that there may be value in considering ways of promoting VET through a gendered and cultural lens, such as:
- For people in regional areas, promoting occupations and pathways which would enable the person to remain in the community.
- Integrating cultural diversity into the promotion of VET to encourage people from CALD backgrounds to consider a VET pathway, noting that university pathways are often more valued by CALD communities.
- Promoting a range of options to women and men considering a VET pathway. This should not attempt to encourage either gender into a particular industry or career but rather present a broad range of potential futures.
National campaigns
3.69Several stakeholders called for national campaigns to promote the VET sector, including to reduce the stigma attached to VET and promote the sector as an equally valid pathway to higher education. Stakeholders indicated that such campaigns must be co-designed and -delivered by government, industry, and training providers.
3.70COSBOA called for a targeted marketing campaign; advertising on social media, print media, radio, and television; and clear, accessible information such as fact sheets for potential students. Resources must be easy to understand, available in various languages, and accessible to people with disability.
3.71The NSW Department of Education et al suggested a national public awareness campaign on the benefits of and career choices enabled by VET, highlighting the campaign delivered by the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation in New Zealand which satirises parents’ misconceptions of trade pathways.
3.72The Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA) stated that there must be significant investment in community education, with a long-term, coordinated, multi-pronged promotion and education effort involving communities, schools, career practitioners, VET providers and employers as both targets and conduits of change.
3.73Newbery asserted that government should consider a campaign that brings together the positive stories from all different sections of the VET market, including private, community, public, and enterprise-led providers. The campaign should communicate the advantages of VET over university qualifications and feature the stories of people who have had success through VET pathways.
3.74The SA Government called for a long-term promotional and marketing strategy for the sector, noting that previous marketing campaigns have frequently been limited in scope and duration. Measures should be taken to ensure a nationally consistent approach, with audits conducted on activities funded by Commonwealth and State governments—including marketing campaigns on subsidised courses—to better understand their impact.
3.75It was suggested that national campaigns to improve perceptions of VET should be accompanied by state- and local-level campaigns which highlight training options within regions. These campaigns should be supported by national funding.
3.76The ACCI suggested that existing initiatives such as National Skills Week could be leveraged to promote awareness of VET, with representatives of the initiatives proactively engaging with schools and industry stakeholders.
Promoting apprenticeships
3.77In addition to promoting opportunities offered by the VET sector generally, measures should be implemented to promote the value of apprenticeships and traineeships. These measures could emphasise the advantages of apprenticeships such as direct connections with employers, high employment outcomes, and the potential to ‘earn while you learn’. Initiatives could also highlight personal stories of success.
3.78MBA noted that a key challenge in the current employment environment is attracting people to apprenticeships, stating that apprenticeships need a ‘rebrand’ to address misperceptions such as low pay and limited job opportunities. MBA recommended that the NCI work with industry on a national campaign to dispel myths and promote apprenticeship pathways to young people, parents, and career advisors.
3.79Mr Alan Sparks noted that strategies for recruiting apprentices continue to focus on school pathways, notwithstanding that the average age of new apprentices is 24.4 years. While messages to candidates for VET must address traditional school pathways, they must also engage with adults who aspire to be tradespeople.
3.80The IIS noted that the status of apprenticeships often depends to a large degree on the success of individual placements with employers and on word of mouth. The IIS stated that successful placements should be acknowledged and rewarded at the local level, noting that this will improve the status of the employer and the training provider as well as any networks supporting the placement. Communications to a wider audience can then be delivered via various formats and channels—including social media—as part of a broader marketing strategy.
3.81The ACCI highlighted the UK’s Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), which involves apprentice ambassadors working to encourage employers and young people to engage with apprenticeships. The ACCI explained that while Australia has a similar initiative—the Australian Apprenticeship Ambassador Program—this takes a more ‘passive’ approach to promoting apprenticeships. The ACCI asserted that a proactive approach, including a defined work plan and outreach to local schools, may enable the program to have a greater impact.
3.82DEWR shared initial views in provided in response to its Australian Apprenticeship Services and Supports discussion paper, which highlighted that:
- Apprenticeships are perceived as a pathway to a single vocation or occupation.
