4. Secondary schools
   1. This chapter examines perceptions of vocational education and training (VET) in secondary schools and ways to address these perceptions. It also discusses measures to improve VET delivered to secondary school students (VETDSSS).

Student perceptions of VET

4.2The Committee heard that school students often hold negative perceptions of VET pathways, broadly reflecting general perceptions of the sector. Stakeholders asserted that school students often believe that VET pathways:

• Are easier and less academically rigorous than higher education.
• Are ‘last resort’ options for students who have not achieved the marks required to enter university.
• Are only for students who want to pursue trade careers.
• Lead to lower-paid careers with fewer prospects of career advancement, and in fields which require manual rather than intellectual labour.[1]
  3. The University of Newcastle drew attention to a large study of student perceptions of VET, which found that students with an interest in VET were more likely to:
• Be male, from low-SES backgrounds, be from poorer and low Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) schools and have lower levels of cultural capital.
• Be from English-speaking backgrounds and live in metropolitan areas—potentially due to the greater level of access to VET in those areas.
• See themselves as average or below average in terms of their own academic performance.[2]
  4. Survey responses also indicated that students were interested in VET because: it was something they wanted to pursue; they were interested in a particular field; or they thought it would be enjoyable. Many respondents were aware of the benefits of VET careers and had prior experiences with VET-enabled jobs.[3]
  5. Stakeholders indicated that poor perceptions of VET among students may be driven by low levels of understanding of the sector and associated careers.[4] For example, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) referred to a 2017 study canvassing over 6,000 students in Years 3 to 12 in New South Wales (NSW) which found that:
• Students use the terms ‘VET’ and ‘TAFE’ interchangeably.
• Students in all age groups have difficulty articulating their understanding of VET and technical and further education (TAFE). Understanding increased with age and year level.
• Many students lack clear, contemporary, accurate information about the VET sector despite career activities in schools. Students indicated that they aspired to certain careers but did not know that those careers involved a VET pathway.
• Many students formed strong negative views of the VET sector and had curtailed their aspirations in ways that limited them to considering university pathways.[5]
  6. Evidence suggested that poor perceptions and low understanding of the VET sector lead to fewer students choosing VET as a post-school option.[6] Newbery Consulting (Newbery) noted that in 2010, VET pathways accounted for 51.7 per cent of all post-school enrolment, falling to 42.6 per cent in 2020. Newbery stated that this fall in the take-up of VET as a post-school option may be due to negative perceptions of the sector, as well as factors such as changes to funding policies, the introduction of university courses offered on a competitive basis, and changes to labour markets.[7]
  7. Students’ perceptions of VET are informed by various influencers, including schools, teachers, parents, friends, and peers. Stakeholders emphasised the importance of ensuring that influencers are equipped to provide reliable and accurate information and advice about VET at key decision points.[8]

Academic culture in secondary schools

4.8The culture of a school is a key influence on how VET is perceived. Stakeholders noted that many schools have an academic bias and are institutionally structured to channel students toward university.[9] Independent Schools Tasmania (IST) stated that schools reinforce perceptions of VET as being of lower status through:

• Limited provision for VET within the school, driven by a lack of knowledge among teachers, parents, and the broader community of VET pathways.
• A preference by parents for academic rather than vocational achievement.
• Inadequate information about careers in non-traditional and new and emerging industry areas as well as non-university career pathways.
• Lack of adequately trained career counsellors and educators in schools—and particularly those with specific industry knowledge and experience.[10]
  9. Evidence also indicated clear differences between public and independent schools in terms of their focus on higher education. The South Australian (SA) Commissioner for Children and Young People (CCYP-SA)) report High Stakes High School reported that private school students face significant pressure to attend university, with teachers amplifying this stress. Students in private schools also report receiving insufficient if any information about alternative pathways into jobs, industries, or further education and training—including VET.[11]
  10. Students in public schools reported less expectation to enter higher education and being encouraged to explored other pathways such as apprenticeships. Some reported being actively discouraged from university pathways despite wishing to pursue them, including being ushered towards VET in Year 10 as a means of ‘getting a head start’ on their careers.[12]
  11. Master Electricians Australia (MEA) noted that while many schools stream students into university and VET fields in Years 11 and 12, neither the courses nor the overall quality of education are consistent. MEA observed that due to a lack of support and school-based VET options, students allocated to the VET stream simply ‘mark time’ for the final two years of school before commencing an apprenticeship.[13]
  12. MEA called for an enhanced VET pathway commencing in Year 8, focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and trade qualifications:
• On completion of Year 8, students would choose a pathway for Years 9 and 10—either a VET stream or a university stream—and begin selecting subjects leading towards a specific field. The stream would carry through to Years 11 and 12.
• In the second semester of Year 10, aptitude testing would identify areas of trade to which the student would be best suited, and—in consultation with students and parents—a training plan could be drawn up for Years 11 and 12.
• In Year 12, students could complete the first two years of college studies for the chosen trade, including a work experience component. Studies could be undertaken with a mixture of school-based classes and third-party providers such as TAFEs and private colleges and non-profit organisations. Partnerships could be formed with local businesses and group training organisations (GTOs) to support employment.[14]
  13. When VET is discussed in schools, trades may be promoted to men and other VET pathways to women. A member of the Electrical Trade Union of Australia (ETUA) told the Committee that when VET was discussed at her secondary school in Victoria, she was encouraged to pursue a career in beauty or hairdressing.[15]
  14. Stakeholders called for measures to promote VET and university as equally valuable and legitimate pathways to career success and to ensure that students can access the information and advice needed to make informed decisions about their futures. The Victorian Student Representative Council (Vic SRC) recommended that:
• Schools provide relevant and accessible information about VET to students and their families in equal measure to the information they provide about non-VET subjects. This must include information on how VET subjects can be undertaken alongside other subjects and contribute to a student’s Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking (ATAR).
• Schools work closely with students to develop resources and information packs about VET that can be distributed to students and families. The information should be accurate and detailed, and not prioritise certain subjects or pathways.[16]
  15. The Vic SRC also stated there would be merit in providing meaningful opportunities for students to inform education policy, including by establishing mechanisms such as steering committees and communities of practice.[17]
  16. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) drew attention to a 2020 report of the Education Council, Looking to the Future: Review of senior secondary pathways into work, further education, and training. The report highlighted the need for improved information sources for secondary school students, including online sources and information provided directly by schools and VET providers. This information should not only be given to students, but also to teachers who often have limited career education knowledge—particularly in relation to non-university or blended pathways.[18]
  17. Work is ongoing in some jurisdictions to build understanding of and promote VET pathways. The NSW Department of Education, TAFE NSW, and NSW Education Standards Authority (NSW Department of Education et al) highlighted work it recently completed to strengthen students’ understanding of links between senior secondary courses and post-school pathways. This has included adding subject-specific skills statements and industry links to Year 11 and Year 12 course descriptions—including VET courses—to make these links more explicit. The NSW Department of Education et al explained that:
• Skills statements highlight the intrinsic skills students develop in the study of a subject and provide them with a common language they can use for prospective employment opportunities.
• industry links clearly identify related employment pathways, link Higher School Certificate (HSC) VET courses to future employment and identify pathways into related higher level VET study post-school.
• Course overviews and complementary information illustrate how practical learning in VET can complement general education subjects and provide students with knowledge to prepare them for transitions to work and further education.[19]
  18. Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) noted that information available to school students in WA is often via Career Exhibitions, school excursions, and via VET coordinators and career advisers. Students are also encouraged to visit MyFuture and other career websites to spark interest in career opportunities. CEWA stated that these sources of information should be supported and regularly updated.[20]
  19. The Committee also heard that there is value in engaging school leavers who are not in employment or education and connecting them with work and training. Ms Justine Gaske drew attention to the Link and Launch program in Queensland, which helps link younger people to TAFEs, employment opportunities, alternative pathways to university, and employment service programs such as Transition to Work.[21]
  20. Ms Gaske stated that the Link and Launch program fills a gap in supports available to students who are unsure of what to pursue after finishing school, students who have identified clear aspirations but are unsure of how to achieve them, and students who begin their post-school education or employment and find it unsuitable. The program is valuable in providing support to young people who are not connected to a school, an employer, or a training provider.[22]
  21. The Isolated Children’s Parents Association of Western Australia (ICPAWA) similarly stated that greater support for young people who have exited school is needed:

It's a very structured system a lot of the schools offer, with careers information and pathway advice, but once students no longer have access to those school platforms, it's really difficult to be able to navigate exactly what is available and where you can go for support and also to be able to access that support.[23]

Classroom teachers

4.22Much of the information students receive in relation to VET and university pathways comes from classroom teachers. Teachers engage in regular conversations with students and are typically trusted and considered to be well-informed.[24]

4.23Stakeholders raised concern that many classroom teachers lack reliable information on VET and may be biased (consciously or otherwise) in favour of higher education. A factor contributing to this bias is that many teachers are university educated and lack experience with the VET system.[25] However, this experience was not universal, with some students indicating that their teachers had been particularly effective in keeping them engaged with both VET and secondary school subjects.[26]

4.24The Vic SRC provided an example of how a lack of understanding among classroom teachers can impact student choices and levels of engagement, stating:

Last year, when I was first looking into VET, I asked my homeroom teacher about how it was being run at our school—whether it was on site or online, if I had to go to another registered training organisation, whatever—and she wasn't equipped with that information to tell me … It was very hard to find that information, and I don't believe teachers have been informed about VET as a whole program, even in their schools.[27]

4.25The Vic SRC indicated that this experience is replicated throughout secondary school, including at careers events where speakers are typically university educated. The Vic SRC asserted that schools must diversify the speakers they invite to engage with students, particularly in terms of speakers’ lived experience and educational background.[28]

4.26DEWR stated that teachers will have an increasingly significant influence as students enter Years 11 and 12, also noting that this is the time during which many schools focus on the ATAR and pathways to university.[29]

4.27Some stakeholders suggested measures to enhance teachers’ understanding of the VET sector and appreciation for related pathways. For example:

• The Careers Industry Council of Australia (CICA) called for the inclusion of VET units in undergraduate teacher education.[30]
• Dr Stephen Billet, Griffith University, stated that teachers should accompany students on excursions to VET institutions and to workplaces where VET is the primary entry pathway.[31]

Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking

4.28The ATAR remains a primary indicator of success for many schools. Alphacrucis University College (AUC) stated that the ATAR is a key contributor to the decline in the prestige of the VET sector, and changing the view of the ATAR as the primary indicator of ‘success’ is likely to be difficult:

Children are taught that nothing really matters in schools – largely in order to enforce engagement and therefore to deal with the behavioural issues – except one’s ATAR score. It runs against a school’s operational requirements … to start telling students that there are in fact many paths up the mountain, particularly given the program economics required for schools to be able to run a sufficiently broad number of VET options.[32]

4.29AUC further noted that the ‘false market’ created by the ATAR impacts:

• Student enrolment choices: the ATAR creates a false market which is not focused on actual career opportunities or the needs of employers. It also delays workforce entry, and ‘creams’ the most academically able students into programs which may bear no relation to their eventual careers.
• Employers and industry: there is a gap between employers’ skills needs and what is taught to students during the final years of secondary school—particularly in relation to digital literacy and problem solving.
• The VET workforce: at present, teacher registration bodies do not count the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE) within Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs. This means that if VET options are added to HSC curricula, there will be insufficient capacity within schools to run local programs.[33]
  30. High ATAR scores are also used (officially or otherwise) to rank schools. Schools that have a higher number of students achieving above a certain ATAR are preferred by students and parents seeking an advantage in obtaining a place at university. By contrast, schools are rarely if ever ranked by the number of students who achieve success via VET pathways.[34] CICA stated:

[F]or as long as we have league tables and schools are in competition with each other …principals are going to be saying to people who are responsible in this area: 'Your focus needs to be on making sure that our graduating class has a very high average ATAR.' There are lots of examples in schools where staff are directed in that particular area. It's a significant problem.[35]

4.31Professor Saorjni Choy, Griffith University, noted that a key factor influencing schools’ preferences for university is resourcing and performance metrics. Professor Choy stated that schools try to increase the number of students who enter university as this is tied to resourcing and community standing.[36] Dr Billett agreed with this view, indicating that there would be merit in altering performance metrics to increase the focus on VET and other pathways. Dr Billett observed that performance indicators may also be a way for the Commonwealth to influence decisions taken at the state and territory level.[37]

