5. Training and qualification pathways
   1. This chapter examines the nature and quality of training delivered in the vocational education and training (VET) sector. This includes training packages, assessment processes, and the role of micro-credentials.
   2. It also explores measures to attract, retain and develop the VET teaching workforce and measures to improve the apprenticeship and traineeship pathways and enhance completion rates.

Nationally recognised training

5.3Nationally recognised training covers qualifications and units of competency in Training Packages, and training accredited by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).

5.4A revised process for developing Training Packages commenced in January 2023. The process is underpinned by a new set of rules (Training Package Organising Framework (TPOF)) that aim to ensure new and updated Training Packages are user-centric, anchored in good design, support quality training and assessment, and align with policy such as the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (RTO Standards).[1]

5.5Training Packages are developed through a process of consultation with industry and government, before being approved by a dedicated Assurance Body and by Federal, State, and Territory Skills Ministers.[2]

5.6Responsibility for developing Training Packages falls to Commonwealth, state, and territory Skills Ministers, as well as to the Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs). JSCs are non-profit companies that are industry owned and led. A network of 10 JSCs has been established, with each responsible for an industry sector such as Agribusiness, Energy, Gas, and Renewables. JSCs are responsible for workforce planning, the development and implementation of training products, and industry stewardship. The JSCs work closely with Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) to share market insights.[3]

5.7Previously, development of Training Packages was led by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) supported by Industry Reference Committees. Packages were developed by six Skills Service Organisations—professional organisations separate from industry and the VET sector. Packages were validated by industry and approved by Skills Ministers. A typical development and approval process took approximately 18 months, with one third of processes requiring two years.[4] The former process is outlined in Figure 5.1.

Source: Australian Industry Standards, Training Packages, https://www.australianindustrystandards.org.au/training-packages/

5.8The Australian Government is in the process of reforming the framework for VET qualifications. From September 2022 to March 2023, consultation was undertaken on an example qualification architecture model based on skills standards; training and assessment requirements, and completion rules (packaging of skills standards and training and assessment requirements into qualifications and skill sets). In response to stakeholder feedback, a time-limited tripartite Qualifications Reform Design Group has been established.[5]

5.9The Design Group will provide advice on a reform process for VET qualifications that prepares the sector for the future. As of August 2023, the Design Group had started to map the purposes of VET qualifications and how they are used, as well as to plan its consultation with key stakeholders.[6]

Training Package development

5.10A concern for several stakeholders was that Training Packages take significant time to develop and often fail to keep pace with rapidly changing skills needs—particularly considering the pace of technological development. Delays in developing Packages can also create blockages for workers looking to change industries.[7]

5.11Mr Sean Teer, Employment Facilitator for the South-East Melbourne and Peninsula Region under Workforce Australia, noted that delays in developing Training Packages create challenges for employers:

We get a lot of feedback [from employers] saying that, by the [time a] program or the curriculum is developed, it's fallen behind where industry's at … the speed of change is not as rapid within the education, or the VET system, as it is in the actual industry, and employers are saying there's this widening gap.[8]

5.12Skills Impact indicated that VET educators may not be keeping up with the pace of technological development, stating:

Until [a] technology has become common enough to require broader training, there is no call for VET educators on the technology, but when the demand is high enough, there are no qualified educators because they are involved in development, sales, and proprietary training. As a result, there is usually a significant and unavoidable lag between technology becoming widespread and qualified VET educators being available to deliver training on the technology.[9]

5.13Ms Claire Field noted that ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence (AI) challenge the philosophy of the Training Package, potentially leading to damaging reputational impacts to VET if the sector is not able to respond effectively.[10]

5.14The time taken to develop Training Packages was raised as a current and increasing concern in the Productivity Commission’s review of the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development and in the Expert Review of the VET System led by the Hon Steven Joyce (Joyce Review). Both reviews recommended streamlining the development of Training Packages, including giving increased power to industry-led entities to approve or commission updates to products within shorter timeframes.[11]

5.15These views were broadly echoed by Business NSW, who asserted that to improve speed to market minor amendments to Training Packages should be allowed at the JSC level. This should be subject to an agreed process of industry consultation, with amendments to Packages then adopted by RTOs. According to Business NSW, this would allow rapid industry changes to be reflected in the delivery of training by nimbler providers without forcing major and frequent change on every provider.[12]

5.16Another concern was the complexity of Training Packages and the extent to which they impose prescriptive requirements. The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) raised concern that Packages are siloed into separate industries and difficult to navigate—even where sectors share skill profiles. The ARA recommended that packages be streamlined to enable synergies to be leveraged in a way that provides better access and more options to students.[13]

5.17The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education, TAFE NSW, and the NSW Education Standards Authority (NSW Department of Education et al) noted that Training Packages are often perceived as a ‘complex web’ of qualifications and units, stating that this can negatively affect the learning experiences of students and make delivery challenging for teachers. The time taken for teachers to update their learning strategies and assessment tasks in response to changes in Training Packages can also impact the learning experience.[14]

5.18Professor Robin Shreeve stated that having a Training Package for every occupation is impractical, noting that around 80 per cent of VET enrolments are in 20 per cent of Packages. Professor Shreeve observed that for specialised industries it may be better to allow VET providers to work with industry to design and deliver training.[15]

5.19Professor Erica Smith stated that Training Packages are ‘basically lists of competency standards’ and can be very difficult for teachers and students to understand. Professor Smith suggested adding curriculum overviews and information on work placements to Training Packages to enable greater understanding and more informed choice.[16] Professor Smith also called for the following more fundamental changes to how Training Packages are designed and implemented:

• Keep reviewing and excising under-utilised qualifications and units to reduce the number of unused products, with ‘niche’ areas taught in non-accredited courses.
• Explain that while RTOs and educators must cover the relevant Training Package or unit of competency as a minimum, they may also add additional content which reflects students’ aspirations and industry needs.
• Streamline assessment processes.
• Emphasise knowledge in units and qualifications.
• Introduce grading of assessment to boost confidence in the VET system and allow greater discrimination by employers among applicants.
• Recognise that VET qualifications are often the start of a person’s career journey, and that employers must take responsibility for ongoing training and development.
• Allow apprentices to complete qualification they start, rather than requiring them to transfer to new versions of qualifications when Training Packages are updated.
• Clarify that each RTO is not required to offer all elective units.
• Qualify VET teachers and trainers to higher levels so they have more of a voice in the delivered curriculum.
• Move cross-sectoral units into a designated ‘container’.[17]
  20. According to some stakeholders, a potential solution to issues associated with the development of Training Packages is giving RTOs freedom to self-accredit courses (provided quality standards are met). The Australasian Vocational Education and Training Research Organisation (AVETRA) stated:

One major action that would raise the esteem with which VET is held would be to give (in many cases re-instate) the capacity for [technical and further education (TAFE) institutes] to have the same course self-accrediting powers that are held by universities. As in Higher Education, this power could also be extended to non-public providers that can demonstrate the capacity to meet the standard required … Self-accreditation must be supported by an appropriate level of research capability at the proposal development stage as well as a permanent evaluation capacity.[18]

5.21TAFE Directors Australia similarly stated that Training Packages have largely ‘served their time’ and expressed support for allowing TAFEs to self-accredit—following the approach taken in the university sector. This would allow TAFEs to work with industry, universities, and unions to create contemporary course content and produce work-ready graduates at scale. TAFE Directors Australia provided the following examples to illustrate the potential of self-accreditation and the offer of courses outside the national training system:

• Strengthening the capacity of TAFE NSW to work with the University of Wollongong to support skills development in the clean energy sector.
• TAFE Queensland and Central Queensland University have partnered with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance to develop a suite of outcomes including micro-credentials and a new Certificate II in Autonomous Technologies.
• A consortium of TAFEs from Australia has co-developed tailored qualifications and units for the cyber security workforce. The consortium (TAFEcyber) is backed by key government and industry partners including AustCyber and Ionize.[19]

Ensuring industry and sector engagement

5.22Stakeholders emphasised the importance of an industry voice in the development of training (and in the VET sector generally), indicating that current arrangements for facilitating industry involvement may not be sufficient.[20]

5.23The Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) noted a perception within industry that the quality of training delivered by many RTOs is not representative of industry needs, with evidence that industry engagement is limited and involves little in the way of grassroots consultation. The MTAA called for an improved program of industry engagement with well-coordinated regulatory oversight.[21]

5.24The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) stated that meeting the needs of small business requires the development of a coordinated national strategy under the auspices of tripartite negotiation between government, industry, and unions. JSA and the JSCs must also be engaged as key points of consultation. COBOSA also called for the establishment of a Small Business Commissioner within JSA to ensure the needs of small businesses are addressed, and for representation for small business on the JSCs.[22]

5.25The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) was similarly supportive of a tripartite approach to the design and delivery of training:

[I]ndustry, unions, and workers [must work together] in a genuinely collaborative process to design Training Packages and deliver them through a process of occupational profiling ... [This is] about understanding what industry requires and the skills needed, and determining how they are shaped into an occupational profile that is then delivered by the VET system, typically through TAFE but also through other training providers in the private and not-for-profit sector.[23]

5.26The AMWU explained that an occupational profile includes an occupational standard (education and training required for competent performance) and a collaboratively developed industry framework curriculum or training standard. The AMWU noted that while not every occupation warrants an occupational profile, public funding should be directed to training leading to nationally recognised accreditation and which aligns to occupational profiles.[24]

5.27The Electrical Trades Union of Australia (ETUA) observed that changing skills and technologies mean that employers must work together to design training for the sector, including via bodies established for this purpose. The ETUA highlighted the Renewable Energy Centre of Excellence—developed in partnership with Master Electricians Queensland—which provides training related to renewable energy.[25]

5.28The NSW Department of Education et al observed that the JSCs may be able to play a significant role in engaging industry and promoting VET to the public, noting that training bodies in New Zealand take responsibility for developing promotional material for students. Representatives also attend careers expos and visit schools.[26]

5.29The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) stated that it is committed to a collaborative, tripartite VET sector that brings employers, unions, and governments together to find solutions to skill and workforce challenges. DEWR noted that the JSCs provide strategic leadership in addressing skill and workforce challenges, align effort across industries to improve responsiveness, build stakeholder confidence, and drive high-quality outcomes.[27]

5.30Some stakeholders observed that industry associations and other sector bodies have a strong role to play in developing training. The Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU) noted that the development of qualifications for the health sector must not be solely dictated by industry, but must also involve professional organisations, regulators, and organisations that advise nurses on the provision of healthcare. This is of particular significance given VET-qualified entrants to the sector will form part of a regulated workforce subject to codes and guidelines.[28]

5.31The National Fire Industry Association (NFIA) called for greater alignment between licensing and registration and recognised qualifications to increase the value and perception of VET. NFIA stated that this is particularly important for the Fire Industry and other industries which play a key role in ensuring public safety.[29]

Assessment processes

5.32Assessment processes in the VET sector are inconsistent across providers and courses and may not give employers sufficient information on each student’s skills. Stakeholders also indicated that some courses are over-assessed, and accordingly may impose too great a workload on participants.[30]