- Apprenticeships are commonly associated with high school students, even though many employers actively seek mature aged apprentices and that apprenticeships are often used to support a career change.
- There is a cultural or social barrier to participation of women in male-dominated trade apprenticeships due to systems and structures in and work environments.
- DEWR stated that promoting apprenticeships as pathways to high-value employment opportunities and rewarding careers and making the benefits of a trade more visible to target cohorts, may assist in addressing these barriers.
Ambassadors and role models
3.84Success stories of VET graduates will often have a significant and positive impact on perceptions of and decisions related to VET pathways. Stakeholders called for these stories to be highlighted in national- and local-level campaigns and communication strategies.
3.85The SA Government recommended establishing networks of VET ambassadors in high profile, well-paid, rewarding roles to ensure that career progression and success can be visualised by prospective students. It noted that the SA Skills Councils had recommended:
… establish[ing] VET ambassadors from diverse backgrounds (including diversity in culture, gender, and profession) to act as role models to potential students. An example of this could be to approach finalists or winners of … training awards, to take on a promotional role of their industry and the broader skills sector in a bid to attract youth to these careers. There has also been interest in engaging these Industry Skills Councils to support career counselling in secondary schools, given the breadth of knowledge and experience they could bring.
3.86The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) observed that the career and life progression of VET graduates should be followed to enable a data-driven approach to the promotion of VET training and career pathways. Key data points might include student debt, income, assets, and life satisfaction. In addition, the VCCI indicated that VET ambassador programs should be supported and extended:
In the UK, VET government-run mentorship programs adhere to proactive workplans that must be delivered upon. Currently in Australia, roll out of these important mentorship opportunities is ad hoc and not delivered deliberately or at scale. Deliberate, proactive investment in mentorship services will both improve knowledge sharing about apprenticeships … and increase the likelihood of a well-informed, high completing apprentice.
3.87The NYCA told the Committee that early school leavers are the most effective promoters of the VET system and the pathways it offers.
3.88National Rugby League (NRL) explained that its Careerwise program supports NRL and National Women’s Rugby Leage (NRLW) players in various areas of their life, including training, education, and employment. All players under 21 years of age are required to work or study along with their playing commitments and are encouraged to explore the education pathways—including VET—which suit them.
3.89NRL explained that the VET-NRL Pathways program sits within the Careerwise initiative and is designed to promote the benefits of VET qualifications:
The current program capitalises on the high profile of former and current NRL and NRLW players who have completed a certificate, diploma, or traditional trade level Vet qualification. As representatives of the NRL-VET Pathways Program they share their real-life experiences and stories that connect with the target audience on a more personal level.
3.90NRL stated that the program is largely targeted to students in Years 10 to 12 and reaches 3,000 to 4,000 students each year. The program is promoted via individual ambassadors’ social media and the NRL website. In 2022, there were almost 800,000 individual views of the program via the website, and 16,500 direct referrals (‘clicks’) to My Skills. NRL observed that there may also be opportunities to highlight VET via televised games, noting that the 2022 State of Origin attracted 3.6 million viewers per game on average.
Related sectors and industries
3.91The Committee heard that promoting VET must involve promoting the various industries to which VET training pathways lead. This may involve working with chambers of commerce and other employer peak bodies, individual employers, and trade unions.
3.92The NYCA indicated that there is a clear link between perceptions of VET and perceptions of jobs to which VET leads. It called for government to consider measures to enhance the pay, conditions, and perceived status of service occupations—particularly those in the healthcare and social assistance sectors.
3.93The WA Government called for a national campaign to promote the diversity of roles in different sectors, stating that this could include content to address misconceptions about specific industries. In relation to the mining industry, the WA Government noted that this may involve highlighting key roles to demonstrate that the industry is not entirely focused on manual work.
3.94Skills Impact suggested that national approaches to promoting VET should focus on building the reputation of industries as ‘great places’ for jobs, rather than trying to provide information on a student’s journey. Skills Impact also recommended greater financial support for state and territory Industry Training Advisory Bodies, to enable them to play a greater role in providing information to employers and in facilitating partnerships between employers and RTOs.