4.32ATAR scores were identified as a key factor in schools’ decisions to stream students considered more academically inclined into university pathways, with students considered less gifted or motivated encouraged to pursue VET. Students streamed to VET pathways often feel ignored and unsupported, while students in university-focused pathways are often under significant pressure to achieve high scores. This can have negative mental health impacts on students in both cohorts.[38]

4.33The focus on the ATAR can also have a significant impact on the quality of teaching and learning for students in VET-focused pathways, including where resources are diverted to students and courses geared towards higher education. Moreover, nominally VET-related pathways often have a focus on academic skills which may not be useful or even relevant to students’ career pathways or aspirations.[39]

4.34MEA observed that students who are encouraged or forced to pursue less academic pathways are not supported to attain the core literacy and numeracy skills required for the VET sector. These students may not perform well in post-school pathways or may need additional support.[40]

4.35The Committee heard there is a need to change how the ATAR is viewed and used, to ensure it is not seen as the primary or the sole entry pathway to tertiary education or to career success.[41] Changing the way the ATAR is viewed will be challenging and will require buy-in from all jurisdictions.[42]

4.36The ICPAWA asserted that entry to university should have different entry methods of equal weighting, including ATAR, VET, and portfolio entry, with the latter two no longer referred to as ‘alternative’ methods.[43] The ICPAWA stated:

There seems to be this perception that, because universities offer alternative pathways, it implies that [non-ATAR pathways are] … not the best route or the main route, and therefore some children feel pressured into taking the ATAR pathway as opposed to the VET pathway because they think it will put them in a different standing … [I]f you are going to offer a number of pathways, they should all be considered equal because some of the skills that the VET students have when they leave school are very good life lesson[s].[44]

4.37Stakeholders indicated that tertiary institutions are increasingly considering a range of measures of student success—including but not limited to the ATAR. Few still rely solely on the ATAR in deciding whether to admit students. This is notwithstanding a continuing focus on the ATAR within secondary schools. Moreover, international students do not use the ATAR as a means of entry to university—indicating that it is possible to define a pathway into tertiary education without an ATAR score.[45]

4.38Some schools have already moved to introduce various pathways to post-secondary education. The National Union of Students (NUS) noted that in Western Australia (WA) students are not required to obtain an ATAR and choose between completing and not completing ATAR units. This has increased the number of students choosing VET. The NUS also called for greater flexibility in relation to the ATAR, stating:

ATAR should have its own just university section or be transferred into different TAFE certificates or degrees, or you should be able to use an ATAR course to move ahead within a TAFE or, instead of doing a Certificate III, move up to a diploma. It should be able to be transferred like that.[46]

4.39The National Youth Commission Australia (NYCA) echoed these views, noting that the Gold Coast’s All Saints Anglican School and Bendigo Secondary College might be used as models of schools which support multiple pathways.

4.40The Australasian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) noted that significant research has been undertaken to support learner profiles as an alternative to the ATAR. These profiles describe the achievements, capabilities, and potential of school leavers to support their entry into both VET and university. AVETRA stated that learner profiles would benefit from significant research to develop a methodology that equally values VET and university.[47]

4.41Responding to perceptions of the ATAR as the key measure of success may require highlighting examples of education or career success via VET and other pathways. This may include publishing:

• The percentage of former students in apprenticeships and traineeships or in full-time employment through VET pathways.[48]
• Examples of students with high ATAR scores who have chosen VET pathways.[49]
• Examples of high-performing students in VET programs—where that information is available—particularly apprentices in areas with skills shortages.[50]
  42. Some evidence suggested that there would be risks in abandoning the ATAR. For example, the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) noted that the ATAR remains a useful predictor of future performance, stating:

Analysis of statistics from the Australian Government’s Department of Education shows ATAR is clearly predictive of completion rates and attrition rates for school leavers. Six-year completion rates decrease with each decreasing ATAR band, from 87 per cent for ATARs 95-100, to 46 per cent for ATARs 30-49. Six-year attrition rates increase with each decreasing ATAR band, from 4 per cent for ATARs 95-100, to 39 per cent for ATARs 30-49.[51]

4.43The CIS also observed that while some universities use a mix of entry pathways, the ATAR remains the dominant criteria for university entry. From 2018 to 2022, around 60 per cent of school leavers were admitted on the basis of the ATAR alone.[52]

Parents’ views of VET pathways

4.44Parents are a key influence on their children’s perceptions of VET. Master Builders Australia (MBA) highlighted a 2017 study where 56 per cent of respondents identified parents as the most trusted source of careers information, followed by internet searches (42 per cent), teachers (42 per cent), and career advisers (40 per cent).[53]

4.45The Committee heard that parents often impart negative views about VET to their children, informed by their own experiences and biases, as well as public perceptions of the relative value of VET and university. This can lead to students discounting VET in favour of higher education.[54]

4.46DEWR noted that research shows primary school-aged children as young as seven develop biases and stereotypes about the world of work, and about VET and higher education. DEWR also observed that parents, carers, and teachers have a key role in encouraging curiosity in children, with exploration and understanding in childhood prompting learnings in adolescence and expanding career-related aspirations.[55]

4.47AUC noted that while children previously followed their parents into occupations or took parental advice on skillsets and careers, this has declined due to the changing nature of occupations, the rise of individualism, disruption to family structures, and the rise of digital mediators and influencers. Nevertheless, what students see modelled in family environments and what parents are prepared to fund remains significant.[56] One Year 11 student told the Committee:

Basically the reason why I chose to do VET health was [because] …my dad works as a delivery driver, but he delivers bloods, so I used to go to all the different hospitals with him on his run. That kind of gave me an interest in health. I also really enjoyed being able to help people.[57]

4.48The same student told the Committee that they had opted for a VET pathway in order to obtain ‘basic building blocks’ and prior knowledge before pursuing further health studies through university.[58]

4.49Stakeholders observed that parents’ perceptions of VET are mediated by cultural backgrounds and community expectations. Professor Shreeve recounted a discussion with a student during his tenure as a senior TAFE executive:

[The student] … said she felt she was being compared to her siblings, her wider family and indeed the whole local Chinese community. She was expected to do well at school and, at weekends, help in the family’s restaurant. She said her mother … would not allow her to apply to [the University of Technology Sydney] as it was ‘once a TAFE.’[59]

4.50This was reflected in oral evidence from current secondary school students. One student stated that ‘being from an ethnic background, it’s [essentially decided that] you … go to university. VET is seen as a waste of time’.[60] However, another student indicated that it is possible to address cultural views on the VET sector via careers education involving parents—provided the right supports are in place:

When I was having that conversation with my teacher, my mother was right next to me and the teacher was able to … explain to both of us … It can be a little difficult if your parents have a bit of a language barrier. My parents aren't from this country, so it can be harder for them to understand. But the school also has translators, so those conversations can happen. It was definitely very helpful to have it during course counselling because everything going on was able to be explained to my mother as well.[61]

4.51The WA Government identified a cultural dimension in whether young people value advice from parents or other influencers such as teachers, noting that in recent focus groups First Nations girls valued the advice of family members—and particularly female family members—and placed less value on advice provided by schools.[62]

4.52Parents’ biases regarding VET also extend to pathways and careers in certain fields. The Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH) noted that careers in mental health carry additional stigma due to negative community perceptions of mental illness and distress.[63] The National Apprenticeships Association Australian (NAAA) observed that while many stereotypes about women’s capacity to succeed in male-dominated fields have been disproven, there is still a perception among parents that trade pathways are unsuitable work environments for young women.[64]

4.53Schools, VET institutions, industry bodies and other stakeholders must engage with parents to dispel negative perceptions about VET, including engaging parents in career education.[65] The Integrated Information Service (IIS) stated that parents must receive messaging on the full range of career pathways from multiple sources. The IIS noted that innovative partnerships with organisations providing services to parents and employers would have value.[66]

4.54The CICA and Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) highlighted the ‘Little Ripples’ program developed with the National Careers Institute (NCI), noting that the initiative engages parents in the career education process and illustrates how young students (including primary school-aged students) can be encouraged to reflect on potential career pathways.[67] The CICA explained that:

• Little Ripples was initially targeted to parents and provided free resources for parents to have meaningful career conversations with their primary school-age students. This built on recognition that children of this age understand work and careers and observe and learn from the careers of their parents.
• The second stage of the program focused on primary educators, recognising that classroom conversations can have a significant impact on future career decisions and on personal and gender biases. The program provides primary educators with support and resources to inform those conversations.[68]
  55. The ACCE stated that individual counselling with students and parents at specific touchpoints in a student’s school life—for example when a student is moving into Year 10 and begins to seriously consider post-school options—can be effective in improving perceptions of VET for parents and students. However, the ACCE also emphasised that much depends on the quality of career advisers and the currency of information they are able to provide.[69]
  56. Monash University highlighted the importance of reaching students in their homes through more portable and life-integrated information and guidance, and of promoting success stories that parents can access. It stated that the NCI could have a role in this effort. However, Monash University also observed that reaching parents and students in their homes can be challenging, not least because of the diversity of media sources available.[70]
  57. The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) suggested that innovative engagement strategies should be developed to target parents and peers to increase awareness and provide accurate understanding of careers. It highlighted campaigns in New Zealand aimed at increasing participation in VET which include parents and focus on the value of VET on the economy, the experiences of VET students, and lower student debt. Campaigns include online tools for parents and teachers to build their understanding of the opportunities VET presents to young people.[71]

Careers education and advice

4.58Within secondary schools, career education is understood as a structured program of learning which assists students to make informed decisions about future learning and work options and enable participation in working life.[72] Career education is—at least nominally—delivered by accredited practitioners who are registered with the CICA.[73]

4.59Monash University emphasised the critical importance of career education to school students, highlighting a survey of Victorian students published in 2022. In the survey, 33.8 per cent of respondents ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ they did not know what careers best suited them, while 40 per cent felt that they had no career direction. In addition, 32.5 per cent of respondents reported feeling they were studying or taking on activities without any sense of purpose or career direction, increasing to 64 per cent when ‘neutral’ or ‘not sure’ responses were included.[74]

4.60Monash University highlighted data on 600,000 teenagers’ career aspirations held by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. According to Monash University, the data suggests that young people still focus on 10 narrow occupational professional fields, rather than emergent fields in digital technology and health service industries that are seeking more workers.[75]

4.61Evidence indicated that while career practitioners are among the most significant influences on young peoples’ education- and career-related decisions, the quality and status of career education in schools has diminished over time.[76] Stakeholders expressed concern that a lack of effective careers advice may lead to students choosing an unsuitable post-school pathway. For example, the Ai Group stated:

Feedback from those who regularly work with apprenticeship applicants is that there are significant numbers of people in their early twenties who started at university, often with the encouragement of parents and their careers advisers, but quickly realised that they would be more suited to an alternative pathway. Unfortunately, the higher adult wages they attract makes them less competitive than younger applicants and they can often miss out. Good careers advice at school would have helped some make better choices earlier in life.[77]

4.62While it is assumed that schools deliver formal career education, this is not mandated in the Australian Curriculum. Stakeholders raised concern that the failure to mandate or at least invest in career education means the amount and quality of education can vary considerably across schools and jurisdictions—with key decisions typically left to the school leadership.[78]

4.63The CICA drew attention to a Victorian study which found that 10 per cent of schools spend just 45 minutes on career education on each student, each year, while 10 per cent spend 12 hours or more.[79] MBA cited a CICA report which found that that half of schools with a student population of over 1,000 spend less than $3 per student on career education.[80]

4.64The WA Government noted that there is ‘wide-ranging evidence’ that at the national level the socio-economic status (SES) of students has a strong effect on the type of career information available. Students from high-SES backgrounds are more likely to access multiple forms of career information, including from career advisers and universities. Those from low-SES backgrounds are more likely to receive information via non-professional pathways and workplace visits. Career practitioners in low-SES schools are often less experienced, have access to fewer resources, and are less likely to hold formal qualifications than their counterparts in high-SES schools.[81]

4.65Ms Gaske observed that career advice can be seen as a form of remedial help or welfare—particularly in low-SES schools—and that there is stigma attached to engaging with these supports.[82]

4.66The CICA observed that a lack of investment in career education often means that responsibility for providing career advice falls to unqualified teachers and other staff. These staff are frequently part time or deliver career education in addition to their primary teaching load. This can harm students’ ability to make informed education and career decisions:

If you get yourself into some sort of a legal issue and you need to go and get legal advice, you would ultimately want to go to someone who has a law degree. Or if you’re unwell, you would want to go and see someone with a medical degree. But we’re quite happy to put somebody with absolutely no qualifications at all in front of young people at their most impressionable age and have that person undertake these roles. It’s very dangerous.[83]

Nature and quality of careers advice

4.67Careers advisers should not merely direct students to relevant courses and training pathways. Rather, advisers must have knowledge and experience of why people make career-related decisions and the ability to work with students to set realistic goals aligned with their aspirations. Moreover, advisers must understand mental health and student wellbeing.[84] Monash University stated:

When young people are not certain or struggle to make decisions about their future careers, they can feel anxious or concerned. These types of feelings can be a common cause of stress in educational settings. One student who developed anorexia told us: "I just don't feel ready, even capable, of making a different decision, or picking a different career. I wouldn't know where to start. And then I will be stuck – out there – with no one to fall back on and no idea where to turn. I just feel paralysed".[85]

4.68While students increasingly approach career practitioners for information on VET, advisers often lack knowledge about the sector and may hold outdated views on VET pathways and careers. This constrains their ability to deliver meaningful advice.[86] Stakeholders indicated that practitioners must be supported and encouraged to provide quality advice on all pathways—including VET—and should have access to information on courses, associated costs, delivery models, location, employment outcomes, earning potential, and labour markets.[87]

4.69Some students also see value in careers aptitude testing as a complement to more structured careers advice. For example, one student told the Committee:

In Year 9 we also do Morrisby testing [a matched series of timed cognitive aptitude tests], which I think plays a big part. The results from that basically tell you what way you learn the best or what workplace you'd be the best in. Then that really helps you think about whether you want to go into a more hands-on, applied sort of field or just like a bit more basic theory sort of thing.[88]

4.70The WA Government observed that information available on career pathways is often linked to courses, stating that one way to help students consider their post-school options would be to create and maintain pathway documents that articulate career options at industry level. The WA Government called for nationally consistent information about career pathway options with standard terminology, including both VET and university study elements.[89]

4.71There may be too much emphasis on longer-term career planning in secondary schools (if careers advice is available). Newbery asserted that students should be encouraged to make education and training choices which align with their next two to four years—not the next 40—particularly as young people are now expected to have multiple jobs across several different careers in a lifetime.[90] The Australian Digital and Telecommunications Industry Association ADTIA echoed these views, stating that government should provide advisers with support and information on industry and labour market changes almost in real time.[91]

4.72Ms Gaske indicated that careers advice may no longer align with the values of young people, stating:

Traditionally, career practitioners' work has been around, 'What kind of job would you like to have when you leave school?' Our modern young person does not think like that. Our modern young person is very much based around values: 'What do I want my life to look like? What's important to me?'[92]

4.73Ms Gaske suggested there would be value in careers advice drawing on the Career Cluster model developed in Victoria. This is based on identifying skillsets which are ‘intrinsic to [the user] as a person’ rather than on considering a specific career or industry, and then considering the careers that are available in a range of industries which use that skillset. The model also considers preferences related to working arrangements.[93]

4.74Career practitioners should be able to offer useful, up-to-date resources to students to assist career planning. DEWR noted there is a current focus on building engagement between the NCI and state and territory school systems, as well as expanding resources available via the Your Career website for practitioners.[94]

4.75Careers education must consider the needs of students from particular cohorts. A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is unlikely to be suitable. The NSW Department of Education et al noted that TAFE NSW has Disability Teacher Consultants who work with schools to make environments accessible for students requiring adjustments to transition to VET.[95]

Expanding the reach of career education

4.76Stakeholders noted that career education is typically provided to students nearing the end of their school career (Years 11 and 12), and indicated that there would be merit in beginning career education earlier and continuing this education throughout the student’s school life and beyond. Career education should also be tailored according to age and year level.[96]

4.77Both CICA and CEWA called for career education in primary schools, noting that guidance at this age would help to break down some of the complexities of the VET sector and help build younger students’ sense of identity. This would also help to dispel gendered misconceptions about capabilities and possible career pathways.[97]

4.78The ETUA indicated that promoting trade pathways should start from kindergarten, noting that at this stage children are forming views about the intersection between career pathways and gender roles. The ETUA also indicated that the engagement could be supported by industry and union partnerships, stating:

One of our women members in [NSW] has a fantastic idea that we're hoping to bring to life, which is that we should write a children's book about a woman who's an electrician and how to get the wattage to your cottage.[98]

4.79The NAAA similarly observed that addressing gender disparities in VET pathways requires encouraging young women and girls in school to consider a trade pathway. It indicated that this should start early, as by the time a person reaches Year 10 they may have made choices that will determine whether they take up a VET pathway.[99]

4.80The MTAA asserted that career education should commence in Years 7 and 8 and evolve during a student’s time at school, stating:

Career education … must reflect the fact that students’ needs evolve as school progresses. Years 7 and 8 are a key time for students to learn about themselves, and Year 9 is a critical time for career planning and decision-making. We need to build the self-awareness and decision-making skills of students in Years 7 to 9, so that they can make informed, confident course and career choices in Years 10 to 12 and beyond.[100]

4.81MEA echoed these views, noting that early careers education in schools is a valuable opportunity to encourage school-aged girls to consider a career in ‘non-traditional’ vocations such as electrical. MEA drew attention to the Women in Power initiative.[101]

Career education strategies

4.82Improving careers education and advice may require a targeted strategy including provision for the nature and quality of career support, resources for students, funding measures, coordination across Federal, State, and local governments, and links to other measures to improve the VET system.[102]

4.83The VCCI stated that the secondary school system would benefit from a coordinated national approach to training and careers in VET. This would support careers advice in schools that presents VET and university pathways as equal, as well as education programs for careers advisers on the benefits of VET—linked to a career education strategy. According to the VCCI, this would include:

• Establishment of Industry Advisory Panels in schools to assist career advisers and teachers stay connected to local business and up to date with industry trends.
• Work experience opportunities for students, facilitated through the panels.
• Engagement of Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) providers to promote apprenticeships to students and parents.[103]
  84. Stakeholders also indicated that strategies to improve career education must include ongoing professional development for both career practitioners and other teachers. The University of Newcastle observed that it has developed two courses which are freely available online, and explained that these courses are of particular value for enabling an understanding of how aspirations are built:

What our professional development course does is introduce teachers to how aspirations are shaped. There are concepts, for example, of compromise and circumscription, with students who want to be a doctor but realise they're not going to get there so they choose to be a nurse. That's compromise. There are also students who circumscribe at either end of the career spectrum … There are students who say: 'I could never get to university. In fact, people in my family have struggled to even get work. If I can get a job at the local fast-food outlet that's good for me.' There are other students who circumscribe their career interests at the other end, saying: 'In my family everybody becomes a doctor or a lawyer, so I can't possibly entertain other options.[104]

4.85MBA recommended that Federal, State, and Territory Governments enter a jointly funded national partnership on quality careers education, to provide comprehensive, unbiased, and up-to-date careers education.[105]

4.86Noting that students often seek advice from sources other than career practitioners, some stakeholders suggested that strategies be developed to ensure all school staff can provide or at least enable access to careers advice. This should include the appointment of a school careers leader whose functions would include ensuring that teachers understand VET and can offer meaningful advice to their students.[106]

4.87Work is ongoing at the state level to integrate career education into education and employment strategies. The Queensland Government noted that its Good People, Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 covers career development for teachers and a career education program for students in Years 7 to 10 to help them understand their potential career options.[107]

Supporting industry exposure

4.88Exposure to VET-led industries and workplaces is critical to improving students’ perceptions of VET and encouraging students to take up VET pathways—including by enabling students to imagine a pathway from school to work. Stakeholders indicated that industry exposure should be facilitated via schools and directly linked to careers advice.[108]

4.89The MTAA asserted that career education must equip students with a deeper understanding of industry. It considered the following initiatives to have merit:

• A strategy to engage individuals from industry to provide careers advice.
• Funding to enable industry bodies to develop resources and information.
• Personal development programs for career advisers, including requirements to collaborate with industry and enable greater student participation in VET.
• Expanding student access to VET-trade programs in consultation with industry and relevant peak bodies.[109]
  90. The Motor Trades Association of Queensland similarly asserted that the best way to improve careers engagement is via industry partnerships, noting that various motor trades associations run school-based programs which enable younger people to explore careers in automotive industries—including via work experience.[110] The Motor Trades Association of South Australia and the Northern Territory made similar observations, stating:

You've got mum-and-dad perceptions, you've got career counsellor perceptions and then you've got student perceptions. The way we break through is the connection of industry and training facility with those parties. We have mum-and-dad nights, we have career counsellor nights, and we have student nights. We say: 'Come along and try. Come along and see the latest in electric vehicles. Come along and see the latest in repair technology for paint-and-panel vehicles.' Once it's seen and once they experience what's happening in the automotive industry, you can actually see the lightbulb moments.[111]

4.91The Tasmanian Government observed that building connections between schools, industry, and training providers has been crucial to engaging school leavers, noting that the following approaches have been successful in Tasmania:

• The VETStream 2022 program, which involved an Industry Training Hub providing students with local and authentic content on VET in their area.
• The Department for Education, Children and Young People’s Careerify website, which aims to support evidence-based career education in schools.[112]
  92. Professor Choy noted that young people’s perceptions of work can be very different to the reality and are often driven by marketing material. As a potential solution to this issue, Professor Choy suggested an independent ‘broker’ who liaised with schools and with industry and explained the experience of working in the sector to students and to other people such as parents and career advisers.[113]
  93. The AiGroup highlighted the ‘World of Work Challenge’ in SA secondary schools. The AiGroup explained that this initiative involves students from Years 7 to Year 10 participating in industry and employer engagement activities such as industry visits and career conversations and hearing from speakers in schools. This leads to a certificate of achievement. A Personal Learning Plan is required to be completed by each student in Year 10, and information, tools and resources are provided to teachers engaged with the initiative.[114]
  94. The VCCI observed that in Switzerland, students have careers advisers, education providers and industry speak to them and their parents in class time about different education and careers pathways. In the UK, schools are required to provide students with six encounters with technical education and apprenticeship providers—at a rate of at least two encounters every two years from Year 8 to Year 13.[115] The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted these approaches and recommended mandating Australian secondary schools host one interaction with a VET provider and student cohort in each of Years 8 to 11.[116]

Exposure to VET pathways

4.95There was strong support for introducing school-aged students to VET via practical, hands-on experience—with the caveat that this will require industry partnerships.[117]

4.96CEWA called for funding to enable schools to offer micro-credentials and tasters to Years 9 and 10 students to enable informed decisions about subject selections and career pathways. CEWA noted that VET ‘tasters’ are currently funded via Industry Training Hubs for Year 11 and 12 students, and the Year 9 ‘Career Taster’ Program has been successful in offering participants exposure to various industries.[118]

4.97The QAMH indicated that early, positive exposure to workplaces can help alleviate the stigma which attaches to certain industries—including the mental health sector. According to the QAMH, school-industry partnerships have the potential to offer real world learning projects, mentoring programs, career-taster days, competitions and events, and teacher professional development workshops.[119]

4.98Several stakeholders drew attention to specific ‘taster’ programs which aim to build young people’s perceptions of the sector. For example, Save the Children and 54 Reasons highlighted the ‘Hands on Learning’ program for students in Years 4 to 10:

[Hands on Learning] involves students spending one day every week outside the classroom working collaboratively on practical, creative projects around the school and in the local community. As part of the program, students participate in projects like building or repairing infrastructure or running a café to develop a number of job-ready skills, including building confidence, self-awareness, collaboration, problem solving and communication abilities.[120]

4.99Save the Children and 54 Reasons noted that ‘Hands on Learning’ delivers very positive outcomes, with nearly all parents reporting that their child had developed new life and work skills and enjoyed learning by doing real, meaningful projects. Save the Children and 54 Reasons recommended that consideration be given to:

• Intervening early to provide valuable, curriculum aligned hands-on experiences outside the traditional classroom.
• Investing in ‘Hands on Learning’ as a proven intervention to provide children with critical exposure to vocational options as early as possible.[121]
  100. AUC noted that it has developed an innovative microcredit framework with a leading girls’ school that captures learnings in the curriculum and co-curricular programs and provides pathways to Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) units of competency and skill sets. AUC stated that this has created a flexible exchange system inside the school which enables greater program individualisation and innovation school without sacrificing the emphasis on university-entrance and academic achievement.[122]
  101. The Committee also heard that there is value in former students speaking to current students about their study and career pathways. For example, Mr George Massouris, Assistant Principal of Cranbourne Secondary College, stated:

[W]e did what we call a speed careering event. We brought in 15 alumni from different kinds of work situations. The students went to each one asking them questions about what they do, how they got into it and what they were doing when they were at the school in the recent past, just to get a bit of information about what it was for them. That was a really great event for our Year 10s to start their career journey, heading towards doing the course counselling. Amazingly, we have so many past students wanting to join our alumni and contribute back.[123]

VET delivered to secondary school students

4.102VETDSSS can provide students with opportunities to engage with their interests and explore alternatives to higher education. It can also equip students with partial or full qualifications.[124] There was recognition that the accommodation of VETDSSS is inconsistent, with some schools offering a suite of programs and others offering few if any courses.[125]

4.103Evidence suggested that there is inconsistency in the schools which offer VET onsite and those which require students to access training externally. The Vic SRC noted that less than 30 per cent of Victorian schools deliver VET onsite. This means that students must overcome barriers to access, including the time and cost of travel and the requirement to complete their studies in an unfamiliar environment away from peers. The Vic SRC asserted that government must provide resources to ensure that schools have the capabilities to deliver VET onsite.[126]

4.104Stakeholders supported school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs), noting that these programs are often very effective in supporting school-to-work transitions, building relationships with industry, and equipping students with in-demand skills and competencies. SBATs are also seen as cost-effective, as costs to the school are typically limited to monitoring an apprentice or trainee’s progress and providing assessment data to government.[127] SBATs require students to be released for longer periods and may be a more valuable qualification from an employability perspective. Katrina’s School of Hair and Beauty observed:

Diploma of Beauty Therapy only became an apprenticeship last year, and that's where we have our school based. We couldn't take any school based before that because our course requires them to come to us three days a week, and the school won't allow them to leave for three days a week. So we just didn't have the capacity to do that with them.[128]

4.105Stakeholders indicated that VETDSSS must be enhanced to ensure it delivers quality outcomes for participants, employers, and other stakeholders. IST stated that effective delivery of VETDSSS requires:

• A school commitment to ensuring all students have access to a VET program, often with all students participating in a VET qualification.
• School leadership that actively promotes VET to students and parents.
• A capacity to engage with local business and industry in effective partnerships where students are provided access to work placements.
• Properly qualified VET personnel on campus, with capacity to work constructively with RTOs to coordinate and deliver VET programs.
• Resourcing of VET be treated no differently to that allocated to more traditional subject areas and not as an ‘exotic add-on’.
• Flexible approaches to innovative VET program delivery.[129]
  106. Work is underway to enhance VETDSSS courses. Under the Heads of Agreement for Skills Reform, parties committed to strengthening VET pathways in secondary school and improving the quality and vocational relevance of VETDSSS.[130] A working group of education and skills officials is exploring options for reform, including considering the development of a National VET in Schools Strategy.[131]

Barriers to high-quality VETDSSS

4.107Several stakeholders identified financial and geographic barriers to participation. For example, the NSW Department of Education et al noted a lack of resources to deliver VET courses—including equipment and tools; the proximity of a school to a provider; whether a school has a relationship with the provider; and timetabling issues.[132] These views were echoed by the Institute of Technology Education (ITE):

If we really want to improve how VET subjects are delivered in schools, it is going to take a huge injection of funding to upgrade resources to make sure it’s done properly and then ongoing maintenance of that funding, because technologies change so rapidly.[133]

4.108Concerns about the cost of VETDSSS and a lack of resources were also raised by secondary school students. These concerns are particularly acute for students from CALD, migrant, and lower SES backgrounds.[134]

4.109The Catholic Education Commission of Victoria noted that barriers to successful VETDSSS—especially where courses are delivered externally—include the increasing costs of delivering VET via external providers; transport; access and equity barriers for students who require additional support; minimum and maximum class sizes; and availability of qualified VET trainers.[135] Also of concern is how to integrate VET into other secondary studies in a way that minimises disruption.[136] These concerns were illustrated by the experience of one student, who stated:

I wanted to do VET dance because I love dance and it's something that I constantly do … [U]nfortunately, due to the size of the class and the people that wanted to do it, I wasn't able to have it at school. But the school did give us alternative ways to do VET dance. We could have done it at other schools that hosted it … [b]ut, unfortunately, due to the placement of that school, it is too difficult to go there by public transport from here.[137]

4.110The Committee also heard that whether VET can be properly integrated with other studies often depends on the school and the effectiveness of its VET coordinator and other staff, as well as their willingness to engage with students to plan their studies.[138]

4.111The Australian Education Union (AEU) indicated that due to a lack of resources, the vast majority (93 per cent) of VET taught in public schools comprises non-accredited training package qualifications. Moreover, 73 per cent of programs in public schools are at the Certificate I and II levels. The AEU highlighted the following additional barriers to effective VETDSSS, with many linked to entrenched under-resourcing:

• The requirement that students fund their own VET courses with private RTOs arranged via schools.
• Lack of oversight and coordination of VETDSSS policy and implementation.
• A decline in accredited and higher-level qualifications in VETDSSS offerings.
• A VET system which is structured around the needs of industry.[139]
  112. The AEU recommended VETDSSS be underpinned by cooperative arrangements between schools and TAFE; that VETDSSS be funded from a specific budget directed to TAFE rather than diverting resources from public schools; and that VETDSSS class sizes not exceed those for the same course at an ‘external’ TAFE.[140]
  113. The ITE indicated that VETDSSS is most effective when there is a dedicated VET coordinator responsible for activities and industry liaison. However, establishing such a position can be challenging in practice due to the demands of the role and to funding and resource constraints. The ITE stated:

[Schools] are in a tough position where they have to find ways to stretch a dollar as far as they can. If they only have so many resources, they need to find them. The amount of paperwork and the amount of admin the VET coordinators need to do is astronomical, on top of their own teaching load.[141]

4.114Ms Amanda Ellwood stated that key barriers to effective VETDSSS include funding, teaching quality, and a shortage of VET educators, also asserting that VET providers have done little to adapt their courses to school-aged learners. This has worsened as curricula have been updated. Ms Ellwood asserted that:

• Courses tend to be more theoretical, use language that is not accessible for the average young person and often do not supply the teaching material needed to complete the assessments.
• Trainers have limited flexibility in their teaching, making it difficult to adapt for students with learning needs.
• There is an over-reliance on online learning in place of the hands-on education that previously characterised the VET sector. This has disadvantaged students with learning issues and is a poor way of teaching practical skills.
• Trainers often refuse or are unable to answer questions, and often refer students back to their learning modules.[142]
  115. The Vic SRC noted that a barrier to accessing VETDSSS is lack of awareness about whether VET is offered at the school. The Vic SRC highlighted the testimony of one student who asked a teacher about VET courses that were available. The teacher was not able to advise on how to access the courses and seemed not to understand the concept of vocational education. Ultimately the student established that relevant VET subjects were available within the school.[143]
  116. The CICA observed that many private and catholic schools—and particularly those in higher socioeconomic areas—do not run VET programs.[144] The ACCE made a similar observation, noting that a lack of VET pathways in private schools may be due to a focus on the ATAR.[145]
  117. IST observed that additional financial support may be required for schools that wish to provide a broader range of VET offerings, noting that this may include individual support packages for students undertaking VETDSSS in school—particularly in relation to in-demand skills areas.[146]

Partnerships with employers and industry

4.118Partnerships with industry are often critical to the success of VETDSSS programs. Such partnerships can enable schools and providers to understand and respond to industry needs and facilitate work placements which enable students to gain industry experience and map a pathway to future education and employment.[147] One student reflected on the importance of work experience as follows:

A lot of people are encouraged [to undertake work experience] especially if you're thinking about VET. It helps to have that. It's kind of like you have the experience. You definitely know that's what you want to do … We've been told stories such as that there was this girl who wanted to be a vet, and she went there and there was a dog who had swallowed a sock. She had to be there in the operation room while the dog got cut open, and she fainted.[148]

4.119Stakeholders indicated that further work is needed to build partnerships between schools and industry. IST noted that industry support for VETDSSS is a recent phenomenon, and that some industry participants do not support such programs. Concerns for industry include that school-delivered VET does not build the repertoire of skills demanded by employers, does not involve sufficient workplace exposure, and is not taught by educators with current industry experience. According to some employers, schools do not understand competency-based training or assessment.[149]

4.120According to IST, strong school-industry partnerships display:

• An industry-led approach to schools to engage students in VET programs.
• A willingness by business to recognise the constraints that operate within schools, including timetabling, extra-curricular activities, and school holidays.
• Recognition of the importance of senior secondary education, rather than a sole focus on recruiting students into the business.
• Industry actively promoting VETDSSS programs to parents, teachers, and school communities.
• Industry being willing to work with RTOs and schools to facilitate in-work training and assessment.
• Industry providing non-exploitative work placements where students can acquire the skills recognised in a qualification.
• A willingness by schools to engage industry in supporting VETDSSS programs by encouraging teachers to visit students on work sites.[150]
  121. The AEU observed that many industry partnerships for VETDSSS are not consistent in their application or release of staff resources. The AEU asserted that more partnerships need to be built between industries and sectors to initiate and continue a pathway beginning in school, following onto a full-time capacity and a qualification. The AEU stated that while TAFE providers are committed to industry partnerships, this commitment often goes unreciprocated.[151]
  122. DEWR observed that a barrier to effective workplace learning for secondary students is employer reluctance to offer work placements—often due to the perception that it is too burdensome to take on new trainees or that the employer will not benefit significantly from the traineeship. DEWR asserted that addressing this perception requires a collaborative effort between education authorities and industry bodies to build relationships and deeper understanding:

Schools can support the transition of students to the world of work, providing effective career planning, and access opportunities for employment and training. One way of potentially improving employer engagement may be by more effectively leveraging existing successful partnerships and exploring new ways to facilitate and support school and industry partnerships, including showcasing those partnerships that work.[152]

4.123The Vic SRC stated that industry must be encouraged to bring young people without a Secondary School Certificate of Education (SSCE) into their businesses, and that VETDSSS should be supported by evidence that programs lead to placements and careers.[153]

4.124The AiGroup indicated that partnerships between schools, employers, and RTOs should focus on creating pipelines of future workers, including by sparking interest in industry and further education. The AiGroup drew attention to the following programs:

• Cantech (producer of equipment and machinery for the food and manufacturing industries) partnered with the private provider Skills Tech and the Kyabram P-12 College to offer students exposure to advanced manufacturing. Some students go on to study engineering after they leave school and may consider their hometown as an option for using their skills.
• White Industries (a local employer) partnered with the Dalby State High School’s Trade Training Centre by supplying student tool kits and equipment.[154]
  125. CEWA stated that Industry Training Hubs may enable career pathways for students. Although cluster arrangements that link industries, employers, and schools have proven successful, this model is not always available in some country or metro regions. CEWA highlighted the value of industry associations in linking schools and students to training opportunities.[155]

Partnerships with RTOs

4.126Best-practice VETDSSS can involve schools and RTOs working in partnership—particularly if a school cannot deliver VET onsite. Stronger strategic partnerships with TAFEs were supported by several stakeholders.[156]

4.127Dr Karen O’Reilly-Briggs, Dr Rochelle Fogelgarn and Dr Jacolyn Weller (Dr O’Reilly-Briggs et al) called for the establishment of a VETDSSS tripartite model based on existing models in Norway and Finland. This would involve schools working closely with enterprises, industry, and community representatives across a region to offer secondary students structured work-integrated learning and meaningful opportunities to engage in school-based apprenticeships.[157]

4.128Financial constraints often limit effective school-provider relationships. TAFE NSW explained that there has until very recently been a financial disincentive for schools to send students to TAFE, as the school would lose funding for students who engaged in training off-campus. This, combined with the impacts of COVID-19, led to the tendency to try to deliver VETDSSS within schools rather than allowing students to attend offsite. However, these funding constraints have recently been lifted.[158]