5.33The MTAA observed that there is little consistency in training and assessment across the VET sector. Moreover, students are assessed as ‘competent’ or ‘not competent’, giving little indication of the student’s level of skill in specific areas. According to the MTAA, there also are incentives in existing funding models for RTOs to assess students as ‘competent’ notwithstanding their actual level of skill. The MTAA called for an independent assessment authority as the ‘final arbiter’ of training quality and student assessment, as well as for more industry involvement in assessment and validation of training delivered by RTOs.[31]

5.34Careflight similarly noted a lack of consistency between assessments delivered by separate RTOs for the same training package, stating that at least some RTOs use poor-quality assessment techniques for financial gain. Careflight asserted that JSCs should create assessment guidelines with precise requirements for students to be work-ready. This should include ensuring assessment tools are useable and easy to understand, calculating the correct amount of evidence required to demonstrate competency, and updating assessment tools to align with industry needs.[32]

5.35The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (SBFEO) called for a competency verification system to reassure employers that graduates have genuinely met required competencies, stating that this should include consideration of the experience and qualifications of teachers. According to the SBFEO, without a mechanism to ensure trust in the quality of VET courses, employers—especially small businesses without a dedicated human resources team—may question the value of the training delivered by the VET sector as well as the skills of graduates.[33]

5.36Drawing on previous findings of the Productivity Commission, the NSW Department of Education et al observed that due to a lack of proficiency ratings in the VET sector, employers may not have sufficient information to determine if they are hiring the best candidate.[34] Research by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) identifies several means of adding value to competency-based training and assessment, including:

• Broadening what it means to be ‘competent’ to capture both technical knowledge, skills, and capabilities, and generic skills, aptitudes, and attributes:
• Applying different competency requirements to the same broad skillset at different qualification levels. ‘Core’ skills at all levels may include communication, problem-solving and teamwork, while ‘core’ skills at the higher levels may include business administration, management, and customer service.
• Applying a proficiency-based approach to assessment to motivate students to perform beyond minimum standards and to ensure that employers and other stakeholders (such as higher education institutions) have information on the best candidates for a particular role.[35]
  37. The NCVER indicated that there may be value in considering approaches taken in Singapore and the UK, stating:

Singapore … uses command verbs … to distinguish levels of proficiency. Examples of verbs used to describe the competency of an individual with a basic proficiency level (across any core skill) include ‘collate’, ‘support’, and ‘prepare’. For individuals with an intermediate level of proficiency, the command verbs include ‘review’, ‘develop’, ‘monitor’ and ‘analyse’, while examples of command verbs to describe an advanced level of proficiency in any core skill include ‘direct’, ‘evaluate’, ‘formulate’, ‘synchronise’ and ‘lead’.[36]

5.38The Australian Government has previously considered graded and proficiency-based assessment processes. A matter considered in the draft VET Reform Roadmap was the introduction of industry-endorsed graded assessment, with the objective of shifting focus in the sector from compliance to excellence.[37] Research indicates that while proficiency- and competency-based training and assessment are compatible, grading systems should not replace competency-based assessment. They should apply only once a student has already been assessed as competent and should not add unnecessary complexity to assessment processes.[38]

Supporting apprenticeships and traineeships

5.39Several stakeholders emphasised that apprenticeships and traineeships remain an integral part of the VET sector, noting that these pathways have better employment outcomes than other VET and university qualifications and are critical to ensuring a pipeline of skilled workers to many occupations—including those in skills shortage.[39]

5.40Completion rates for apprentices and trainees are higher than completion rates for the VET sector as a whole. Nevertheless, there is room for improvement—Including via strategic approaches that address recruitment, training, retention, and support.[40]

5.41The National Australian Apprenticeships Association (NAAA) noted that apprentices and trainees are typically happy with their training. Non-completion is often due to workplace culture; financial security; delays commencing training with a provider; the inability to secure a female trainer or mentor (for female apprentices); language, literacy, and numeracy barriers; and the prohibitive costs of travel.[41]

Workplace culture

5.42A significant proportion of non-completions for apprentices are related to workplace culture—including difficulties with employers, supervisors, and other members of the team—and to concerns in relation to work undertaken.[42] Master Electricians Australia (MEA) stated:

In 33 per cent of cases, the employment experience is the problem. It isn’t the pay or training. When you add another … 32 per cent [of non-completions are] associated with reasons such as ‘didn’t like the job’ [or] ‘left to do another trade’, [and] … 65 per cent of the non-completions [are] associated with employment.[43]

5.43MEA observed that some of these concerns may be driven by a failure to ensure that the apprentice chooses an apprenticeship which aligns with their interests, skills, and aspirations, and to traditional apprenticeship models which place the apprentice with a single employer.[44]

5.44The National Union of Students (NUS) told the Committee that apprenticeships are perceived as inaccessible and that apprentices may be subject to workplace bullying. In addition, workplaces are improperly vetted, and there is little in the way of support due to perceptions that apprentices should be equipped to engage in the workplace in the same way as other employees. This is notwithstanding that an apprentice may be new to a sector or—in some cases—to workplaces generally.[45] These concerns reflect in data collected by the NCVER. According to 2019 data:

• 21.2 per cent of apprentices and trainees who completed their qualification observed bullying in the workplace.
• 35.2 per cent of apprentices and trainees who did not complete their qualification observed bullying in the workplace.
• By occupation, observations of bullying in the workplace where highest for food trade workers, other technicians and trade workers, and labourers.[46]
  45. TAFE Directors Australia told the Committee that apprentices often report feeling overlooked or misused:

There is a lot of work and investment that needs to happen at the employer end to make employment places where young students—and they are predominantly young, not exclusively—are going into safe environments and where they feel empowered.[47]

5.46Early-year apprentices may also be poorly supervised, notwithstanding that they are performing dangerous work. One third-year apprentice appearing on behalf of the ETUA stated:

In my first year I was doing work by myself, which is illegal. In my second year I was running my own jobs, which is very illegal.[48]

5.47Despite perceptions to the contrary, apprenticeships in some areas (for example, residential and commercial electrical) can also be poorly regulated, leading to additional safety concerns.[49]

5.48Some of these concerns may not be confined to trades but also manifest in qualifications with essential practical components such as healthcare, aged care, and disability support. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) stated that while nursing does not have the same workplace issues as traditional trades, a lack of effective support around clinical placements can ‘make or break’ a student.[50]

5.49Possible solutions to issues associated with workplace culture include screening before an apprentice commences with an employer; enabling apprentices to change employers during their apprenticeship (for example, by facilitating the apprenticeship via a Group Training Organisation (GTO)); and implementing better mentoring systems and welfare checks.[51]

5.50The NFIA stated that for apprenticeships to be effective, there must be a three-way agreement between the employer, apprentice, and the RTO. The NFIA called for increased funding and support for RTOs to ensure they can mentor apprentices, monitor progress, and assess suitability for the workplace.[52]

5.51The ETUA supported ‘train-the-trainer’ initiatives, noting that such initiatives could be facilitated via the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) and that engagement such an initiative could be made a condition of an employer receiving subsidies. The ETUA stated that ‘train the trainer’-type programs should have a focus on integrating apprentices into the business and on longer-term career planning.[53]

5.52Mr Francis Doherty also expressed support for ‘train the trainer’ courses, noting that these could focus on mentorship, managing at-risk youth, and teaching and learning strategies. According to Mr Doherty, such courses would be instrumental in providing additional resources and access to experts, facilitating the sharing of experiences in active group settings, and supporting personal development.[54]

5.53Both MEA and the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) supported greater use of the GTO model to address concerns associated with workplace culture, noting that GTOs provide an apprentice with the opportunity to change employers should a conflict arise. GTOs also employ case officers to conduct welfare checks.[55] The National Apprentice Employment Network (NAEN) stated that GTOs are particularly effective in boosting participation by women:

The GTO network has a zero-tolerance approach to gender-based discrimination and works to ensure respectful language and attitudes toward women. It is one of the reasons that GTOs have become attractive to women in trades and why it is seeing above average representation and completion rates by women.[56]

Women in apprenticeship pathways

5.54In addition to more general concerns about working environments for apprentices, women continue to experience additional challenges in apprenticeship pathways. In many cases, these issues reflect gender-based discrimination in VET pathways and VET-enabled careers—particularly in male-dominated fields such as construction.

5.55The ETUA advised that issues associated with workplace culture impact women more than men, stating that a survey of its membership indicated that 23 per cent of female apprentices had considered quitting due to work and culture, and that women were 53 per cent more likely to consider quitting due to culture than men.[57]

5.56DEWR noted that 51 per cent of women in the construction sector had experienced sexual harassment in 2018, compared to 12 per cent of men. This highlights the importance of intervention to address perceptions of girls and women, provide equal opportunities, and encourage an inclusive mindset.[58] Women in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE) raised similar concerns, noting that victims of sexual harassment are often younger people. WAVE indicated that a consistent theme in research is that harassment is often the result of ‘persisten[t] consequence-free behaviour’ in apprenticeship pathways.[59]

5.57The NAAA stated that male-dominated fields are more likely to be discriminatory to female apprentices. It drew attention to recent RMIT research relating to women in construction, in which 95 per cent of women had reported being treated differently to male colleagues, 91 per cent reported a lack of acceptance, 81 per cent reported a lack of accountability and deterrents for inappropriate action, and 51 per cent reported a lack of support from their manager or teacher. In addition, 44.7 per cent of women reported experiencing or seeing workplace bullying according to 2019 surveys conducted by the NCVER.[60]

5.58The NAAA proposed the following measures to address gender-based discrimination and increase completion rates for female apprentices:

• Develop model policies and procedures to prevent sexual harassment and exclusion, supported by a voluntary code of conduct to promote best workplace practices and have zero tolerance for discrimination.
• Recognise business ‘supporters and allies’ that adopt and execute these policies.
• Provide training to the nominated supervisors of apprentices and trainees, to facilitate a day-to-day work environment free from discrimination and bullying.
• Double the priority workforce incentives for businesses that register as supporters and allies, implement polices and have their supervisors undertake training.
• All mentored female apprentices to have access to tools such as the Women in non-traditional trades (WNTT) App to enable them to notify their AASN provider immediately of workplace incidents that need to be followed up and resolved.
• JSA develop a National Trainer Workforce strategy to rapidly expand the number of female trainers involved in trade training.
• Set a gender equity target for apprentice training guarantee requirements for government funded infrastructure projects: a five per cent aspirational target for female apprentice labour with a requirement for 2.5 per cent as a minimum.
• Key industry players have a compact with AASN providers to pilot a system-wide compact for major infrastructure projects, including zero tolerance and best practice approaches supported by all stakeholders.[61]
  59. The NAAA stated that work is needed to change the mindset of some business owners, noting that younger owners tend to be more progressive. In addition, there must be wrap-around and mentoring supports for women in VET pathways, and a greater focus on female VET educators. Greater pay equity across all apprentices and trainees would also help to address gender-based challenges.[62]
  60. Grouping female apprentices on projects, with accompanying mentor support—may also be an effective way of encouraging women to enter and remain in traditionally male-dominated trades.[63]
  61. Stakeholders indicated that there are initiatives in place to address gender bias in apprenticeship pathways—albeit that some are confined to specific industries. For example, the NFIA drew attention to its SPRINKS program focused on increasing female participation in the fire protection industry. The NFIA stated that there are opportunities for government to partner with industry on programs to incentivise VET and the SPRINKS program is an example of an initiative that could be rolled out nationally with federal support.[64]
  62. DEWR stated that the Government is taking steps to better support women in trade apprenticeships. For example, women who take up an apprenticeship in a trade occupation with historically low female participation will have access to intensive support through the $38.6 million Women in Non-traditional Trades Initiative. In addition, government has committed to implementing the Australian Skills Guarantee, which will provide that one in 10 workers on government-funded major projects must be an apprentice, trainee, or paid cadet. The Australian Skills Guarantee will also include targets for women.[65]