3.95Professor Smith observed that VET is portrayed as a ‘hard-hat education sector’, with depictions of VET often focused on male-dominated trades. This is notwithstanding the equal number of male and female VET participants. Professor Smith noted the recent focus in the VET sector on encouraging more women into male-dominated industries, stating that while the underlying intentions are good, it does little to dispel the notion that the sector is male-oriented.
3.96The Shop, Distributive, and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA National) stated that improving the perception of careers in the retail and hospitality sectors is an objective of the NCI project, ‘Careers in everyday industries’:
Historically low perception [of those sectors] discourages people from imagining worthwhile careers … and can contribute to poor self-image for those working in the industries. Yet the COVID-19 crisis has shown just how vital both of these sectors are for the Australian public and the national economy. They are recognised internationally as low-status occupations which have become more valued during the crisis.
3.97CICA noted that the VET sector is not sufficiently focused on making young people aware of emerging industries such as the green economy and cybersecurity. Rather, the sector often promotes traditional careers such as boiler making, painting, and carpentry. This focus on traditional careers may not attract some young people to the sector—particularly when competing with universities which advertise careers on the ‘cutting edge’ of innovation and technology.
3.98Some stakeholders also highlighted industries on which information and marketing initiatives should focus. For example:
- SDA National recommended careers in retail be widely promoted, emphasising that a qualification is not required to enter the industry and that TAFE can be the start of a ‘rewarding career like no other’.
- The RLSSA recommended new information packages highlighting roles in the aquatic and recreation industry and the lower-cost, shorter training courses for the relevant skills and qualifications. This should involve video materials to enable access for those with lower literacy and should be published via platforms such as TikTok to reach younger people.
- The Queensland Alliance for Mental Health called for additional funding to promote the community mental health and wellbeing sector (distinct from the mental health and health sectors) to school leavers, parents, and teachers. This could be complemented by measures to reduce stigma surrounding the sector, including anti-stigma training, contact-based initiatives, public awareness initiatives, and addressing stigmatising media representations.
Committee comment
3.99Current and prospective VET students (and other stakeholders) need clear, accurate, reliable information on the VET sector to inform their decision-making. This should include details on available VET courses, specific RTOs, and current and emerging skills needs. Accessible information and guidance on career pathways and information tailored to individuals at different life and career stages—including school leavers and adult learners—is also essential.
3.100A significant amount of information on VET is available via government websites and individual RTOs. However, information is often fragmented across jurisdictions, is not always consistent, and in some cases is neither current nor relevant. Information is also duplicated across multiple sources. A lack of consistent and reliable information on VET courses and career pathways was identified in 2019 as part of the Joyce Review. Evidence presented to this inquiry suggests that the issue persists.
3.101Prospective students and other stakeholders also require additional information on individual RTOs and courses to support decision-making. Further information is needed on:
- Student and employer satisfaction with RTOs, courses, and qualifications.
- The quality of trainers and facilities.
- Course competition rates at the individual RTO and jurisdiction levels.
- ASQA audits of individual RTOs.
- Student employment and salary outcomes for courses and qualifications.
- Information on student satisfaction and employment outcomes is publicly available in relation to higher education (via ComparED). Moreover, data on many if not most of the indicators listed above is held—though not always published—by the NCVER. Data on ASQA audits would be held by the regulator.
- The Committee supports the idea of a digital portal which operates as a ‘one stop shop’ for information on VET courses, qualifications, and career pathways. Such a portal should include information on university pathways and—where appropriate—how they intersect with VET, as part of broader efforts to increase interoperability between sectors.
- The NCI operates a portal of this kind via the Your Career website. Information on VET, university, and career pathways is also available through other websites for which the NCI is responsible. The NCI was created with the intent of ensuring that current and prospective VET students—as well as members of the public—can access reliable information on career pathways and education and training options. The Committee strongly supports this objective.
- However, evidence suggests that the NCI—and Your Career in particular—is not functioning optimally. Stakeholders raised the following issues:
- The information on Your Career is insufficient, with individual RTO data missing for many providers and information being out of date.
- Your Career does not enable a holistic view of career pathways.