4.129The Association of Heads of Independent Schools Australia (AHISA) noted that the cost of VET provision to schools—and the cost of external courses including TAFE courses—is an area of concern. AHISA suggested that the cost of students undertaking courses with external providers be subsidised by government. AHISA also called for Fee-Free TAFE initiatives to be extended to VETDSSS and SBATs.[159]

4.130The ITE indicated that engagement by VETDSSS teachers and counterparts in the broader VET sector can be critical to effective school-RTO partnerships, as well as to building the skills of VETDSSS educators. However, teachers often lack the time and resources to engage with external providers.[160]

4.131The AEU advised that there are too many divisions between VETDSSS and ‘external VET’, stating that VETDSSS should be better linked to the broader VET system to avoid duplication and wasted resources. The AEU drew attention to a partnership between a school and external provider in Padstow, NSW, stating:

The students used to go next door to the TAFE college and do commercial cookery. A high school teacher came into Padstow who had the qualification to provide that in the school. The school paid a fortune to put a commercial kitchen in the school. Why spend money on building a commercial kitchen in the school when there's one next door in the TAFE college? It's just duplication.[161]

4.132The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (AATSE) asserted that while there have been recent positive movements towards greater integration and cooperation between schools and VET providers, more work is still required to align Australia’s education system with international best practice. The AATSE noted that in Germany the vocational sector is integrated with schooling, with two-thirds of students enrolled in dual programs. According to the AATSE, a national integration strategy should be developed to increase uptake of VETDSSS.[162]

4.133The Committee heard that some schools prefer to partner with private RTOs rather than TAFEs due to higher levels of flexibility. One school coordinator stated:

We partner with both [RTOs and TAFEs], but we partner with RTOs in particular because there's more flexibility around timetabling. There's more flexibility around them coming onto our campus to deliver, which suits our student cohort better, as well as the parent community. They prefer students to remain on what they see as a safe environment and an environment that they're used to. Cost comes into it too. You can negotiate, generally speaking, with an RTO. TAFEs are fairly much set.[163]

4.134Levels of integration between VETDSSS and the broader VET system vary between jurisdictions. IST noted that there is no dedicated RTO for independent schools in Tasmania. Schools find it challenging to negotiate details of VETDSSS arrangements with RTOs, and there is a tendency to use on-line services with dedicated providers. The IST indicated that this may be addressed by enabling access to the Tasmanian Department for Education, Children, and Young People RTO.[164]

4.135The WA Government advised that it established a ‘preferred provider’ panel of RTOs for VETDSSS in public schools, as well as a standard contract for auspicing services. These measures help ensure quality in the VETDSSS delivered in that jurisdiction.[165]

4.136Stakeholders highlighted partnerships between schools and higher education providers. For example, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) stated:

UTS has a couple of pathway programs that allow for underrepresented groups to participate in higher education … [O]ne is the Wanago Program, where we teach HSC subjects and students that align to our engineering and IT programs. Graduates of that program are given direct entry into our engineering and IT courses. Our U@Uni program is a non-ATAR entry pathway for students. We work with students from the end of Year 10, through Years 11 and 12, to support them into a [university] course of their choice.[166]

Teachers and educators

4.137Another barrier to successful delivery of VETDSSS is a lack of qualified educators, with stakeholders noting that this issue may be driven by the more general shortage of VET educators and by failures to adapt undergraduate teaching qualifications to the evolving needs of the VET sector.[167]

4.138Dr O’Reilly-Briggs observed that due to an inability to engage qualified teachers with VET specialisations, schools are resorting to inappropriate work-around solutions that serve to reinforce negative perceptions of VET pathways:

Schools are recruiting VET trainers on a … temporary authorisation that is called 'permission to teach' in Victoria. [This] … is producing a tier of second-class teacher in schools where trainers given permission to teach are not able to access initial teacher education programs, meaning that they are not only pedagogically bereft but they are not entitled to the same pay, conditions or professional opportunities as general schoolteachers.[168]

4.139The IST noted that recruitment and retention of VET educators has been a significant challenge for private schools due to the smaller size of the VET cohorts within those schools and a smaller student body more generally. IST observed that some schools have attempted to address this issue by identifying teachers with industry experience and supporting them to attain a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE). However, teachers must be released to undergo training and acquiring a qualification can be expensive. Retaining qualified educators can also be challenging as employers may offer incentives or head-hunt educators to return to industry.[169]

4.140AUC indicated that one solution would be to include VET training qualifications in initial teacher education (ITE), noting that its Alphacrucis Hub incorporates VET qualifications for new teachers in a clinical teaching school model.[170]

4.141Dr O’Reilly-Briggs told the Committee that the majority of ITE programs offering VET specialisations have closed, with two programs of this kind in Australia as of 2022. According to Dr O’Reilly-Briggs, this makes it ‘almost impossible’ for tradespeople to have VET qualifications or experience counted towards an ITE qualification.[171]

4.142National solutions are needed to enable tradespeople and industry experts to enter the teaching profession with minimal. This could involve a shorter, more ‘boutique’ program which values industry experience. Dr O’Reilly Briggs highlighted a study into ITE programs in Norway and Finland which recommended that:

• Australia adopt ITE programs inspired by Finnish and Norwegian course models designed to upskill industry experts to become high-quality professional VET secondary school teachers with equal status, pay, conditions and opportunities as general secondary school teachers.
• Financial support be offered to support qualified, industry experienced adults wanting to study a VET ITE so they are supported during their transition to the VET secondary teaching profession.
• Adopt a ‘no dead ends’ education policy to ensure vocationally qualified industry experts, including those without a Bachelor-level qualification, can pursue higher levels of learning and engage in lifelong learning.[172]

VETDSSS and the ATAR

4.143In most jurisdictions, students may complete VET courses during secondary school. These courses are typically counted towards the SSCE for the relevant jurisdiction and may be used to calculate a student’s ATAR.[173] In Victoria, certain VET courses are counted directly towards the ATAR in the same way as school subjects such as English or Mathematics. Others (for example, ‘unscored VCET VET studies’ and ‘VE3 Block Credit’) are treated differently but may still count towards the ATAR.[174]

4.144Some stakeholders expressed concern at low levels of awareness of the interaction between VETDSSS and the ATAR, noting this may contribute to poor perceptions of VETDSSS. The Vic SRC observed that in Victorian schools there is a perception that VET courses do not contribute to the ATAR and must be completed in addition to an already heavy student workload.[175] The Vic SRC indicated that this concern might be addressed by providing families, parents, and carers further information on how VET contributes to the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and the ATAR, stating:

We think it would be great if there could be some resources or if schools could talk to parents about how VET and VCE can work alongside each other, because that's really important. I know from personal experience that it's hard to find that information and it's especially hard for parents to find that information as well.[176]

4.145The NSW Department of Education et al indicated that improving perceptions of VET among secondary students requires leveraging the ATAR, noting that in 2021, TAFE NSW worked with the Department of Education and the NSW Education Standards Authority to review how VET courses contribute towards the ATAR. In 2025, the Universities Admissions Centre will implement measures to enable students to undertake more than one VET course which may contribute to their ATAR.[177]

4.146The NSW Department of Education et al further advised that STEM HSC subjects could be packaged with VET qualifications to support current and emerging industry sectors such as cyber security and robotics. It stated:

[T]hrough the [IAT] model, TAFE NSW’s micro-skills framework enables aspiring learners to test and trial new skill and discipline areas, provides short sharp skill development and allows leaners to progress into formal micro-credential study. This form of learning is best suited to new entrants such as secondary school students, seeking basic entry level skills and would be a suitable model to be tested within schools, providing students with ‘tasters’ for vocational pathways.[178]

4.147The NSW Department of Education et al asserted that further examination of nationally accredited assessment processes would be beneficial, as the current system provides a disincentive for students to pursue VET courses as opposed to non-VET courses that contribute to their ATAR.[179]

4.148The ITE noted that scaling associated with the ATAR contributes to the perception that undertaking VET subjects will negatively impact a student’s overall result. This is notwithstanding that many students will continue to take VET subjects in addition to a full load of subjects related to a university pathway (as they find the VET subject more personally fulfilling than other courses).[180]

4.149By contrast, AVETRA asserted that including more VET offerings in the calculation of the ATAR only marginalises VET in favour of traditional university subjects.[181]

Committee comment

4.150Many school students hold negative perceptions of VET and VETDSSS. These are often driven by poor understanding of VET and the opportunities a VET-enabled pathway can offer. Key influencers in a student’s life—including parents, teachers, peers, and careers advisers—are also central to these perceptions.

4.151Schools must do more to promote VET to students and ensure that students fully understand the opportunities offered by VET pathways. This should include presenting VET and university as equally valid post-school options and providing relevant, accessible, and consistent information to students on VET pathways. Examples of ways in which this can be achieved include linking students and key influencers to national online sources of information such as the NCI, introducing immersion days and excursions, and inviting high-profile VET graduates or past students to speak with current students.

4.152Parents are key influences on children’s perceptions of VET, and often hold and impart negative perceptions of the sector due to their experiences, biases, and public perceptions of VET. There is a need for schools, VET institutions, and other bodies to engage with parents to dispel negative perceptions of the sector. Existing initiatives such as ‘Little Ripples’ have been successful in this regard and should continue to be supported. Dedicated parents’ information nights which promote all tertiary pathways, and targeted resources for parents which encourage meaningful discussion about the variety of post-school options, should be considered.

4.153Measures taken by individual schools to promote VET will necessarily be different, given the diversity of student populations and the need to tailor content to local areas and labour markets. The Commonwealth, working with the states and territories, can play a role in supporting and incentivising schools to promote VET to students and parents. This may include supporting school- or jurisdiction-specific initiatives, ensuring access to nationally consistent sources of information to which students and parents could be linked, and championing the opportunities offered through VET pathways via national campaigns.

4.154The Committee considers that this work should be led by the NCI, consistent with the enhanced role of that organisation set out in Recommendation 1 and recognising the role of the NCI in developing and sharing resources on tertiary education and career pathways. The NCVER, JSA, and the Jobs and Skills Councils (JSC) should also be actively involved, given their roles in collecting, analysing, and disseminating data on VET and the skills ecosystem. There would also be merit in linking key measures to promote VET within schools as a tertiary pathway of choice to the development of a national career educations strategy (as set out in Recommendation 8).

4.155Measures to give students a greater voice in the development of education policy are also encouraged, both as a means of encouraging students to engage with the VET sector and to ensure that policy measures accurately reflect the needs of students. The Commonwealth should work with the states and territories to support student advisory bodies at the state and national levels.

4.156The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, via the National Careers Institute, work with State and Territory Governments to support and incentivise schools to promote vocational education and training (VET) to students and parents, including promoting VET and university as equally legitimate and valuable post-secondary pathways. This should include:

• Actively championing VET in promotional material and information relating to education and training.
• Developing clear, accessible, nationally consistent information resources for use by students, parents, teachers, and other influencers.
• Developing best-practice guidelines for schools to promote VET pathways, informed by consultation with education experts.
• Establishing and raising the profile of student advisory groups and steering committees, including by ensuring that there is a mechanism to capture student views in the development of state and national education policy.
  157. The over-reliance on the ATAR as a primary indicator of success contributes to the false perception that VET is inferior to university and to false markets in education which focus neither on actual career opportunities nor employers’ needs. Moreover, the focus on the ATAR often leads to schools allocating students perceived as less academically gifted to under-valued and under-resourced VET streams, while those perceived as more intelligent or academically inclined are moved into streams focused on higher education. This is often done with little regard to a student’s interests, aptitudes, or career aspiration. This can have a variety of potential negative impacts, including an increase in the number of students who attend university only to drop out, an increase in the number of university graduates who will have difficulty finding employment, and fewer qualified VET graduates available to respond to current and emerging skill and workforce shortages.
  158. It appears that a reason for ongoing reliance on the ATAR is school resourcing and performance metrics, with university entrance tied to both a school’s resourcing and their standing in the community.
  159. Evidence suggests that a focus on the ATAR in secondary schools is also out of step with the realities of tertiary education, with many universities no longer relying on the ATAR as a primary means of entry. This is notwithstanding evidence that the ATAR may still be predictive of success and rates of attrition within the university pathway.
  160. The Commonwealth should work with the state and territories to reduce the reliance on the ATAR as the primary measure of success in secondary education, noting that this is likely to require buy-in from all jurisdictions. This should include a review of the extent to which ATAR scores and the number of students entering university is used to determine school resourcing, with a view to ensuring that resourcing is ultimately based on a wider range of indicators including entry into and success in VET pathways. Current and former students who have found education and career success through VET should also be celebrated.
  161. Noting evidence that the ATAR is of at least some value as a predictor of success within the university pathway, the ATAR should not be entirely abandoned at this stage. However, there would be value in conducting a review of pathways into tertiary education, and examining options for a new measure of success within secondary school that can—to the extent possible—predict success within VET and university pathways and be used as a means of entry into both sectors. The development of such measures would be consistent with broader efforts to integrate the VET and university sectors and to develop genuinely interoperable tertiary pathways The Committee is also attracted to the idea of learner profiles and notes the view that these profiles could benefit from significant additional research.
  162. The Committee also supports expanding the range of subjects that can be counted towards the ATAR, with a view to including more VET subjects where appropriate. Some jurisdictions have already introduced or are developing measures to improve integration of VET into the ATAR. It is also recommended that a review of how VET subjects contribute to the ATAR—to promote consistency and remove disincentives to pursuing VET pathways in secondary schools––be undertaken.
  163. While acknowledging that such measures are unlikely on their own to reduce the overall reliance on the ATAR as a measure of success, the Committee considers that there is value in exploring these measures as a means of enhancing the quality and consistency of VET delivered in schools.