Wages and economic security

5.63The ETUA conducted a survey of its members, which found that only one third of the thousands of apprentices surveyed were able to cover necessities such as food, travel, and housing on award wages. The ETUA raised concern that 37 per cent of electrical apprentices, and 20 per cent of all apprentices, had considered quitting due to wages and cost of living pressures.[66]

5.64The NAAA raised similar concerns, stating:

[If an apprenticeship is not working out for the apprentice] … it's very easy for them to pick up a better-paid job somewhere else … There are [also] a large number of people making the transition from adolescence to adulthood. They're leaving home during the apprenticeship, typically, if they're 19 or 20. They've got new financial pressures as inflation is rising, the cost of rentals is rising.[67]

5.65Professor Shreeve observed that apprentices in traditionally male-dominated fields such as plumbing and electrical are incentivised to complete their apprenticeship by a rise in wages when it is complete. These incentives do not exist in traditionally female-dominated occupations such as social care and hairdressing.[68]

5.66The NUS shared feedback from trainees and apprentices that wages are ‘a big issue’, particularly because low-paid or unpaid placements often mean students are unable to study, work, and meet basic needs. The NUS asserted that students deserve to be paid a fair wage. The NUS also indicated that these issues extend beyond the apprenticeship system to qualifications with unpaid placements and wage theft, including in areas of skill shortage such as nursing, allied health, and youth work. The NUS called for remuneration for all work placements.[69]

5.67The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA National) similarly noted that its members are rarely reimbursed for costs and time spent on study, stating that until qualifications can be gained during work in industries such as retail a large proportion of the workforce risks displacement due to automation.[70]

5.68Mr Alan Sparks indicated that a way to address financial issues in the apprenticeship pathway—particularly for younger apprentices—would be to lower the age of a ‘junior employee’ to 18 years to recognise that apprentices must be paid a living wage rather than a ‘training wage’. This may require a staged approach, including providing that a person aged 18 years or over is an ‘adult’ apprentice when they reach the third year of an apprenticeship. Mr Sparks indicated that there would also be merit in considering other financial incentives such as a tax-free wage for first- and second-year apprentices, noting that this would be a means of boosting take-home earnings without adding to employers’ costs.[71]

Pre-apprenticeship programs

5.69Pre-apprenticeships are entry-level training programs that allow students to explore an industry before committing to a full apprenticeship. Pre-apprenticeships are generally offered in traditional trades (but may be offered in other sectors), may lead to a formal qualification (most often a Certificate II), and may be undertaken via non-accredited training. A pre-apprenticeship is not a pre-requisite to an apprenticeship. However, some employers look favourably on apprentices who have undertaken a pre-apprenticeship and may prefer to take on an apprentice who has completed this pathway.[72]

5.70Some stakeholders supported increasing the number of pre-apprenticeship programs as a means of ensuring prospective apprentices understand the requirements of their pathway, conducting pre-screening, and providing assurance to employers. AASN providers should play a key role in connecting prospective apprentices with such programs.[73]

5.71NECA noted that prospective students often think they are interested in the electrical trades but are not ready to commit to a four-year apprenticeship. Pre-apprenticeship programs have been successful in addressing these reservations by providing participants with a ‘taste’ of the industry and assisting them to decide if an electrical trade career aligns with their aspirations.[74]

5.72Mr Sparks asserted that there is a need to increase the information provided in pre-apprenticeship programs on the rights, responsibilities and obligations of apprentices, trainees, and employers, as well as a need for more training on situational safety and mental health.[75]

5.73Pre-apprenticeship programs can also be successful in addressing gender disparities in apprenticeships and trades. The ETUA highlighted the Women in Apprenticeships Victoria Electrical program. This program supported 180 women in prevocational training pathways, leading to apprenticeships with reputable employers. Women-only pre-apprenticeship programs create the kinds of safe spaces for women which can be vital to improving retention and completion, including by building participants’ confidence before they move into the general apprentice intake.[76]

5.74The Committee also heard that additional measures (beyond pre-apprenticeship programs) are required to ensure apprentices understand the demands of and are ready to start apprenticeships. Master Builders Australia (MBA) called for:

• The development of an apprentice work-readiness assessment tool, to identify those apprentice candidates who are not yet work-ready. At least some of those candidates might benefit from engagement with a pre-apprenticeship program.
• Development of an apprentice support assessment tool to assist apprentices, their employers, training providers, and support networks to identify areas where more support would be beneficial.[77]

Expanding apprenticeship pathways

5.75Some stakeholders indicated there may be value in expanding the sectors in which apprenticeships are offered, and in ensuring that apprenticeship programs remain consistent across jurisdictions insofar as possible. This may boost the reputation of the VET system and help ensure a reliable pipeline of skilled workers in areas of shortage.[78]

5.76The Australian Industry Group Centre for Education and Training (AiGroup) observed that consistency in the administration of apprenticeships and traineeships is a source of frustration for employers, noting that some states declare a qualification as an apprenticeship while others recognise it as a traineeship or not at all. Moreover, some programs are funded while others are not. The AiGroup stated that national consistency, enabled through the establishment of an Australian Apprenticeship Authority, may improve employers’ perception of the sector.[79]

5.77Skills Impact stated that successive governments at all levels have been reluctant or slow to formally recognise new trades, asserting that consideration should be given to recognising high-risk and -responsibility job roles as trades that require specialised skills. According to Skills Impact, farm work, arboriculture, fishing, and Indigenous Rangers would benefit from formal recognition as trades given the various risks and responsibilities associated with roles in those sectors.[80]

5.78The Integrated Information Service (IIS) asserted that fragmentation and a lack of consistency across jurisdictions has made it difficult to present apprenticeships as a national system. This has led to significant inconsistency across terminology, in the approval of qualifications, and in categorising qualifications as apprenticeships and traineeships.[81]

5.79The Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH) noted that the New Zealand-based company Careerforce offers a program that supports work-based training opportunities for those working in the health, disability, mental health, aged care, rehabilitation, social and community services sectors. For example, a nationally recognised Certificate IV in Health and Wellbeing is delivered over 18-24 months as an apprenticeship, supported by a team of advisors who deliver pastoral care and support. QAMH stated that there is a strong case for similar apprenticeship programs in the Queensland mental health sector, noting that this would be particularly relevant to addressing workforce shortages in regional, rural, and remote areas.[82]

5.80The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) and RMIT noted that there is strong interest among employers in the fashion and textile sector for apprentices. Apprenticeships in those sectors (among other VET pathways) may be effective in supporting local manufacturing and textile recycling and enable hands-on learning and mentoring by experienced tradespeople. The AFC and RMIT also highlighted a lack of government support for apprenticeships in the sector, stating:

There are so many companies in textiles who are doing amazing work worldwide, particularly in knitting textiles and in weaving. This goes across the automotive industry and homewares as well as the fashion industry, and they are desperate for apprentices, but they are telling me—I'm paraphrasing—that there's no interest from government in having an apprenticeship program that supports the employer. They're looking to us.[83]

5.81The NAAA emphasised that the apprenticeship system is demand-driven. For an apprenticeship pathway to be viable, there must be a business in the relevant industry creating employment opportunities and using apprenticeship pathways to fill identified vacancies. The NAAA suggested that all industries have equal access to government support for apprenticeship pathways.[84]

5.82The NAAA told the Committee that the fashion sector rarely uses the apprenticeship system, with enrolments centred around specialist fashion schools that are run by public providers. However, should the fashion industry wish to expand the number of apprenticeships available, they could make representations to the State Training Authorities in each jurisdiction and then identify a provider capable of offering courses with qualifications on their scope of registration.[85]

Australian Apprenticeship Support Network

5.83The AASN is a network of providers contracted by DEWR to support apprentices and employers. Providers operate from around 130 full-time sites with a further 500 mobile field officers contracted by the department. Services are delivered from pre-commencement to completion and include administrative support, payment processing, regular ‘check ins’, and targeted services for individuals with higher support needs. Providers also help people find alternative training pathways if they are not suited to an apprenticeship.[86]

5.84AASN providers have touchpoints with apprentices in schools via a gateway service. Providers conduct a first meeting with new apprentices to discuss the nature of the apprenticeship contract and the apprentice’s commitments. Then there is a sign-up meeting, followed by six-monthly touchpoints throughout the apprenticeship. Where an apprentice is in a mentoring service, there will be many more touchpoints based on their needs.[87]

5.85Several stakeholders indicated that the AASN is not operating at optimal levels, and measures are required to address issues with the supports available to apprentices—including additional resourcing. For example, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) asserted that the AASN must be fully resourced to deliver wrap-around support for apprentices and employers—particularly for women, people with disability and First Nations peoples. The ACCI called for better coordination of mentoring and support services available to apprentices and trainees to avoid duplication of service offerings and expanding the criteria for ‘at risk’ apprentices and ‘complex issues’ to make bespoke supports available for a more apprentices and increase completion rates.[88]

5.86The AMWU stated that the AASN has historically functioned well in terms of its ability to liaise with employers on industry requirements. However, according to the AMWU the National Careers Institute (NCI) and the (former) National Skills Commission have ‘muddied the waters’ by taking on at least some of the functions for which the AASN was historically responsible.[89]

5.87The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) indicated that low completions and poor perceptions of VET are driven by the inadequate support available through the AASN, and called for a fundamental review of supports for apprentices.[90]

5.88MEA stated that it is ‘questionable’ whether the AASN offers any ongoing support once an apprentice has been registered in their pathway. MEA observed that the role of the AASN could equally be performed by other bodies, such as GTOs, industry associations, unions, and secondary schools with advanced VET programs.[91]

5.89NECA noted that it is generally the ASSN provider’s role to explain the relevant qualification to the employer and the apprentice at the initial training contract ‘sign-up’ meeting. However, this does not always occur. Common errors include apprentices being signed up under the wrong qualification and apprentices being signed up to attend an RTO that is not the employer’s choice.[92]

5.90The Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA) stated that ASSN enrolment for RTO delivery can take multiple months to finalise, particularly if the ASSN is busy or there were errors in the application or approval process. The PGA suggested a streamlined approach that allows AASN and training providers to monitor student progress and assist in monitoring any changes, cancellations, and enrolments. This process could be facilitated via a portal dedicated to VET qualifications, accessible by schools, employers, students, parents, training providers, and AASN providers.[93]

5.91The ETUA asserted that the AASN is ‘broken’, and while there are outliers of good performance the network is failing to provide adequate support or mentoring in both the pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship phases. Lack of engagement by the AASN with apprentices is a particular concern given poor working conditions for many apprentices and the lack of core skills among this cohort. The current model is also failing to offer industry-specific advice to apprentices. The ETUA noted that in a survey of its membership:

• 66 per cent of apprentices couldn't name their AASN provider.
• 50 per cent of apprentices had received support from their AASN provider, with women 10 per cent more likely to have never received support than men.
• 20 per cent of apprentices had regular contact with the AASN, with men 50 per cent more likely to have received regular contact than women.
• 11 per cent of apprentices received mentoring or engaged in conversation with the AASN about their elective pathways.[94]
  92. This was reinforced by apprentices. One third-year apprentice told the Committee that she was never informed that she was able to choose her elective and was allocated to a telecommunications pathway when renewable energy would have been more valuable.[95]
  93. The ETUA recommended that new, specialised, industry-led AASN providers be established to deliver mentoring and support to apprentices and trainees—including more tailored assistance for disadvantaged cohorts. This should include more direct engagement with apprentices, including site visits and one-on-one conversations. The ETUA recommended that this new industry-led network also be responsible for:
• Developing programs to deliver practical, safe, engaging exposure to skills and careers accessed through VET pathways in K-12 schools.
• Developing a campaign to rebrand VET in a way that expands its reputation from the purely transactional and job focussed to a system that also engages young people and their values.
• Designing Certificate I and II training pathways that articulate into apprenticeships, to give students a ‘taster’ of an apprenticeship pathway and enable more informed decisions about future options.[96]
  94. The ETUA emphasized that JSCs should play a central role in supporting industry led AASN providers to deliver these initiatives.[97]
  95. The IIS and Australasian Digital and Telecommunications Industry Association (ADTIA) raised concern in relation to the cessation of funding for the Australian Apprenticeships and Traineeships Information Service (AATIS) in December 2023. Both indicated that this is likely to result in a loss of integration and cohesion in information provided to apprentices and less specialist support for people working in the sector and called for the AATIS should be retained. According to the IIS and ADTIA, the AATIS has a strong reputation and contributes to the successful workings of apprenticeships and student information across the VET sector.[98]
  96. DEWR has recently redesigned the program of supports for apprentices following a period of stakeholder consultation. The new model (Australian Apprenticeship Support Services) is intended to replace the existing AASN and will deliver the following services:
• Assessment Services: a pre-commencement assessment for every commencing apprentice and certain recommencing apprentices, as well as for employers which require support to assist apprentices they engage. Assessment services will focus on the needs of the individual and the employer’s capacity to effectively support an apprenticeship through to completion.
• Engagement and Apprenticeships Technical Support Services: marketing, administrative, payment support, stakeholder support and engagement functions to underpin the Australian apprenticeship. This will include ongoing contact with the apprentice and employer throughout the life of the apprenticeship.
• Mentoring and Personal Support Services: mentoring and personal support to individuals. Mentoring places for key client groups (women in male-dominated trades, First Nations apprentices, apprentices with disability, and apprentices in regional and remote areas) will be tailored and demand-driven. There will also be a number of capped mentoring services places available for employers requiring support and apprentices who require support to remain in their apprenticeship.[99]
  97. The support service will engage specialist providers to support apprentices in key cohorts, including women in male-dominated trades, First Nations apprentices, and apprentices working towards clean energy occupations. The service is to commence from July 2024.[100]

Micro-credentials

5.98Micro-credentials are short courses in a specific discipline with a focus on upskilling and re-skilling in short timeframes. They do not typically lead to a full qualification. There is debate as to the exact definition of a micro-credential. However, the definition used in the Department of Education’s National Microcredentials Framework is:

A micro-credential is a certification of assessed learning or competency, with a minimum volume of learning of one hour and less than an [Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)] award qualification, that is additional, alternate, complementary to or a component part of an AQF award qualification.[101]

5.99Around 2.5 million people in the VET sector are undertaking micro-credentials, with the vast majority completing licensing units in fields such as first aid, responsible service of alcohol, and construction (for example, relating to the white card).[102]

5.100Micro-credentials were considered in the Joyce Review and the 2019 review of the AQF. Both reviews highlighted that micro-credentials can support flexible learning and help modernise Australia’s training landscape.[103]Federal, State, and Territory Governments have also committed to developing and funding micro-credentials, in addition to full qualifications, as part of the Skills Reform agenda.[104]

5.101Several stakeholders indicated that micro-credentials are effective in addressing immediate industry needs and responding to an increasing need for quicker, lower-cost training.[105] ADTIA stated that as the information and communications technology (ICT) industry matures, there is a growing demand for readily available skillsets and micro-credential programs to upskill and reskill workers. ADTIA expressed support for government funding for workers to undertake training leading to a micro-credential or development of a specific skillset. It stated that the credentials should be endorsed by vendors and industry and be approved by a government body such as ASQA.[106]

5.102COSBOA highlighted the increasing importance of being able to develop skills via the VET system without having to complete an additional full qualification. It noted that small businesses are supportive of governments engaging with industry to provide funding to RTOs to deliver micro credentials and skillsets to existing workers that require upskilling or retraining.[107]

5.103The Business Council of Australia (BCA) explained that micro-credentials are suited to mid-career Australians and to parents with existing qualifications and who may have work or caring responsibilities that make it difficult to engage in full-time or long-term study.[108] This view was echoed by representatives of Nepean Industry Edge Training (NIET), who stated:

[O]lder people that aren't quite at retiring age but want to do something, and … feel that they could possibly help in home and community care … [are] not going to sit through a 12-month cert III course to be able to take someone shopping, do a bit of housework or help with other things. But, if they could have a set standard of micro-credentials which have the basic but essential units that they need to be able to work safely and efficiently in that sector, you would have a lot of people that are 60-plus that can work in the home and community care sector and free up some of those other staff to do the very demanding roles in aged care.[109]

5.104The SBEFO observed that there would be value in developing a national system of micro-credentialling backed by the National Skills Agreement (NSA) to better recognise and translate skillsets people have acquired during their working life.[110]

5.105Other stakeholders stated that micro-credentials are merely a ‘quick fix’ to identified skills gaps, and neither address long-term industry needs nor produce high-quality graduates. Furthermore, micro-credentials are often narrowly focused on the needs of a specific employer and are not conducive to a system that enables participants to build a portfolio of skills.[111] The AMWU stated:

[T]he major risk is that [micro-credentialling] becomes a standard for [an] industry if there isn't a strong award system in place to ensure that [qualifications and skill requirements are] still tied … to the industrial relations framework. [M]icro-credentialling could get too far ahead of the Australian Qualifications Framework for it to be tested and then qualified properly. If we go too far down the path of micro-credentialing without allowing a process of occupational profiling to set the contours of a given industry, then we're also going to create another system whereby there's a risk of insecure work continuing.[112]

5.106Work is underway to create a nationally consistent governance framework for micro-credentials. The Department of Education noted that in 2022 Government introduced MicroCred Seeker, a nationally consistent platform which allows students to compare micro-credentials offered in the tertiary sector, including to help students understand how credentials can be stacked and used for credit in a complete qualification.[113]

5.107The Department of Education has released a National Microcredentials Framework to inform MicroCred seeker (Micro-credentials Marketplace). The Framework provides for a national definition for micro-credentials, sets out ‘unifying principles’ for micro-credentials—including specifying that credentials should be outcome-based, responsive to industry need, tailored to support lifelong learning, and transparent and accessible—and stipulates critical information requirements and key standards for micro-credentials available via the Marketplace.[114]

5.108Work is also underway to develop a National Credentials Platform. This will be a digital platform for students and graduates to access tertiary education transcripts and learning credentials via a secure online system. It would provide students with a comprehensive, accredited, and secure platform to compile and share achievements obtained via higher education and VET. Depending on the outcomes of a pilot, the platform has the potential to support more informed lifelong learning decisions and integrate career pathways information to influence learner choices.[115]

‘Stackable’ credentials

5.109Some stakeholders observed that despite beliefs to the contrary, micro-credentials cannot be ‘stacked’ into or replace full qualifications—even if units of competency that underpin micro-credentials are identical to those in Certificate- or Diploma-level training. Ther Committee heard that VET students may be better served by first obtaining a base qualification and then adding micro-credentials if necessary during their working life.[116]

5.110The Australian Education Union (AEU) noted that while it is assumed that a micro-credential is a series of learning steps that can be assembled to a full qualification, in reality ‘micro-credentialling … never makes the whole’. The AEU expressed qualified support for micro-credentials as a means of upskilling workers, providing that micro-credentials are obtained after and do not replace full qualifications:

Micro-credential[s] can well be add-ons to a comprehensive qualification. It's the difference between somebody who has done a full apprenticeship in carpentry, as opposed to somebody who has done some form of learning like learning to hang a door. When you do a small component or a micro-credential—if that's what you want to call it in 2023—you can learn how to hang a door and that's all you learn to do if you only undertake that micro-credential. That does not give you portability in the labour market. That just makes you a good cheap worker for people who make and hang doors; whereas the full qualification … allows you to be a qualified, carpenter, for instance, and gives you mobility in the labour market and a good base to continue to learn from.[117]

5.111Other stakeholders indicated that micro-credentials can—and indeed should—be ‘stacked’ into full qualifications.[118] For example, the AiGroup observed that the new AQF—to be developed following the AQF Review—will allow for micro-credentials to be brought together to form a qualification linked to an occupation or career. The AiGroup urged continued focus by government on flexible education and on training frameworks that can successfully endure as future skills needs arise.[119]

5.112There was also concern that the current VET system is not set up to enable students and employers to access the shorter and more flexible training options that are needed to respond to technology and labour market change. The BCA stated that the system is designed around delivering multi-year qualifications rather than short, stackable training options.[120]

5.113Representatives of Macquarie University called for clearer guidelines around micro-credentials, and for standards that would make ‘stacking’ credentials—including across VET and higher education—an easier endeavour.[121]

Funding

5.114Micro-credentials in VET are unfunded at a systemic level, with program-specific funding offered in some areas. Stakeholders indicated that the Commonwealth would need to make a decision on how micro-credentials in the VET sector will be funded.[122]

5.115There was support for the proposition that public funding should—at least in most cases—go to credentials that are portable across employers and sectors:

• Professor Smith stated that employers should be responsible for funding micro-credentials which are adapted to their specific needs.[123]
• The AMWU stated that public subsidies or other support for micro-credentialling within individual enterprises risks creating a system where the conditions of employment are tied to the enterprise and minimises workers’ ability to move between employers and industry sectors.[124]
• NCVER stated that credentials relating to infection control during a health crisis or to white cards for construction should arguably be publicly funded. By contrast, safety training for individual companies should be funded by the company itself.[125]
  116. TAFE NSW indicated that funded credentials should be delivered within a TAFE or university setting where there is a greater guarantee of training quality.[126]

Enhancing the educator workforce

5.117A key barrier to enhancing the VET sector is a shortage of qualified educators.[127] The AEU noted that from 2012 to 2023 the TAFE NSW workforce reduced from 17,100 education workers to just 8,200.[128]

5.118Barriers to attracting and retaining a skilled VET workforce include less competitive salaries and part-time and casual work arrangements—driven by low funding for the sector—as well as the requirement that educators hold specific (not always relevant) qualifications and regularly demonstrate the currency of their skills. Evidence indicated that there have been insufficient efforts to boost the quality of the teaching workforce, including by recognising that VET has its own distinct pedagogy.[129]

5.119An outcome of the 2022 Jobs and Skills Summit was a commitment to develop a VET Workforce Blueprint to ensure the long-term sustainability of the VET sector by supporting and growing a quality VET workforce. The Blueprint will be developed in close consultation with key VET stakeholders and will identify effective strategies for growing and diversifying the workforce; attracting, and retaining high-quality workers; capability and career development; and succession planning. Over the longer term, the Blueprint will consider matters including—but not limited to—qualifications and specialist roles, diversity and equity, movement of trainers and assessors between teaching and industry, and entry requirements.[130]