- Your Career is not accessible or user-friendly and uses terms that are not relevant to Australia – for example ‘middle school teacher’.
- Your Career does not offer localised career pathway advice. Information is often too generalised and is of little value to users.
- Information through Your Career is biased towards higher education, with university courses presented to the user ahead of VET courses even if search terms are clearly intended to generate results focussed on VET-based pathways. This is a perverse outcome as the NCI was originally envisaged as having a focus on promoting VET-related careers.
- These issues are of particular concern to the Committee as many users of the Your Career website are likely to be younger people who, while aware of their interests and aspirations, are less likely to have mapped a career pathway and are seeking guidance to do so.
- In addition, the NCI is not widely known to many people who may derive a benefit from the information and advice that it offers. For example, despite the NCI being nominally a key resource for careers advice, it does not appear to have a strong role at the individual school level.
- Noting that the NCI is past its establishment phase, it would be timely to conduct a review of the institute’s role and functions to identify the key enhancements needed to ensure the NCI is able to operate as a nationally consistent and trusted source of information and advice on education, training, and careers pathways. Part of the review should include the identification of duplicative sources of information on VET.
- The NCI must provide clear, accurate, non-biased information on individual RTOs and their courses, qualifications, and career pathways—focused on the needs of the learner. This should include the additional matters outlined above. Information and advice should be tailored to the needs of users at various career and life stages, including younger school leavers and adults seeking to upskill, reskill or transition between careers. The NCI should also support people with less defined education and career goals to map a pathway based on their aspirations and interests.
- Noting the various concerns associated with Your Career, the Committee is of the view that the website should be overhauled, to ensure that users have access to reliable, accurate information on education, training, and career pathways.
- The Committee sees a strong role for JSA and the Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) in enhancing the functions of the NCI. This role should include providing the NCI with additional information on labour market changes and future skill shortages to assist the NCI to offer tailored careers advice based on jobs in demand in the future.
- Equipping the NCI with the capacity to offer additional information on individual RTOs and courses may require that information to be obtained directly from the providers. The Committee supports the proposal in the Braithwaite Review that providers be required to provide public course information to the NCI to enable a richer data set and complete end-to-end information. This information should be augmented by data from the NCVER on matters such as student and employer satisfaction and completion rates. Over time, the Committee considers that there would be value in integrating the information on university study offered through CompareED and other sources, as part of a broader effort to build an integrated tertiary education sector.
- The Committee notes that the NCI previously administered a Partnership Grants program. This provided funding for employers, training providers, schools, and community organisations to work collaboratively to improve career outcomes and create education and training programs. The program concluded in June 2023.
- While it is not proposed that the Partnership Grants program be re-established, the Committee recommends exploring a grants program designed to support and help expand proven, evidence-based local career education programs. Such a program could use the former Partnership Grants program as a model.
- The Australian Government should also take active steps to promote the NCI to users, including via campaigns diffused at the local, state, and individual school and VET institution levels (for example, via career advice and targeted initiatives to promote VET to students). The Committee considers that promoting the NCI and its work could be part of the promotional campaigns canvassed in Recommendation 3.
- VET ambassador and role model programs also have significant value in highlighting examples of education and career success that have been enabled through VET pathways. The Committee notes in this regard that the AAAP and Australian VET Alumni have enjoyed success in using role models to promote VET—including at schools and public events.
- However, it appears that current programs often take a somewhat passive approach to promoting VET pathways. While VET alumni are featured on the Your Career website and can be engaged to appear at events and in media on request, it is unclear if there are strategies to proactively leverage the programs—for example via outreach to schools, business associations, and employment bodies. There would be considerable merit in developing and implementing such strategies if they are not already in place. This work could be led by the NCI.
- Initiatives such as the NRL-VET Pathways Program have enjoyed success in promoting VET pathways and careers to secondary students, as well as promoting VET to a national audience through televised NRL matches. The Committee would encourage the Australian Government to continue supporting these programs, and to build the capacity of program leaders to conduct proactive outreach.