4.164The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments to examine the impact of the Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking (ATAR) framework on the quality and uptake of vocational education and training (VET) pathways in secondary schools, including:

• The extent to which the ATAR and university entrance are used to determine resourcing for schools, with a view to introducing new metrics which value both VET and university pathways.
• How VET and non-VET subjects contribute to ATAR scores, with a view to removing disincentives in the ATAR framework to students pursuing VET pathways during secondary school and promoting national consistency in how VET subjects are treated within that framework.

4.165The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments to champion examples of education and career success which are not linked to the Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking or to a university pathway.

4.166The Committee recommends that the Australian Government review entry pathways into vocational education and training (VET) and university, with a view to developing a measure of success which can be used to support entry into both sectors. This should include the examination of learner profiles as a potential entry mechanism.

4.167Quality, structured career education is crucial to building students’ understanding and perceptions of VET and ensuring they can make informed choices in relation to post-secondary pathways. Career advisers and practitioners are among the most significant influences on young-people’s career-related decisions.

4.168The Committee is concerned that the quality of career education varies considerably between schools. Among other matters, the Committee heard that:

• Formal career education is not part of the Australian Curriculum.
• Due to a lack of investment in career education, responsibility for providing advice often falls to teachers who are not qualified in that field. Moreover, those teachers are often forced to balance careers advice with other teaching responsibilities.
• In some States, a significant proportion of schools spend less than 45 minutes on career education for each student, each year.
• Students in lower SES schools are less likely to have access to career education, notwithstanding that in many cases it is exactly those students who would derive the greatest benefit from quality careers advice.
• Career advisers lack reliable, up-to-date knowledge about VET pathways, and often do not have sufficient access to professional development opportunities.
• Careers education often commences when the student is nearing the end of their secondary schooling. However, early engagement helps build a sense of identify that informs more directed career planning. Engagement with young women and girls can also be effective in encouraging them to consider a broader range of opportunities than are offered by traditionally female-dominated sectors.
  169. There is a need for nationally consistent approaches to careers education, informed by local labour markets and current and emerging skill needs. The Committee considers that measures to lift the quality of career education should be delivered through a national strategy supported by cooperative funding arrangements at the Commonwealth, state, and territory levels. Key elements of such a strategy include:
• Measures to ensure there is at least one fully qualified and accredited career practitioner in each secondary school. This may include funding one or more current teachers to obtain the relevant qualification.
• A minimum number of career education contact hours for each student. Career education should start in primary school and vary according to year level. For example, in the early years schooling there could be a focus on building a sense of identify and exploring interests, the final years of secondary schooling might focus on equipping students to make informed decisions about their post-school pathways. Careers education should also focus on encouraging students of all genders and backgrounds to consider careers in a variety of industries and ensure that VET and other post-school pathways are presented as equally valid.
• Enhanced and ongoing professional development for all career practitioners, including courses that build practitioners’ ability to work with students from diverse cohorts and provide careers advisers with regular exposure to industry sectors.
• The provision of up-to-date careers information and resources, including VET and university study options.
• A careers education framework at the individual school level, including:

• the appointment of a school careers leader (who may be the school’s career practitioner), with the function of ensuring all teachers can offer meaningful careers advice on an as-needs basis; and
• strategies to engage with students and parents on career planning, including to inform parents about potential VET and university pathways.
  170. Exposure to VET-related industries, careers, and workplaces can also be crucial to building an understanding of and encouraging students to consider VET pathways. Students cannot be what they cannot see. Several State Governments and many individual schools have already implemented programs to increase exposure to industry and VET. However, exposure to industry and to VET in secondary schools across Australia remains inconsistent.
  171. Accordingly, the Committee considers there would be value in including measures to increase students’ knowledge of and exposure to VET-related industry in a careers education strategy. The Committee is also attracted to the idea of schools arranging ‘exposure sessions’ for their students. Given the focus on promoting VET pathways into industry, sessions could be conducted jointly with VET providers.
  172. The NCI should be closely involved in the development of the career education strategy and should take the lead in the development and implementation of key elements, such as the provision of up-to-date careers information and resources. This is consistent with the core roles of that institution, and with the enhancements to the NCI as recommended elsewhere in this report.
  173. Also critical is that the strategy be underpinned by robust data about current and future skills needs and the tertiary sector. JSA and the NCVER should be actively engaged in the strategy’s development. The strategy should also be developed in close consultation with other key stakeholders, including relevant Commonwealth and State government departments, the regulators for VET and higher education, students and representatives, employers, and peak bodies.
  174. Career education strategies have previously been developed at the national level, including the Future Ready strategy which focuses on the needs of students. Developing and implementing a national strategy which incorporates the measures outlined above may involve building on existing offerings.
  175. Work is also ongoing at the state level to improve the quality of careers education, including via State-based workforce strategies. The Committee encourages the Australian Government to work closely with the states and territories to ensure career development strategies at the national and state levels complement but do not duplicate each other, and that the strategies are integrated insofar as possible.

4.176The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments to develop and implement a national strategy for career education in schools, including the following measures:

• Career education starting in primary school and continuing to the end of secondary school. Career education should vary by year level, and there should be a minimum number of contact hours for each student.
• Australian secondary schools have at least one accredited career practitioner.
• Improved professional development for career educators and teachers, including courses which build capacity to work with students from diverse cohorts.
• Nationally consistent and up-to-date career information and resources, including on VET and university study options.
• A career education framework at the school level, including plans to:

• appoint a school career leader with the function of coordinating careers education—including to ensure that all teachers are equipped to provide career advice if needed; and
• engage with students and parents on career planning, including to inform parents about potential VET and university pathways; and

• Measures to build closer connections with and increase students’ exposure to VET-related industries.

The National Career Institute, Jobs and Skills Australia, and the Jobs and Skills Councils should be actively involved in the development and implementation of the strategy. The strategy should be developed in close consultation with professional bodies such as the Career Industry Council of Australia, academic, policy, and education experts, teachers and students, sector regulators, and other key stakeholders.

4.177VETDSSS gives students meaningful opportunities to explore interests, consider alternatives to university and gain partial or full qualifications while completing the SSCE. However, while the value of VETDSSS appears to be broadly recognised, the quality and availability of VETDSSS is inconsistent across Australia. While some schools offer a comprehensive suite of programs, others—particularly in the independent and catholic school sectors—have few if any offerings. Even where a school does offer VETDSSS, it appears that awareness of this option is unknown to many students.

4.178In addition, VETDSSS is often perceived as a means of keeping less academically inclined students engaged in schooling. This reduces the prestige of VET pathways and devalues the qualifications to which they lead. This is reflected in evidence indicating that the majority of VETDSSS comprises non-accredited qualifications, and that in many cases students receive a statement of attainment rather than a recognised qualification or part thereof.

4.179The Committee is also concerned that VETDSSS appears to be undermined by a lack of consistent engagement and partnership with industry. This exacerbates the perception (and often the reality) that VETDSSS is not responsive to industry needs and limits the extent to which businesses are willing to offer the work placements that are critical to successful VET pathways. Ultimately, lack of industry engagement is likely to limit the extent to which VETDSSS translates into pathways from school to further education and to meaningful employment.

4.180A 2020 review of senior secondary pathways into work and further education recommended that VET should only be provided in schools where it can be done in a high-quality way as demonstrated via explicit endorsement by local employers or industry bodies. The review asserted that if schools are unable to meet these requirements, they should support students to undertake VET at an external RTO.[182] The Committee endorses this recommendation in principle, noting evidence that many schools do not deliver VET onsite but require students to access training via external providers.

4.181However, if students are to access VET off-campus, there are several concerns that must be addressed. For example, accessing VET off-campus can be costly and challenging for some students, particularly students in geographically isolated areas without reliable transport. Students may also be obliged to take courses in unfamiliar settings away from peers and may face challenges in organising their other classes around external providers’ timetables. Moreover, courses offered by external providers vary in quality and may not respond to the unique needs of secondary school students. For example, the Committee heard that:

• Courses tend to be more theoretical, use language that is not accessible for the average young person and often do not supply the teaching material needed to complete the assessments.
• Trainers have limited flexibility in their teaching, making it difficult to adapt for students with learning needs.
• There is an over-reliance on online learning in place of the hands-on education that previously characterised the VET sector.
• Trainers often refuse or are unable to answer questions, and often refer students back to learning modules.
  182. These issues are compounded by an apparent paucity of effective partnerships between schools and VET providers—particularly TAFEs—and by a lack of financial support for students seeking to access VET through an external provider. Further, while the Committee understands that some of the financial disincentives for schools to send students to external providers have been removed, evidence suggests that cost remains a key factor in schools’ decisions to offer VETDSSS, and in the decisions of students and their parents to participate. There should be no financial disincentive for schools or students where a student wishes to undertake VET with an external provider. Decisions about study options should be based on what is in the best interests of the student.
  183. Addressing these issues requires the delivery of VETDSSS to be underpinned by partnerships between schools, employers and industry peak bodies, and VET providers. Such partnerships would see VET providers and industry working with schools to adapt courses to the needs of secondary students and industry skills requirements, VET educators working in schools—often working in partnership with school-based teachers—and VET providers offering secondary school students places in external courses.
  184. Such partnerships should help to address concerns associated with the varying quality of VETDSSS, align training with industry needs, and ensure that employers are active participants in the training process. This is consistent with the Committee’s broader view that employers should not only be destinations for people seeking work, but active participants in the skills and training ecosystem.
  185. It also appears that one of the key reasons for poor perceptions of VETDSSS among employers is that students lack sufficient work experience and in-work training. The Committee acknowledges that engaging VETDSSS students comes at a cost to the employer. However, it is also imperative that employers be willing to take on and train students to respond to an increasingly dynamic labour market.
  186. The Committee considers that part of establishing cooperative arrangements with employers and VET providers should be exploring targeted funding initiatives to minimise actual and perceived risks to employers of engaging VETDSSS students. This should be part of a broader funding package to lift the quality of VETDSSS, and to ensure that students’ decisions about their study options are based on their aspirations and are not unduly limited by financial constraints. There would also be value in supporting school-industry connections via training hubs, learning and employment networks or similar models. Such models bear further investigation.
  187. TAFEs should be the partners of choice for the partnership arrangements outlined above. This would include TAFEs having active input into delivery of on-site VETDSSS and being the sole or at least primary external VETDSSS provider. Other providers should be enabled to provide input to the development of VETDSSS offers, and over the longer term there may be value in developing a register of RTOs that deliver training of proven quality which would be willing to partner with schools to broaden the VETDSSS offer. However, at least in the short to medium term the focus should be on TAFEs. This is consistent with the Committee’s view that TAFEs should be supported and funded as primary providers of vocational education (making the important distinction between education and training), and the government’s ongoing focus on rebuilding a public core to the sector.
  188. The Committee appreciates that there are concerns that TAFEs are less responsive than their private counterparts to the needs of industry and agrees with the view that VEDTSSS must align with the skills needs of a modern workforce. However, the Committee does not consider that this is sufficient reason not to prioritise TAFE in the design and delivery of VETDSSS. Rather, this means that the education and training delivered through TAFEs should be enhanced, including via strategic partnerships with industry. The Committee notes that measures to enhance TAFE are proposed under the new NSA. Moreover, there are numerous examples of TAFEs partnering with other tertiary education providers and with industry to deliver tailored training. Such partnerships indicate that a TAFE system that responds to the needs of industry is eminently possible, assuming the right financial support and strategic governance arrangements are in place.
  189. It is critical for VETDSSS students to obtain nationally recognised qualifications and units of competency rather than mere statements of attainment. The Committee appreciates that it may not be possible to offer full qualifications higher than the Certificate II level via VETDSSS, particularly noting that most VETDSSS students will be completing VET courses in addition to their other school subjects. Moreover, it is understood that not all students will want to pursue a full qualification or even a significant part thereof and may complete a single unit of competency.
  190. There should be more parity between a VETDSSS course and a ‘mainstream’ VET course at the same level. Failing to provide students with opportunities to obtain a recognised qualification or unit of competency may also lead to students being required to repeat their studies should they decide to pursue a VET pathway post-secondary school. Such an outcome may further discourage students from pursing studies in the VET sector and would be an inefficient use of time and resources for the student, the school, the VET provider, and the government.
  191. While acknowledging the complexities of integrating VET qualifications and units of competency into a school curriculum, the Committee considers it important that measures be implemented to ensure VETDSSS has—and is perceived as having—intrinsic value.