Pay and conditions

5.120Improving pay and conditions for VET educators will be critical to attracting and retaining skilled educators. Pay and conditions must reflect the level of skill educators bring to the profession and be competitive with other sectors—including being sufficient to encourage experienced tradespeople to move into teaching roles.[131]

5.121The Australian Industry Trade College noted that with high levels of industry demand, many trainers are ‘back on the tools’. Attracting and retaining a quality educator workforce will be achieved via competitive remuneration and career development, as well as ensuring that educators are valued and respected for the important role they play in supporting students to achieve career and education outcomes.[132]

5.122The ACTU expressed concern that the sector increasingly relies on short-term and casual contracts, noting that this often means that educators:

… don't have enough time for lesson planning or marking … [and] aren't able to provide support to students outside the classroom hours because they're not paid for that time. [This] puts barriers in the way of the educators who are doing their absolute best in a really tough situation to provide quality education because their hours are being counted and kept track of, and they simply don't get enough hours to do the job properly.[133]

5.123WAVE observed that in 2019 just over half of the VET trainer and assessor workforce were employed on a full-time basis. TAFE reported over 60 per cent of trainers and trainers and assessors in part-time or casual arrangements. WAVE recommended all jurisdictions work with training providers to support the conversion of part-time, casual, and sessional positions into more secure employment.[134]

5.124The AEU explained that in NSW, VET institutions receive funding for each student, paid in increments and depending on whether the student completes their course. These arrangements often mean that there is not sufficient funding available for an institution to guarantee the wages of its educators, and lead to the proliferation of short-term and casual contracts. Casual contracts oblige many educators to commit significant time and resources to lesson planning and grading students and they are often not paid for this work as it is undertaken outside of classroom hours.[135]

5.125The AEU asserted that government must design funding arrangements which allow TAFEs to access funding directly and stated that permanent contracts and regular wages would assist with attracting and retaining a qualified teaching workforce. The AEU also indicated that support services for students are vital to attracting and retaining educators, to ensure that teachers are not obliged to deliver counselling or pastoral care in addition to a full teaching load.[136] The AEU recommended:

• Annual data collection on the VET workforce—including pay and conditions, terms and mode of employment, qualifications, and other relevant measures.
• A TAFE teaching workforce renewal strategy be devised to determine how low morale, huge workload and increased administrative burden experienced by the vocational education workforce can be addressed.
• Ring-fenced investment be made available to implement a teaching workforce renewal strategy, with a focus on addressing high levels of precarious and casual employment, the neglect of professional development and support and workload intensification.
• Federal and State governments re-invest in the TAFE teaching workforce and develop a future-focused TAFE workforce development strategy.[137]
  126. The AiGroup noted that shorter contracts respond to funding arrangements, as providers must remain financially viable notwithstanding fluctuating levels of demand. It stated:

TAFE institutes, which make up the bulk of trade training, will often offer short-term teaching positions to new entrants and may not offer a long-term placement until after the person has been working for some years. The strategy works well for the institute because demand for training may rise and fall according to the state of the economy; however, short-term contracts may not be attractive to potential teachers. A person who might need to demonstrate long-term employment to a bank to help qualify for a mortgage would be more likely to stay in their current position.[138]

Qualification requirements

5.127Current standards for RTOs provide that training and assessment (for accredited training) may only be delivered by a person who holds a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE) or a Diploma-level qualification in adult education. Trainers who do not hold one of these qualifications may only deliver training under supervision and may not determine assessment outcomes. Training and assessment must be delivered by a person with appropriate vocational competency, current industry skills, and current knowledge and skills in vocational training.[139]

5.128ADTIA noted that the requirement to hold a TAE to deliver training and assessment may not be aligned with the reality of a modern teaching workforce and may prevent experienced tradespeople and qualified educators from sharing their expertise with students. This may be compounded by requirements to regularly demonstrate currency of skills and participate in professional development.[140] A representative of NEIT echoed these views, noting that in the context of attracting experienced older people to training roles in the aged care and disability sectors:

… [t]here are very few aged-care workers who have the stamina to do 10 months doing a cert IV in training and assessing. The course itself is not easy; it's quite hard, whether or not they're at that level to be able to do it … what happens is that older aged-care workers either leave the industry completely, go into home and community care or become lifestyle coordinators … but not trainer[s].[141]

5.129The AEU noted that in some jurisdictions people who hold doctorates in outreach adult education have been told they can no longer be employed by TAFE when they refused to complete ‘another round’ of TAE. According to the AEU, this demonstrates lack of respect for qualified educators and a focus on profit over quality outcomes.[142]

5.130TAFE Directors Australia indicated that VET institutions—particularly TAFEs—should be given greater flexibility to engage a more diverse teaching workforce, potentially including educators who do not hold a TAE. This may include matching tradespeople currently working in the industry with qualified VET educators, which would allow students greater exposure to industry while giving the tradesperson classroom experience, potentially leading to them moving into teaching on a more permanent basis.[143]

5.131The ACCI similarly called for measures to attract industry practitioners to teaching roles, noting that costs associated with the TAE can present barriers to such efforts—particularly where an industry practitioner may not wish to transition into teaching on a permanent basis. Measures might include allowing some practitioners to complete only a portion of the qualification (noting some elements of the TAE are not relevant to practitioners), implementing shorter entry pathways, and subsidising costs.[144]

5.132Some jurisdictions and institutions are working to address these concerns. The NSW Department of Education et al advised that TAFE NSW has implemented a Pay to Learn program.[145] TAFE NSW explained that:

[Participants in the Pay to Learn Program receive] a full-time teaching salary for three months. They study full time. They get a mentorship program with an experienced teacher that supports them. They also get exposure to being in a classroom. In some of the old models you study academically for your teaching qualification and then are thrown into a classroom … The success rate [has] been extremely high. We did an initial pilot of 15 people. One hundred per cent of them qualified and are now teaching with us. We then did another 50, and 49 of those people qualified and are now teaching with us. I think we've got 82 completing the next round.[146]

5.133The NUS indicated that caution should be taken in recruiting ‘guest’ VET educators without formal qualifications as these educators may lack sufficient, current knowledge of relevant subject matter. The NUS suggested additional training for teachers working under the supervision of a more qualified educator, as well as mechanisms for students to provide feedback on the teacher.[147]

Teaching quality

5.134Some stakeholders called for measures to ensure VET educators can deliver leading-practice training to their students, noting that this is challenging under current arrangements. For example, the ETUA asserted it is essential for TAFE educators to keep updated with changes to industry practice by undertaking refresher training. It stated that roll-out of refresher training for experienced workers will ensure skills acquired at TAFEs match the day-to-day work to which certificates lead. This should be accompanied by ongoing training pathways for new trainers.[148]

5.135The AEU noted that with the marketisation of VET and low investment in educators, there has been a ‘dumbing down’ of the sector. The AEU expressed concern that VET educators are now required to hold a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE)—which does not contain pedagogy or classroom management skills—in place of a university-level teaching qualification.[149]

5.136Professor Shreeve observed that VET educators are expected to be experts in both teaching and industry practice and emphasised that strategies must be implemented to enhance educators’ capacity in both these areas. Since the demise of the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), there have been fewer national initiatives to enhance staff development and to ensure that educators have current industry knowledge.[150]

5.137AVETRA strongly recommended a fundamental shift from mandating the lowest possible qualification (the TAE) to a focus on developing a world-leading VET workforce. This must start by acknowledging that VET has a distinct pedagogy and that teachers are experts in the occupations for which they train students as well as expert educators Considerable research will be needed to implement and maintain this type of change, including consideration of remuneration packages that reward both VET delivery and contemporary occupational experience, and the identification of factors motivating individuals to enter and remain in the VET workforce.[151]

5.138TAFE Directors Australia observed that the TAFE workforce comes from a variety of different industries and are impacted by and carry with them biases embedded in industry norms. It explained that the most highly skilled trainers often enter the TAFE workforce after 20 or 30 years in industry, and it can be very challenging to overcome industry norms and build an understanding of access and equity.[152]

5.139The NAAA noted that addressing biases among VET educators may be challenging, particularly as the traditional trades from which many educators come are historically male dominated. State-by-State commitments to bring more women into the training workforce may be needed.[153]

5.140Ms Raelene Stockton, a VET educator and education manager advised that teachers must be able to respond to the needs of diverse learners, including students who may have experienced trauma or be impacted by intersectional disadvantage. Ms Stockton indicted that there must be greater emphasis in teacher training on facilitating a supportive learning environment for all students, and suggested that, a core unit incorporating a trauma informed and intersectional approach to teaching—including content informed by gender—should be included in teacher qualifications such as the TAE.[154]

Committee comment

5.141Addressing negative perceptions of VET requires more than raising awareness of the sector and promoting VET to stakeholders. Meaningful reforms to the sector are also necessary to ensure that VET is adapted to the needs of students and employers and responds to current and future skills and workforce challenges.

5.142A key issue impacting perceptions of the VET sector is that training packages are slow to develop, and accordingly do not keep pace with rapidly evolving industry need. This issue has been raised in multiple review and inquiry processes and is an increasing concern as the pace of technological progress increases. For example, generative AI (such as ChatGPT) has already had substantial impacts on the way business is conducted, with clear implications for training and skill development.

5.143The Committee is optimistic that the new process to develop and approve training packages implemented in early 2023 will go some way to addressing concerns regarding the speed of qualifications to market. However, there would still be value in implementing measures to increase the speed at which qualifications and units of competency are developed to ensure their ongoing relevance. The Committee is attracted to the proposals that JSCs be empowered to make minor changes to training packages and TAFEs be empowered to self-accredit courses (subject to robust oversight).

5.144The Committee notes that there is a framework in place to enable universities to self-accredit their courses and considers this framework a useful model for the VET sector. While self-accreditation should in the short to medium-term be restricted to TAFEs, over the longer term there may be merit in allowing high-quality private sector providers to self-accredit courses. The Committee envisages that extending self-accreditation to the private sector would be implemented on a staggered basis accompanied by robust safeguards. For example, self-accreditation might be extended to private or industry-led providers only when its courses are developed in partnership with TAFEs.

5.145It appears that many training packages are narrowly conceived, with most VET enrolments in just 20 per cent of packages. The Committee agrees with the view that there would be value in reviewing training packages to simplify the training ecosystem and reduce the number of unused or rarely used products. Noting specialised training often responds to industry need, the Committee envisages that ‘niche’ subjects would be taught via courses designed and delivered by providers working in partnership with industry members.

5.146The Committee agrees that not every occupation requires a specialised training package, and that it is likely there will be several industries that share competency requirements. The Committee supports using occupational profiles as a means of rationalising development and provision of training and encourages the government to consider occupational profiles in its broader review of training packages.

5.147It is also essential that industry, employers, workers, and unions are closely involved in the development of training. The process of qualification reform should aim to develop a tripartite approach to the design and delivery of training. To the extent possible, the development and implementation of training products should also aim to include the voices of professional organisations—especially for those qualifications relating to a regulated sector.