3.119The Committee recommends that the Australian Government enhance the functions of the National Careers Institute (NCI) to ensure the NCI is able to operate as a single, trusted source of information on education, training, and careers. The primary focus of the NCI should be supporting key influencers such as teachers, employment service providers, and career educators. This should include but should not be limited to the following measures:
- Overhaul the Your Career website and replace it with a new online portal which provides accurate, relevant, and current information on courses, qualifications, and career pathways. This should include measures to:
- enable the NCI to offer additional information on individual training providers and courses;
- ensure that information provided to users is based on the user’s needs and aspirations and does not indicate a ‘default’ preference for courses or qualifications in a specific tertiary sector; and
- ensure that users can easily navigate online resources.
- In collaboration with Jobs and Skills Australia, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, and the Jobs and Skills Councils, identifying and addressing future skills needs and actively promoting careers which respond to those needs.
- Ensuring that career educators in schools, Technical and Further Education (TAFE), and employment service providers are aware of the NCI and can use it as a resource in performing their functions.
- Identifying and addressing duplication in sources of information on careers and vocational education and training at the national, state, and local levels.
- Explore creating a grants funding program to support and enable the expansion of proven, evidence-based local career education programs.
3.120The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, via the National Careers Institute, work with State and Territory Governments to boost the capacity of vocational education and training alumni programs, including to develop work plans to underpin proactive outreach to schools, business associations, and employment bodies.
3.121There is also compelling evidence that more should be done to actively market the VET sector to current and prospective students. An active approach to promoting VET will be critical to dispelling negative perceptions about vocational qualifications and careers and to responding to current and future workforce and skills needs.
3.122The Committee supports calls for a national campaign to market the sector and is of the view that such a campaign should use multiple channels, highlight the different paths into the VET sector (for example, post-school pathways and access by adult learners seeking to upskill or reskill), and target a variety of cohorts including women, First Nations peoples, and people from CALD backgrounds. This will be critical to promoting VET as a sector of choice for a range of people and skills needs, and to breaking down gender-based and cultural barriers to access. The Committee is strongly of the view that promoting VET must enable people of all backgrounds to imagine a variety of possible futures.
3.123A national campaign should promote the industries and roles to which VET can lead, including highlighting new and emerging sectors. The Committee was concerned to hear that promotional material has in the past focused on more ‘traditional’ careers, which may lead to the perception that VET is limited to trades and manual work. A focus on these careers may limit the sector’s ability to compete with university to attract students, notwithstanding that VET qualifications are entry pathways into many emerging industries including cyber security and green energy.
3.124Campaigns to promote the VET sector should include material to highlight the value of apprenticeships and traineeships, including information on the variety of roles to which these pathways lead, the ability to ‘earn while you learn’, and opportunities to make contributions to emerging sectors. Like the promotional material for the sector more generally, material should reflect that apprenticeships are not only a pathway for school leavers, but also for those who enter the sector later in life.
3.125Campaigns should be underpinned by robust monitoring and evaluation measures to ensure that their impact can be measured to inform and help refine future marketing initiatives. The Committee envisages that campaigns would ultimately be delivered separately from—but linked to and informed by—measures to improve perceptions of VET among school students. Measures to improve perceptions of VET among school students, as well as measures to improve VET offered in secondary schools, is discussed in Chapter 4.
3.126The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments, the Jobs and Skills Councils, and other key stakeholders to design and deliver national campaigns to promote vocational education and training (VET) pathways and the careers they serve. Campaigns should be promoted at the national, state, and local levels, and should include material that:
- Is diffused through a variety of media sources, including social media, government websites, and television.
- Is accessible to all audiences.
- Is adapted—insofar as possible—to local areas and labour markets, with a view to highlighting the value of VET to local communities.
- Targets different entry pathways to VET, including post-secondary pathways and pathways for adult learners.
- Showcases the benefits of the apprenticeship and traineeship pathways.
- Targets diverse cohorts, with a focus on improving perceptions for women, First Nations peoples, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
- Showcases positive experiences with VET and examples of success among VET graduates.
- Showcases a variety of career opportunities enabled by the VET sector, with a focus on in-demand industries and potential areas of skills shortage.
Campaigns should be underpinned by robust monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure their impact can be measured and to inform and refine future marketing initiatives.