4.192The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments to enhance the quality and consistency of vocational education and training delivered to secondary school students (VETDSSS). This should include the following key measures:

• Establish cooperative arrangements between secondary schools, technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, and industry to underpin the design and delivery of VETDSSS. Key priorities for these partnerships should include:

• overcoming barriers to the delivery of VETDSSS through TAFEs;
• better integrating VET courses with the broader school curriculum, underpinned by an understanding that VETDSSS should not, in principle, be different to ‘mainstream’ VET;
• encouraging and enabling industry to offer meaningful work experience to VETDSSS students, where appropriate; and
• ensuring that VETDSSS courses are responsive to industry needs.

• Provide targeted investment for schools to deliver VETDSSS, with funding conditional on schools delivering VETDSSS in partnership with TAFEs.
• Ensure that all VETDSSS courses can lead to or be counted towards a nationally recognised qualification.
  193. Many schools do not have access to qualified VET educators due to workforce shortages in the VET sector, lack of resources, and a failure to adapt undergraduate teaching qualifications to the VET sector. Some schools have implemented workarounds, including providing VET trainers with a temporary permission to teach. These are not long-term solutions. Some trainers using the temporary permission lack the pedagogical competency to teach school students, are underpaid, and under-valued relative to counterparts with formal teaching qualifications.
  194. This issue could be addressed by offering an additional VET specialist initial teacher education (ITE) program. There appears to be merit in offering boutique or adaptive ITE programs that provide a ‘fast track’ into teaching roles for industry professionals. The Committee envisages that such programs would focus on the key pedagogical competencies industry professionals require to move into teaching, while recognising and giving credit for industry experience. The Committee strongly encourages government to consider the programs offered in Norway and Finland in this regard.
  195. Evidence indicates that classroom teachers frequently lack up-to-date information on VET and may consider VET an inferior pathway to university (and are accordingly unable to offer advice on VET pathways to their students). This is a concern to the Committee, noting classroom teachers are often a trusted source of advice.
  196. Implementing a careers advisory strategy and ensuring that teachers are actively engaged in school-based initiatives related to VET should help to address this concern, as should measures to promote indicators of success other than the ATAR. However, there would also be considerable value in adding one or more units on VET to ‘general’ ITE programs to enhance teachers’ ability to provide reliable and accurate advice on VET when approached by students. Measures of this kind should be implemented as part of broader efforts to lift the quality of VETDSSS.

4.197The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments, education experts and the vocational education and training (VET) and university sectors to implement the following measures:

• Additional initial teacher education (ITE) programs with a VET speciality.
• Additional ITE programs which focus on enabling industry experts to become qualified VET delivered to secondary school students (VETDSSS) educators, including ‘fast track’ programs where appropriate.
• Adding units on VET into all ITE courses, to ensure all teachers are able to provide reliable, accurate information on VET to their students.
  198. The quality of VETDDSSS programs—and secondary education more generally—will depend heavily on school funding. The Committee is concerned that public schools in particular are not being funded to the amounts specified in the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS). Recent Senate Estimates briefings indicated that, in 2023, public schools in received between 90 and 95 per cent of the funding amounts specified in the SRC, and that the NT received just 80 per cent of the specified funding.[183]
  199. The Committee welcomes the government’s commitment during the 2022 election to work with the states and territories to increase funding for all schools to 100 per cent of the SRS,[184] as well as the recent joint announcement by the Commonwealth and WA governments to lift funding for all public schools in WA to 100 per cent of the SRS by 2026.[185]
  200. The Committee considers that measures to lift funding for all schools in Australia to 100 per cent of the SRS must be progressed as a matter of urgency. These measures should be progressed through the National Schools Reform process.

4.201The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments to ensure that all Australian schools are funded to 100 per cent of the Schooling Resourcing Standard.

Footnotes

[1]See, eg, Government of South Australia (SA Government), Submission 12, p. 3; Independent Education Union–Queensland and Northern Territory Branch (IEU–QNT), Submission 21, p. 2; Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA), Submission 24, p. 4; Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA), Submission 27, p. [4]; Australian Industry Trade College (AITC), Submission 31, pages [3], [8]; National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), Submission 36, pages 4–5. Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA), Submission38, p. 7.

[2]Professor Jenny Gore, Director, Teachers and Teaching Research Centre, University of Newcastle, Committee Hansard, 14 August 2023, p. 8; See also Monash University, Submission 83, pages 6–7.

[3]Professor Gore, University of Newcastle, Committee Hansard, 14 August 2023, p. 8.

[4]See, eg, PGA, Submission 24, p. 4; NSW Department of Education, TAFE NSW, and NSW Education Standards Authority (NSW Department of Education et al), Submission 77, p. 7

[5]NCVER, Submission 36, p. 2. See also Professor Gore, University of Newcastle, Committee Hansard, 14August 2023, p. 9.

[6]See, eg, National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC), Submission 33,p. 3; Central Coast Apprenticeship and Traineeship Advisory Committee (CCATC), Submission 96, p. [2].

[7]Newbery Consulting (Newbery), Submission 16, p. 18.

[8]See, eg, AITC, Submission 31, pages [6–8]; MTAA, Submission38, p. 7; Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Submission 43, p.2; Ms Laura Angus, First Assistant Secretary, Careers and International Division, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), Committee Hansard, 22 March 2023, p. 6.

[9]See, eg, Master Electricians Australia (MEA), Submission 5, p. 9; Name Withheld, Submission 10, p. [1]; National Youth Commission Australia (NYCA), Submission 19, p. [5]; PGA, Submission 24, p. 4; MTAA, Submission 38, p. 7; Australian Industry Group Centre for Education and Training (AiGroup), Submission 47,p. 3; Ms Julia Baron, CEO, Victorian Student Representative Council (Vic SRC), Committee Hansard, 26April 2023, p. 20

[10]See, eg, Independent Schools Tasmania (IST), Submission 6, pages 6–7; Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), Submission 92, p. 8.

[11]South Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People (CCYP-SA), Submission 34, p. [27].

[12]CCYP-SA, Submission 34, p. [28].

[13]MEA, Submission 5, p. 9.

[14]MEA, Submission 5, pages 11–12. MEA observed that a similar model has been successful in the hospitality, retail, commerce, and other sectors using a combination of school resources, TAFE, and private providers.

[15]Ms Jessie Caisley, National Policy Officer, Electrical Trades Union of Australia (ETUA), Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, p. 11.

[16]Vic SRC, Submission 90, p. [4].

[17]Vic SRC, Submission 90, p. [6]. See also Vic SRC, Submission 90.1, p. [3].

[18]DEWR, Submission 76, p. 7. See also Department of Education, Looking to the Future: Report of the Review of senior secondary pathways into work, further education and training, pages 17–19, https://www.education.gov.au/quality-schools-package/resources/looking-future-report-review-senior-secondary-pathways-work-further-education-and-training, viewed 5 February 2024.

[19]NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, p. 7. See also DEWR, Submission 76, p. 7.

[20]CEWA, Submission 27, p. [3].

[21]Ms Justine Gaske, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 17 July 2023, p. 8.

[22]Ms Gaske, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 17 July 2023, p. 9.

[23]Mrs Sally Brindal, Immediate Past President, Isolated Children’s Parents Association of Western Australia (ICPAWA), Committee Hansard, 14 August 2023, p. 4.

[24]See, eg, Dr Stephen Billet, Professor, School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 17; Mr David Carney, Executive Director, Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA), Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 10.

[25]See, eg, Mr Robert Heron, Submission 2, p. [1]; Ms Jenny Dodd, CEO, TAFE Directors Australia, Committee Hansard, 29 March 2023, p. 2

[26]See, eg, Casper, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 7; Eman, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 7.

[27]Mr Billy Lister, Student Executive Advisory Committee Member, Vic SRC, Committee Hansard, 26April2023, p. 18.

[28]Vic SRC, Submission 90, p. [6].

[29]DEWR, Submission 76, p. 7.

[30]Mr Carney, CICA, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, pages 10–11.

[31]Dr Billet, Griffith University, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 17.

[32]Alphacrucis University College (AUC), Submission 82, p. [7].

[33]AUC, Submission 82, pages [7–8].

[34]See, eg, Mr Robert Heron, Submission 2, p. [1]; Mr Chris Lehmann, National Manager, MEA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 8. Several websites use the ATAR as an indicator to rank schools for the information of parents and prospective students. See, eg Better Education, School Rankings, https://bettereducation.com.au/schoolranking.aspx, viewed 5 February 2024; Matrix Education, 2022High School Rankings, https://www.matrix.edu.au/high-school-rankings/2022-high-school-rankings, viewed 5February2024.

[35]Mr Carney, CICA, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 11.

[36]Professor Sarojni Choy, Professor, School of Education and Professional Studies, Grifith University, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 19.

[37]Dr Billet, Griffith University, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, pages 15, 19.

[38]CCYP-SA, Submission 34, pages [1–2]. See also Ms Baron, Vic SRC, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p.20; National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA), Submission 17, p. 5; NYCA, Submission 19, p.[5].

[39]See CCYP-SA, Submission 34, p. [12].

[40]MEA, Submission 5, pages 5–6.

[41]See, eg, Australian Centre for Career Education (ACCE), Submission 15, pages 5–6; NYCA, Submission 19, p.[5]; MTAA, Submission 38, p. 7; ACCI, Submission 43, p. 2.

[42]See Ms Penne Dawe, CEO, ACCE, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 15.

[43]ICPAWA, Submission 61, p. 3.

[44]Ms Brinda, IPCAWA, Committee Hansard, 14 August 2023, p. 5.

[45]See, eg, Ms Dawe, ACCE, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 15; Mr Felix Pirie, Deputy CEO, Policy and Research, Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA), Committee Hansard, 24May 2023, p.10.

[46]Ms Salwa Kilzi, Vocational Education Officer, National Union of Students (NUS), Committee Hansard, 26April 2023,p. 15.

[47]Australasian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA), Submission 52,p. 4. Seealso Business Council of Australia (BCA), Submission 93, p. 7.

[48]See SkillsIQ, Submission 50, p. 7.

[49]See Ms Dawe, ACCE, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 17.

[50]See Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Submission 80, p. [6].

[51]Centre for Independent Studies (CIS), ATAR’s rising relevance: admission standards and completion rates,27 February 2023, https://www.cis.org.au/publication/atars-rising-relevance-admission-standards-and-completion-rates, viewed 5 February 2024.

[52]CIS, ATAR’s rising relevance: admission standards and completion rates,27 February 2023.

[53]Master Builders Australia (MBA), Submission 71, p. 5. See also Year 13, After the ATAR, https://year13.com.au/business/reports/after-the-atar-i, viewed 2 February 2024.

[54]See, eg, Professor Robin Shreeve, Submission 1, p. [5]. Newbery, Submission 16, p. 16; AUC, Submission82, p. [7]; Mr Carney, CICA, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 9.