5.148The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments, education experts, and other stakeholders to streamline the process of developing and accrediting vocational education and training qualifications. This should include:

• Setting a pathway for technical and further education (TAFE) institutes to self-accredit courses and qualifications, supported by robust safeguards.
• Allowing minor amendments to training packages to take place at the Jobs and Skills Council level, subject to industry consultation.

5.149The Committee recommends that as part of the ongoing process of qualification and skills reform, the Australian Government review existing training packages to simplify the training ecosystem and reduce unused, duplicative, or clearly unnecessary products. This should include consideration of occupational profiles as a means of identifying where full training packages are and are not required, and as a means of enhancing the development of training packages which respond to industry need.

5.150The Committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure the ongoing process of qualification and skills reform support a collaborative approach to the development of qualifications and units of competency, involving industry, employers, workers, and unions.

5.151It appears that assessment is inconsistent across training providers, with employers losing trust in the competency verification system in the VET sector. To help lift the quality and consistency of assessment within the sector, the Committee considers that ASQA should work closely with JSA, the JCSs, and other key stakeholders to develop robust guidelines for assessment which align with industry need. There would also be value in ASQA considering the quality and consistency of assessment as issue as part of its ongoing risk-based monitoring.

5.152The Committee is also of the view that there would be value in exploring grade- or proficiency-based assessment to gives employers additional information on the best candidates for a particular role is encouraged. Such a measure should also help to align the VET, university, and secondary education sectors. Discussion of alignment between tertiary education sectors is included in Chapter 6.

5.153The Committee recommends that the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) work with Jobs and Skills Australia, the Jobs and Skills Councils and other key stakeholders to develop and implement robust assessment guidelines for use in the vocational education and training sector.

5.154The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments, education experts and other key stakeholders to explore introducing proficiency-based assessment into the vocational education and training sector.

5.155There is compelling evidence that measures must be implemented as a matter of urgency to address gender discrimination in VET pathways and to significantly lift women’s participation in the sector—including participation in specific pathways such as apprenticeships and in traditionally male-dominated industries. The Committee supports several measures proposed by stakeholders, including model policies and procedures to directly target discrimination, incentives for businesses that act as supporters and allies, gender equity targets for government projects, and mentoring arrangements for apprenticeship pathways.

5.156Evidence indicates that at least some industries have already implemented or trialled initiatives to lift women’s participation in the sector, such as the SPINKS initiative in the Fire Protection Industry. The Committee strongly encourages the government to consider these programs in developing any new initiatives, and to consider additional funding for existing programs where this is appropriate.

5.157Promotional and education campaigns would also be of value, including campaigns which emphasise that women aspire to and are eminently capable of participating in VET—including in male-dominated industries. These campaigns should also aim to address negative perceptions surrounding female-dominated industries, with a view to encouraging a more equal gender distribution across the VET sector.

5.158The Committee reiterates that campaigns should accompany, but not replace, more tangible measures to lift women’s participation in the sector and enhance the VET experience for female and gender diverse students.

5.159As part of efforts to address gender discrimination and lift participation in the sector by women and gender diverse people, the Committee considers that government should also give special consideration to supporting and increasing participation in overlooked—and often heavily feminised—sectors, including fashion and textiles. Part of this effort should be consideration of whether apprenticeship and traineeship pathways should be broadened to capture additional vocational sectors, as outlined in Recommendation 22.

5.160The Committee recommends the Australian Government expressly recognise and address systemic barriers that hinder participation by women and by gender diverse people in vocational education and training (VET), with a specific focus on lifting women’s participation in male-dominated industries. This should include but not be limited to:

• Investing in strategies delivered through the VET sector that support women in acquiring skills and entering male-dominated industries.
• Addressing workplace discrimination and gender-based violence and ensuring equitable employment conditions.
• Introducing additional apprenticeship pathways which specifically target women and gender-diverse people.
• Implementing promotional and educational campaigns which challenge gender stereotypes and negative attitudes that perpetuate barriers for both women and men in non-traditional VET pathways.

5.161The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments, Jobs and Skills Australia, industry participants, and other key stakeholders to lift and incentivise participation in traditionally female-dominated vocational education and training (VET) areas including fashion and textiles.

5.162Apprenticeships and traineeships are a key part of the VET sector. They are critical to ensuring a pipeline of skilled workers for many industries—including those that are experiencing skills shortages—and underpin the sector’s focus on practical learning. Given the significance of these pathways, the Committee is concerned that just half of apprentices complete their qualification. This is notwithstanding that completion rates for apprenticeships are higher than the average for the VET sector overall.

5.163Key drivers of non-completion highlighted in evidence include:

• Negative experiences in the workplace, including isolation, poor supervision, and experiences of discrimination and harassment. Harassment and bullying have been identified as particular challenges facing younger and female apprentices.
• Low and non-competitive wages for apprentices, which leaves some individuals without the means to obtain basic necessities and leads many to consider quitting their apprenticeship.
• Failure to engage with prospective apprentices before they enter apprenticeship programs, including to ensure the apprentice understands the demands of the pathway and to offer additional support and mentoring where required.
• A failure to offer ongoing support and mentoring throughout the apprenticeship.
• A failure to ensure that all apprentices are aware of the supports available.
  164. There is also evidence of gender bias in the apprenticeship pathway, with women more than 50 per cent more likely to leave their apprenticeship due to workplace culture and gender-based discrimination than men. This is particularly true of apprenticeships in traditionally male-dominated fields such as construction. The Committee was alarmed to hear that, in that sector, more than half of all women in apprenticeship pathways have experienced sexual harassment.
  165. The Committee supports several solutions proposed in evidence, including better engagement between employers, apprentices and AASN providers before an apprentice commences in the pathway; implementing mentoring systems and welfare checks; introducing ‘train the trainer’ programs to improve in-work supervision; and making greater use of the GTO model. The Committee also supports the measures put forward by the NAAA to improve completion rates for female apprentices and considers that these measures should be captured within a national strategy. The Committee understands that measures to address gender bias and discrimination within apprenticeship and other VET pathways are also being pursued at the national and state levels.
  166. Also critical to the success of apprenticeship pathways (as well as to other solutions stakeholders have proposed) is properly resourced upfront and ongoing support. Support should ensure that prospective apprentices understand the demands of the program and are making informed decisions. Support should continue for the duration of the apprenticeship, with apprentices offered mentoring and industry-specific advice. Providing support is—at least nominally—the function of the AASN. However, there is compelling evidence that the AASN is fundamentally ‘broken’ and has not provided adequate support or mentoring to people in both pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pathways. Evidence also suggests that current AASN providers lack up-to-date industry knowledge and provide limited advice to apprentices on key matters such as specialisations and electives.
  167. The Committee notes that the AASN is limited to private sector providers (including non-profit organisations) which are not industry led. The Committee supports the inclusion of providers that are TAFEs or other public institutes. This is consistent with other proposals to rebuild a public core to the sector, and with the Committee’s view that TAFEs may be better equipped to offer advice and support to current and prospective apprentices than private providers.
  168. The Committee agrees with the view that new, specialised, industry-led providers should be commissioned to deliver mentoring support for apprentices and trainees, including tailored assistance for women, First Nations peoples, people with disability, and people from CALD backgrounds. These specialised providers should also have the core function of providing advice on the needs of specific sectors to inform apprentices’ study and work choices and should engage closely with schools to provide much-needed exposure to VET pathways and support career education.
  169. All providers in the network (TAFEs and industry-led providers) must be adequately resourced to perform their functions effectively.
  170. The Committee appreciates that government has recently finalised a request for tender for Australian Apprenticeship Support Services to replace the current AASN. This new service will be responsible for (among other matters) marketing and promotion of the apprenticeship pathway; enhanced pre-commencement assessment services—including assessment of work readiness and levels of literacy and numeracy; mentoring; and targeted support for key cohorts including women in male-dominated trades, First Nations peoples, and apprentices working towards clean energy occupations. The service also includes mentoring for employers to support apprentices in the workplace.
  171. The Committee is optimistic that the new service will address some of the issues raised during this inquiry. However, it does not appear that the providers contracted to deliver the new service would include TAFEs or other public institutions. The request for tender for the new service also indicates that career guidance and advice delivered by the service may include industry-specific support and requires that prospective providers have strategies in place for industry collaboration. It is not clear that industry-led providers would be engaged—at least not beyond those with a focus on the clean energy sector. Accordingly, while the Committee supports in principle the establishment of Australian Apprenticeship Support Services, further reform is required to ensure the service meets the evolving needs of the sector.
  172. Accordingly—and recognising the measures the Australian Government has already implemented to reform apprenticeship supports—the Committee considers that a pilot program of a new, specialised apprenticeship support provider network should be developed, with a specific focus on delivering support to apprentices from diverse and under-represented backgrounds. The learnings from the program should be adapted to future tenders for apprenticeship support providers.
  173. Financial pressure associated with low wages is another key contributor to attrition in the apprenticeship pathway. The Committee is mindful of not increasing the costs of engaging apprentices for the employer. The Committee notes that balancing wages for apprentices with costs to employers has been an enduring problem for the sector and acknowledges that this problem may not be solved immediately. Nevertheless, the Committee sees value in government exploring measures to reduce financial disincentives for current and prospective apprentices. Examples include tax-free wages for early-year apprentices or adjustments to the definition of ‘junior employee’. Measures to reduce financial disincentives to the apprentice may be complemented by measures to increase incentives for the employer, such as wage subsidies.
  174. In exploring such measures, government should consider how pay equity in the apprenticeship pathway might be achieved. While acknowledging that some sectors will remain better paid than others, the Committee would like to ensure as far as possible that apprentices choose a pathway based on their own aspirations and aptitudes and are not unduly motivated by financial considerations.
  175. Finally, the Committee supports measures to increase consistency in qualifications that are offered as apprenticeships. Government should consider expanding the reach of the apprenticeship pathway into new sectors such as allied health and community services and supporting apprenticeships in the fashion and textile sector. The Committee understands that there is strong support for such measures, and that there are initiatives in other countries (such as the CareerForce initiative in New Zealand) which may provide useful insights.

5.176The Committee recommends that the Australian Government develop and implement a pilot program for a new, specialised, industry-led network of apprenticeship support providers to deliver industry-appropriate mentoring and support to apprentices and trainees. This should include tailored assistance for apprentices and trainees from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds, including women, First Nations peoples, people with disability, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The learnings from this pilot program should be adapted to future design and tender processes for apprenticeship support providers, including the current Australian Apprenticeship Support Network and Australian Apprenticeship Support Services.

5.177The Committee recommends that as part of the ongoing process of skills reform, the Australian Government explore measures to increase take-home wages for apprentices and trainees. This should include consideration of measures to ensure gender pay equity in apprenticeships and traineeships so far as this is possible.

5.178The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments to explore measures to increase consistency across jurisdictions as to the qualifications that are offered as apprenticeships. This should include consideration of expanding apprenticeships to new sectors and industries where this is warranted.

5.179Micro-credentials play a valuable role in the skills ecosystem. This is particularly the case given the rapid evolution of technology and the need to deliver quicker, lower-cost training. Micro-credentials are valuable in upskilling workers (for example, to ensure that staff in the aged care and disability sectors have specific competencies needed to work with clients), supporting transitions between sectors, and in enabling a return to work for those who may have disconnected from the labour market. The Committee has seen first-hand the potential of micro-credentials in the ICT sector (for example via its visit to the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) at Meadowbank), as well as the potential for micro-credentials to contribute to greater interoperability between the VET and university sectors.