[55]DEWR, Submission 76, p. 6.

[56]AUC, Submission 82, p. [4].

[57]Mackenzie, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 3.

[58]Mackenzie, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 3.

[59]Professor Shreeve, Submission 1, p. [5].

[60]Eman, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 5.

[61]Ankido, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 5.

[62]Western Australian (WA) Government, Submission 97, p. 2.

[63]Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH), Submission 35, p. 5.

[64]Mr Ben Bardon, CEO, National Apprenticeships Association Australia, (NAAA) Committee Hansard, 19April2023, p. 16.

[65]See, eg, Refraction Media, Submission 9, p. 5; AiGroup, Submission 47, p. 4; Ms Karolina Szukalska, General Manager, MCA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 19; Ms Isabelle Holmes, Student Executive Advisory Committee Member, Vic SRC, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 19.

[66]Integrated Information Service (IIS), Submission 53, pages 3–4.

[67]See CICA, Submission 39, p. [3]; Professor Peter Dawkins AO, Director, Jobs, and Skills Australia (JSA), Committee Hansard, 22 March 2023, p. 4

[68]Mr Carney, CICA, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 12.

[69]Ms Dawe, ACCE, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 17.

[70]Monash University, Submission 83, p. [9]. See also Professor Walsh, Monash University, Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, pages 2, 4.

[71]VCCI, Submission 80, p. [6].

[72]CICA, Submission 39, p. [2].

[73]See CICA, Career Practitioners, https://cica.org.au/practitioners, viewed 5 February 2024.

[74]Monash University, Submission 83, pages 6–7. See also Name Withheld, Submission 66, pages [1–2].

[75]Monash University, Submission 83, p. 8.

[76]See, eg, MTAA, Submission 38, p. 6; CICA, Submission 39, p. [2]; ACCI, Submission 43, p. 3.

[77]AiGroup, Submission 47, p. 4.

[78]ACCE, Submission 15, p. 4. According to ACCE, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority has advised that mandatory career education ‘is not coming any time soon’.

[79]CICA, Submission 39, p. [3]. See also Groves et al, ‘One student might get one opportunity, and then the next student won’t get anything like that: Inequities in Australian career education and recommendations for a fairer future’ (2021), 50 Australian Education Review 519, 521.

[80]MBA, Submission 71, p. 6.

[81]WA Government, Submission 97, p. 3.

[82]Ms Gaske, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 17 July 2023, p. 10.

[83]Mr Carney, CICA, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 10.

[84]See, eg, AiGroup, Submission 47, p. 4; Ms Dawe, ACCE, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 18. TheACCE asserted that career advisors should possess a CICA-endorsed qualification at the Australian Qualification Framework level 8 (a graduate-level qualification) and be registered with the NCI.

[85]Monash University, Submission 83, p. 8.

[86]See, eg, SA Government, Submission 12,p. 3; ACCI, Submission 43, p. 3; Dr Mark Dean, Research and Planning Officer, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Committee Hansard, 26April 2023, p. 5; MsDawe, ACCE, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 14.

[87]See, eg, ACCE, Submission 15, p. 5; NYCA, Submission 19, p. [4]; NCEC, Submission 33, p. [3]; ACCI, Submission 43, pages 2–3.

[88]Eman, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 4.

[89]WA Government, Submission 97, p. 4.

[90]Newbery, Submission 16, p. 17.

[91]Australian Digital and Telecommunications Industry Association (ADTIA), Submission 88, pages [5–6].

[92]Ms Gaske, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 17 July 2023, p. 11.

[93]Ms Gaske, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 17 July 2023, p. 11.

[94]DEWR, Submission 76, p. 14.

[95]NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, pages 5–6.

[96]See, eg, IIS, Submission 53,p. 4; Mr Carney, CICA, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, pages 11–12; MsDawe, ACCE, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 16.

[97]CEWA, Submission 27, p. [4]; CICA, Submission 39, p. [3].

[98]Mr Trevor Gauld, National Policy Officer, ETUA, Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, p. 7, p. 10.

[99]Mr Bardon, NAAA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 16.

[100]MTAA, Submission 38, p. 6.

[101]Mr Lehmann, MEA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 9.

[102]See, eg, Mr Carney, CICA, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, pages 12–13.

[103]VCCI, Submission 80, pages [5–8].

[104]Professor Gore, University of Newcastle, Committee Hansard, 14 August 2023, p. 9. See also Independent Schools Australia (ISA), Submission 84, p. 3.

[105]MBA, Submission 71, p. 6.

[106]See, eg, ACCI, Submission 43, p. 2; Ms Julie Pilioglou, Submission 62, p. 1; Mr Carney, CICA, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 11.

[107]Queensland Government, Submission 95, p. 3.

[108]See, eg, CICA, Submission 39, pages [2–3,5]; SA Government, Submission 12, p. 4; Australian Industry Trade College (IATA), Submission 31,p. [14]; ISA Submission 84, p.25; CCACT, Submission 96, p. [2].

[109]MTAA, Submission 38, p. 6.

[110]Mr Rodney Camm, CEO, Motor Trades Association of Queensland, Committee Hansard, 19April2023, p. 2.

[111]Mr Darrell Jacobs, CEO Motor Trades Association of South Australia and the Northern Territory, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 6.

[112]Tasmanian Government, Submission 11, p. [2].

[113]Professor Choy, Griffith University, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 18.

[114]AiGroup, Submission 47, pages 4–5.

[115]VCCI, Submission 80, p. [10].

[116]ACCI, Submission 43, pages 5–6.

[117]See, eg, Mr Lehmann, MEA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 11; Dr Billet, Griffith University, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, pages 17–18. Ms Dawe, ACCE, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 17.

[118]CEWA, Submission 27, pages [1, 5]. See also NCEC, Submission 33, p. 3.

[119]QAMH, Submission 35, p. 8.

[120]Save the Children and 54 Reasons, Submission 75, pages [2–4], citing Hon Roger Jaensch, Tasmanian Minister for Education, Children, and Youth, ‘More Hands-on Learning for Tasmanian students’, Media Release, 20 December 2022, https://www.premier.tas.gov.au/site_resources_2015/additional_releases/more-hands-on-learning-for-tasmanian-students, viewed 5 February 2022.

[121]Save the Children and 54 Reasons, Submission 75, pages [3–4].

[122]AUC, Submission 82, p. [11].

[123]Mr George Massouris, Assistant Principal, Cranbourne Secondary College, Committee Hansard, 7June2023, p. 10.

[124]See, eg, IST, Submission 6, pages 8–10; ADTIA, Submission 88, p. [3].

[125]See, eg, MTAA, Submission 38, p. 7.

[126]Vic SRC, Submission 90, p. 5. See also Vic SRC, Submission 90.1, p. [2]; Ms Dawe, ACCE, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 15.

[127]See, eg, IST, Submission 6, pages 10–11; Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA), Submission40, p. 6; VCCI, Submission 80, p. [5].

[128]Mrs Kira McKenna, Principal, Katrina’s School of Hair and Beauty, Committee Hansard, 17July2023, p. 2.

[129]IST, Submission 6, p. 7.

[130]See Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Heads of Agreement for Skills Reform,https://www.pmc.gov.au/resources/heads-agreement-skills-reform, viewed 5 February 2024.

[131]See DEWR, Improving VET delivered to secondary students, https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/improving-vet-delivered-secondary-students, viewed 5 February 2024.

[132]NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, p. 5.

[133]Mr Grant Byrne, President, Institute of Technology Education (ITE), Committee Hansard, 16 August 2023, p.16.

[134]See, eg, Ankido, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 6.

[135]Catholic Education Commission of Victoria, Submission 48, p. 5. See also IST, Submission 6, p. 10.

[136]See, eg, Emily, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 2; Ankido, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 3.

[137]Bianca, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 3.

[138]See, eg, Alison, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, pages 7–8.

[139]Australian Education Union (AEU), Submission 37, pages 8–10.

[140]AEU, Submission 37, p. 11.

[141]Mr Matthew Stanley, Committee Member, ITE, Committee Hansard, 16 August 2023, p. 15.

[142]Ms Amanda Ellwood, Submission 51, pages [3–4]. See also Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), Submission 57, p. 5.

[143]Vic SRC, Submission 90, pages [4–5].

[144]Mr Carney, CICA, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 11

[145]Ms Dawe, ACCE, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 16.

[146]IST, Submission 6, p. 10.

[147]See, for example, PGA, Submission 24, p. 5.

[148]Emily, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 6.

[149]IST, Submission 6, p. 8.

[150]IST, Submission 6, pages 9–10.

[151]AEU, Submission 37, p. 10.

[152]DEWR, Submission 76, p. 8.

[153]Ms Baron, Vic SRC, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2023, p. 19.

[154]AiGroup, Submission 47, p. 8.

[155]CEWA, Submission 27, p. [4].

[156]See, eg, AEU, Submission 37, pages 10–11.

[157]Dr Karen O’Reilly-Briggs, Dr Rochelle Fogelgarn and Dr Jacolyn Weller (Dr O’Reilly-Briggs et al), Submission 20, p. 3. See also K O’Reilly-Briggs, The initial teacher education of vocational education and training upper secondary teachers in Norway and Finland: lessons for Australia, 2023,p. 78.

[158]Mr Stephen Brady, Managing Director, TAFE NSW, Committee Hansard, 16 August 2023, p. 4.

[159]AHISA, Submission 57, p. 8.

[160]Mr Andrew Brooks, Committee Member, ITE, Committee Hansard, 16 August 2023, p. 15.

[161]AEU, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 26.

[162]Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Submission 49, p. 2. See also AUC, Submission 82, pages [8–9].

[163]Alison, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 June 2023, p. 8.

[164]IST, Submission 6, p. 4.

[165]WA Government, Submission 97, pages 5–6.

[166]Professor Anne Garnder, Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Committee Hansard, 16 August 2023, p. 2.

[167]See, eg, Dr O’Reilly-Briggs et al, Submission 20, p. 1.

[168]Dr O’Reilly-Briggs, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 6.

[169]IST, Submission 6, pages 4–6, 11. See also Ms Julie Pilioglou, Submission 62, p. [1]; ISA, Submission 84, p.25.

[170]AUC, Submission 82, p. [14].

[171]Dr O’Reilly-Briggs, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 6.

[172]See Dr O’Reilly-Briggs et al, Submission 20,p. 3. Dr O’Reilly-Briggs, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 9; K O’Reilly-Briggs, The initial teacher education of vocational education and training upper secondary teachers in Norway and Finland: lessons for Australia, 2023, p. 78.

[173]See, eg, ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies, VET Information, https://www.bsss.act.edu.au/act_senior_secondary_system/vet_information, viewed 5 February 2022; Tasmanian Assessment, Standards, and Certification, Tasmanian Certificate of Education, https://www.tasc.tas.gov.au/students/qualifications/tasmanian-certificate-of-education-tce, viewed 5 February 2024; School Curriculum and Standards Authority (WA), How VET Contributes Towards the WACE, https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/vet/how-vet-contributes-towards-wace, viewed 5 February 2024.

[174]Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre, ATAR and Scaling 2023, https://vtac.edu.au/atar-scaling-guide-2023, viewed 5 February 2024.

[175]Vic SRC, Submission 90, p. [5].

[176]Ms Baron Vic SRC, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, pages 18–20.

[177]NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, p. 6.

[178]NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, p. 5.

[179]NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, p. 6.

[180]Mr Matthew Stanley, Committee Member, ITE, Committee Hansard, 16August 2023, p. 14.

[181]AVETRA, Submission 52, p. 4.

[182]See Department of Education, Looking to the Future: Report of the Review of senior secondary pathways into work, further education and training, p. 21.

[183]See Department of Education, Senate Estimates Briefs, 27 April 2023, p. 200, https://www.education.gov.au/about-department/resources/senate-estimates-briefs, viewed 27 February 2024.

[184]See Parliamentary Library, Briefing Book: School education, https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BriefingBook47p/SchoolEducation, viewed 27February2024.

[185]See Hon Jason Clare MP, Hon Roger Cook MLA, and Hon Dr Tony Buti MLA, ‘Australian and WA Governments agree to fully and fairly fund all Western Australian public schools, Joint Media Release, 31January 2024, https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/australian-and-wa-governments-agree-fully-and-fairly-fund-all-western-australian-public, viewed 27 February 2024.