5.180Some micro-credentials are focused on the needs of a specific entity. The Committee acknowledges that such credentials are valuable or necessary in some circumstances, such as where a credential relates to training on a process that is unique to an employer. However, the Committee’s view is that the cost of micro-credentials should be the responsibility of the employer, not the government, when the credential relates to employer- or industry-specific work processes and needs. Public funding should be directed to credentials which are portable across sectors, and which are targeted to identified areas of skill shortage.

5.181The Committee also considers that government should not encourage individuals to pursue micro-credentials in lieu of full qualifications and emphasises that government funding should only be available for micro-credentials where the relevant student already possesses a qualification. The full qualification need not be in the same field as the relevant micro-credential, and the Committee sees value in individuals using micro-credentials to transition between careers, return to the workforce, or pursue study in different fields. In limited circumstances it may also be appropriate to recognise lived experience in lieu of a full qualification, for example for older people wishing to deliver supports in the home or community care sector. However, the Committee considers that, as a default principle, individuals should be required to obtain solid foundational core and industry skills through full qualifications, with micro-credentials used as a ‘value add’ to respond to emerging skills needs.

5.182In addition, the Committee considers that government should not generally permit the ‘stacking’ of micro-credentials into full qualifications. While a person can complete each of the individual units of competency that make up a full qualification via micro-credentials, they would be missing the overarching framework which, in a full qualification, links together these units in a coherent way. This is not to say that a person should not look to obtain multiple micro-credentials if this would be of value to their work (for example, a person working in the disability sector might obtain several micro-credentials focused on aspects of client care). Moreover, the Committee is broadly supportive of a National Credentials Platform as proposed by the Department of Education as a means of compiling and providing access to a student’s skills and achievements through a single portal. However, as outlined above the Committee considers it important that micro-credentials are seen as an addition to, and not a replacement for, full qualifications (in both the VET and higher education sectors).

5.183There will be some micro-credentials (or equivalents) which would not be required to follow a full qualification to receive some form of public funding. These credentials typically relate to occupational licensing (for example, responsible service of alcohol (RSA) or first aid). These credentials are portable and often necessary to continue working in certain roles.

5.184Public funding should be made available where a person is not able to or should not have to meet the costs of an occupational license. A key example is where a person is unemployed, in receipt of income support, and is seeking to obtain an occupational license as a first step to securing a job. Consistent with the Committee’s view that VET should be separated into education and training (if possible), funding in these circumstances should not come from the education budget. Rather, funding should be made available through other sources, such as the employment services system. The Committee notes that Workforce Australia has a dedicated Employment Fund which providers may use for items connected to increasing a person’s employability. Occupational and other licenses (for example, driver licenses) are among the permitted funding categories.

5.185The Committee supports a national policy framework for micro-credentials. This should be developed by the Australian Government in close consultation with Jobs and Skills Australia, policy experts, and the VET and university sectors. Aside from specifying the circumstances in which micro-credentials may be funded, a framework should include a clear definition of a micro-credential for the purposes of funding and recognition.

5.186The Committee acknowledges that the Department of Education has published a National Micro-credential Framework and is of the view that a broader national framework could build on this document. A national policy framework should also aim to leverage ongoing work to recognise skills and qualifications, such as the Department of Education’s National Credentials Platform.

5.187The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments, Jobs and Skills Australia, academic and policy experts, and the vocational education and training (VET) and university sectors to design and implement a national policy framework for micro-credentials, including the following key elements:

• A clear definition of a ‘micro-credential’ to inform policy decisions.
• A clear default principle that micro-credentials cannot be undertaken in lieu of full qualifications and cannot, on their own, ‘stack’ into full qualifications.
• Clear guidance on the circumstances in which micro-credentials can be recognised as credit towards full qualifications—for example where a person is seeking to transition to another industry or return to the workforce.
• Clear guidance on the circumstances in which government funding will be available in relation to micro-credentials, including that:

• as a default principle, micro-credentials only receive Commonwealth funding where they are portable and targeted to identified areas of skills shortage, and where the student already possesses a full VET or university qualification; and
• micro-credentials which relate to occupational licensing or other job-specific requirements should typically be funded by the employer or the individual, with exceptions made for people in financial hardship.
  188. A skilled teaching workforce is a critical component of the VET sector. VET educators are at the frontline of ensuring that students receive high quality, engaging training that helps them meet changing skills needs, improve employment outcomes, and contribute to Australia’s productivity. It is of significant concern that the sector—and particularly TAFEs—has lost a sizeable portion of its teaching workforce and is experiencing challenges attracting and retaining sufficient numbers of qualified staff.
  189. A key driver of these challenges is that VET educators often have lower pay and less attractive working conditions—including increasing reliance on part-time and casual working arrangements. This makes it difficult for the sector to encourage experienced tradespeople to move from industry into teaching, leads to unmanageable workloads for teaching staff and to higher levels of staff turnover. Ultimately, current pay and conditions for VET educators are leading to a devaluing of teaching positions and to poor perceptions of the sector as a whole.
  190. The Committee appreciates that improving pay and conditions for VET educators will be a complex task and is likely to require significant inter-governmental efforts—including to deliver broader reforms to VET funding. Stakeholders noted that demand-driven funding arrangements are a key contributor to increasing levels of uncertainty in the sector. Nevertheless, the Committee considers that work to improve educators’ pay and conditions should be progressed as a matter of some urgency. The Committee supports proposals such as providing additional, ring-fenced funding to underpin a teaching workforce renewal strategy, including much more attractive pay and conditions for educators and a program of continuing professional development. The Committee considers that measures to enhance pay and conditions for educators should commence with TAFEs, to rebuild the capacity of public providers and ensure a robust public core to the sector.
  191. As part of the measures to enhance pay and conditions, work should be done to ensure that a career in the VET sector is attractive to people of all genders and backgrounds. This should include ensuring equity in remuneration and that leave policies are inclusive and consistent with leading practice in comparable sectors.
  192. The requirement to hold a TAE or a Diploma-level qualification in adult education, and current requirements for ongoing professional development, are not aligned with the lived realities of current and potential VET educators.It contributes to workforce shortages in the sector—in particular shortages of educators with industry experience and high-level qualifications in relevant fields. Accordingly, the Committee supports exploring alternative entry pathways into VET teaching. This could form part of a broader measures to give providers—starting with TAFEs—greater freedom over the nature of the training they offer and how that training is delivered.
  193. The Committee agrees that there should be a shift away from mandating the lowest possible qualification for VET educators and towards building a world-leading VET workforce. Measures to lift the overall quality of teaching within the VET sector should be investigated, including supporting individuals with advanced and specialist qualifications to enter the workforce and contribute to workforce development. It is acknowledged that this may require changes to policy and legislation, for example, to the regulations and underpinning policy setting out the standards for RTOs. Educators must have clearly defined opportunities for career progression, and for continued professional development to ensure up-to-date knowledge of the industry for which they are preparing their students.
  194. Measures to increase diversity and inclusion in the VET workforce should be implemented. Such measures will be critical to enhancing the student experience and to attracting historically under-represented cohorts into growth sectors. In addition to measures such as competitive remuneration and more progressive leave policies, the Committee supports including units on trauma-informed and intersectional approaches to teaching in qualifications for VET educators such as the TAE. There would be merit in ensuring that educators complete training in cultural competency and address unconscious bias.
  195. To the extent the TAE remains a ‘default’ entry pathway into the teaching workforce, measures should be implemented to reduce the cost of obtaining the qualification—up to and including full subsidies for participants. Programs such as ‘Pay to Learn’ in NSW which allow skilled professionals to complete the TAE in a shorter timeframe while earning a salary have considerable merit and may be used as viable models.
  196. The Committee appreciates that many of the issues outlined above are likely to be considered as part of the VET Workforce Blueprint and other measures sitting under the new NSA (for example, TAFE Centres of Excellence), and considers that work on the Blueprint should be expedited. The Committee makes several recommendations for inclusion in the Blueprint as it is finalised, with a particular emphasis on lifting the quality of VET educators, enhancing the capacity of the VET workforce to respond to issues facing an increasingly diverse student cohort, and addressing barriers facing women in the sector.

5.197The Committee recommends that the Australian Government expedite the development and implementation of the vocational education and training (VET) Workforce Blueprint, and ensure the Blueprint considers measures to:

• Lift pay and conditions for VET educators, including measures to reduce short-term and casual contracts and make the sector attractive to trainers of all genders and backgrounds. This should include consideration of ring-fenced funding for Technical and Further Education (TAFE) to underpin more competitive pay and conditions.
• Enable various entry pathways to the teaching workforce, including pathways which encourage entrants with significant experience in industry and with advanced qualifications. This should include exploring measures to allow people who do not hold a specialised VET teaching qualification such as the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE) enter the teaching workforce.
• Reduce cost and red tape associated with completing the TAE. This should include consideration of fully subsidising the TAE and of expanding fast-track pathways such as the ‘Pay to Learn’ program.
• Ensure educators are able to provide a supportive learning environment for students. This should include consideration of including units on culturally competent and trauma-informed pedagogy in qualifications for VET educators; and ensure that reliable, accurate data on the teaching workforce is gathered to enable continuous improvement.
• Enhance the capacity and expertise of the VET workforce to apply an intersectional lens and analysis across VET policies, programs, and initiatives, with particular reference to barriers facing women.

Footnotes

[1]Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), Training Package Products Development and Endorsement Process Policy, 13 December 2022, pages 1–2. https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-support-individuals/resources/training-package-products-development-and-endorsement-process-policy, viewed 5February 2024.

[2]DEWR, Training Package Products Development and Endorsement Process Policy, 13 December 2022, p.12.

[3]DEWR, Jobs and Skills Councils,https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/jobs-and-skills-councils, viewed 5February 2024.

[4]Australian Industry Standards, Training Packages, https://www.australianindustrystandards.org.au/training-packages, viewed 5 February 2024. See also DEWR, Industry Engagement and Qualifications Discussion Paper, 8 January 2021, pages2–3, https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/resources/discussion-paper, viewed 5 February 2024.

[5]DEWR, VET Qualification Reform, https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/vet-qualification-reform, viewed 5February 2024.

[6]DEWR, Qualification Reform Design Group—August 2023 update, 7 September 2023, https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/resources/qualification-reform-design-group-august-2023-update, viewed 5 February 2024.

[7]See, eg, Professor Robin Shreeve, Submission 1, p. [4]; National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA), Submission 17, p. 6; Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA), Submission 52, p. 6; Australasian Digital and Telecommunications Industry Association (ADTIA), Submission 88, p. [3]; Ms Jenny Dodd, CEO, TAFE Directors Australia, Committee Hansard, 29 March 2023, p. 7.

[8]Mr Sean Teer, Employment Facilitator, South-East Melbourne and Peninsula Region, Workforce Australia, Committee Hansard, 26 July 2023, p. 11.

[9]Skills Impact, Submission 13, p. [6].

[10]Ms Claire Field, Submission 58, pages 4–5.

[11]See Productivity Commission, Skills and Workforce Development Agreement: Study Report, 21January2021, p.44, https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/skills-workforce-agreement/report, viewed 5 February 2024; Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System, 2 April 2019, pages 53–55, 123–124, https://www.pmc.gov.au/publications/strengthening-skills-expert-review-australias-vocational-education-and-training-system, viewed 5 February 2024.

[12]Business NSW, Submission 42, p. 9.

[13]Australian Retailers Association (ARA), Submission 73, p. [1].

[14]NSW Department of Education, TAFE NSW, and NSW Education Standards Authority (NSW Department of Education et al), Submission 77, p. 17.

[15]Professor Shreeve, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 5.

[16]Professor Erica Smith, Submission 72, p. 2. See also Professor Smith, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 3May 2023, pages 12–13.

[17]Professor Smith, Submission 72.1, p. [1].

[18]AVETRA, Submission 52, p. 6. See also Ms Claire Field, Submission 58, p. 7.

[19]TAFE Directors Australia, Submission 59, pages 4–5.

[20]See, eg, Government of South Australia, Submission 12, p. 5; NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, p. 17; Australian Flexible Pavement Association Submission 74, p.[4].

[21]Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA), Submission 38, pages 12–13.

[22]Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), Submission 86, pages 5, 10.

[23]Dr Mark Dean, Research and Planning Officer, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, pages 1–2.

[24]AMWU, Submission 22, p. [3].

[25]Mr Trevor Gauld, National Policy Officer, Electrical Trades Union of Australia (ETUA), Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, p. 7.

[26]NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, p. 16.

[27]DEWR, Submission 76, p. 15. See also Ms Dodd, TAFE Directors Australia, Committee Hansard, 29March2023, p. 3.

[28]Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU), Submission 22, p. [2].

[29]National Fire Industry Association (NIFA), Submission 30, p. [5].

[30]See, eg, Australian Centre for Career Education, Submission 15, p. 6; COSBOA, Submission 86, p.8. For an overview of assessment processes in the VET sector, see https://www.asqa.gov.au/resources/guides/guide-developing-assessment-tools, viewed 5 February 2024.

[31]MTAA, Submission 38, pages 6, 13.

[32]Careflight, Submission 41, pages [1–2].

[33]Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (SBFEO), Submission 79, p. [2].

[34]NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, p. 10.

[35]National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), Adding value to competency-based training, 13 December 2022, pages 16–21, https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/adding-value-to-competency-based-training, viewed 15 February 2024. See also NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, pages 10–11.

[36]NCVER, Adding value to competency-based training, 13 December 2022, p. 21.

[37]DEWR, Vocational Education and Training (VET) Reform Roadmap, 9 April 2021, p. 8, https://www.dewr.gov.au/expert-review-australias-vet-system/resources/vocational-education-and-training-vet-reform-roadmap-draft, viewed 5 February 2024.

[38]See, eg, R Skiba, Graded Assessment Models for Competency-Based Training in Vocational Education and Training, 10(3) World Journal of Education 106, pages 106, 111.

[39]See, eg, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Submission 43, p. 4; Australian, Industry Group Centre for Education and Training (AiGroup), Submission 47, p. 3; Master Builders Australia (MBA), Submission 71, p. 8.

[40]See, eg, COSBOA, Submission 86, p. 11.

[41]National Australian Apprenticeships Association (NAAA), Submission 60, p. 4;See also Mr Ben Bardon, CEO, NAAA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 14. This is reflected in data collected by the NCVER. See NCVER, Completion and attrition rates for apprentices and trainees 2022, 4 September 2023, https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/completion-and-attrition-rates-for-apprentices-and-trainees-2022, viewed 5 February 2024.

[42]See, eg, NECA, Submission 17, p. 7; NAAA, Submission 60, p. 4.

[43]Master Electricians Australia (MEA), Submission 5, p. 4.

[44]MEA, Submission 5, p. 4.

[45]Ms Salwa Kilzi, Vocational Education Officer, National Union of Students (NUS), Committee Hansard, 26April 2023, pages 13–14.

[46]NCVER, Apprentice and trainee experience and destinations, 18 December 2019,p. 11, https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/collections/apprentice-and-trainee-experience-and-destinations, viewed 5 February 2024.

[47]Ms Dodd, TAFE Directors Australia, Committee Hansard, 29 March 2023, p. 4.

[48]Mr Reagan Agar, National Policy Officer, ETUA, Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, p. 9.

[49]Mr Agar, ETUA, Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, p. 9.

[50]Ms Annie Butler, Federal Secretary, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 9.

[51]See, eg, MEA, Submission 5, p. 4; NECA, Submission 17, p. 7; National Apprentice Employment Network (NAEN), Submission 68, p. 5; Mr Agar, ETUA, Committee Hansard, p. 10. Supports are also discussed below in relation to the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN).

[52]NIFA, Submission 30, p. [5].

[53]Mr Agar, ETUA, Committee Hansard, p. 10.

[54]Mr Francis Doherty, Submission 7, pages [1–2]. See also Mr Agar, ETUA, Committee Hansard, p. 10.

[55]See NECA, Submission 17, p. 7; Mr Chris Lehmann, National Advocacy Manager, MEA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 11.

[56]NAEN, Submission 68, p. 5.

[57]Mr Gauld, ETUA, Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, p. 7.

[58]DEWR, Submission 76, pages 10–11.

[59]Women in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE), Submission 70, p. 16.

[60]NAAA, Submission 60.1, p. [2].

[61]NAAA, Submission 60.1, p. [2].

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

[63]See, eg, Professor Smith, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 13; Ms Dodd, TAFE Directors Australia, Committee Hansard, 29 March 2023, p. 4.

[64]NFIA, Submission 30, p. [6].

[65]DEWR, Submission 76, p. 10.

[66]Mr Gauld, ETUA, Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, p. 7.

[67]Mr Bardon, NAAA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 15.

[68]Professor Shreeve, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 4.

[69]See Ms Kilzi, NUS, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 13; NUS, Submission 91, p. [3].

[70]Shop, Distributive, and Allied Employees Association (SDA National), Submission 44, p. [2].

[71]Mr Alan Sparks, AM, BEM, Submission 98, pages 18–19, 24.

[72]Australian Apprenticeships Pathways, What are Pre-Apprenticeships, https://www.aapathways.com.au/about/pre-apprenticeships, viewed 5 February 2024.

[73]See, eg, ACCI, Submission 43, p. 5; Ms Amanda Ellwood, Submission 51, pages [1–2]; Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Submission 80, p. [8].

[74]NECA, Submission 17, p. 4.

[75]Mr Alan Sparks, Submission 98, p. 22.

[76]Mr Gauld, ETUA, Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, p. 10.

[77]MBA, Submission 71, pages 12–13.

[78]See Professor Smith, Submission 72, p. 3.

[79]AiGroup, Submission 47, p. 6.

[80]Skills Impact, Submission 13, p. [6].

[81]Integrated Information Service (IIS), Submission 53, p. 5.

[82]Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH), Submission 35, p. 14.

[83]See Mrs Katrina Rose, Program Manager, Fashion and Textiles, Creative Industries, RMIT University, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 16; Ms Leila Naja Hibri, CEO, Australian Fashion Council (AFC), Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 17.

[84]Mr Bardon, NAAA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, pages 16–17.

[85]NAAA, Submission 60.1,p. [5].

[86]Australian Apprenticeships, What is the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network, https://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/about-aasn, viewed 5 February 2024.

[87]Mr Bardon, NAAA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 15.

[88]See, eg, ACCI, Submission 43, p. 4; VCCI, Submission 80, p. [8].

[89]Mr Dean, AMWU, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 5.

[90]Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), Submission 69, p. 9.

[91]MEA, Submission 5, p. 10.

[92]NECA, Submission 17, p. 9.

[93]Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA), Submission 24, pages 6–7.

[94]See ETUA, Submission 87, p. [1]; Mr Gauld, ETUA, Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, pages 7–8, 12.

[95]Ms Jessie Caisley, National Policy Officer, ETUA, Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, p. 8.

[96]ETUA, Submission 87, p. [2]. See also Mr Gauld, ETUA, Committee Hansard, 31 May 2023, pages 10, 13.

[97]ETUA, Submission 87, p. [2].

[98]See IIS, Submission 53, pages 1–2; ADTIA, Submission 88, p. [4].

[99]DEWR, Request for Tender for Australian Apprenticeship Support Services 2024–2026, p. 15, https://tenders.employment.gov.au/tenders/c0aafbf2-af31-ee11-bdf4-6045bd3d3489, viewed 5 February 2024.

[100]DEWR, Request for Tender for Australian Apprenticeship Support Services2024–2026, pages 29–31.

[101]Department of Education, National Micro-credentials Framework, 22 March 2022,pages 2–3, https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-publications/resources/national-microcredentials-framework, viewed 5 February 2024.

[102]Mr Simon Walker, Managing Director, NCVER, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 3. See also Professor Shreeve, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, pages 2–3.

[103]See Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System, 2 April 2019, pages 64–65; Department of Education, Review of the Australian Qualifications Framework Final Report, 24 October 2019, pages 56–58, https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-reviews-and-consultations/resources/review-australian-qualifications-framework-final-report-2019, viewed 5 February 2024.

[104]See DEWR, Supporting micro-credentials in the training system, https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/supporting-microcredentials-training-system, viewed 5 February 2024. See also Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Heads of Agreement for Skills Reform, 5 August 2020, https://www.pmc.gov.au/resources/heads-agreement-skills-reform, viewed 5 February 2024.

[105]See, eg, Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA), Submission 8, p. [8]; QAMH, Submission35,p. 14; Ms Karolina Szukalska, Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), Committee Hansard, 19April2023, p.21.

[106]ADTIA, Submission 88, pages [6–7].

[107]COSBOA, Submission 86, p. 6.

[108]Business Council of Australia (BCA), Submission 93, p. 4.

[109]Ms Samantha Gillick, Lead Trainer, Nepean Industry Edge Training (NIET), Committee Hansard, 26July2023, p. 10.

[110]SBFEO, Submission 79, pages [3–4].

[111]See, eg, AMWU, Submission 22, p. [2]; Ms Butler, ANMF, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, pages 9–10; Professor Smith, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 13.

[112]Dr Dean, AMWU, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 3.

[113]Department of Education, Submission 89, pages 6–7.

[114]Department of Education, National Micro-credentials Framework, 22 March 2022, pages 2–4.

[115]Department of Education, Submission 89, p. 7.

[116]See, eg, Mr Walker, NCVER, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 3; Dr Dean, AMWU, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 4; Professor Shreeve, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 2.

[117]Ms Maxine Sharkey, Federal TAFE Secretary, Australian Education Union (AEU), Committee Hansard, 26April 2023, pages 23–24.

[118]See, eg, BCA, Submission 93, p. 4.

[119]AiGroup, Submission 47, p. 6.

[120]BCA, Submission 93, p. 5.

[121]Professor Grant Hose, Associate Dean, Innovation, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Committee Hansard, 16 August 2023, p. 9.

[122]Mr Stephen Brady, Managing Director, TAFE NSW, Committee Hansard, 16 August 2023, p. 6.

[123]Professor Smith, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 3 May 2023, p. 13.

[124]Dr Dean, AMWU, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 4.

[125]Mr Walker, NCVER, Committee Hansard, 16 May 2023, p. 3.

[126]Mr Brady, TAFE NSW, Committee Hansard, 16 August 2023, p. 6.

[127]See, eg, NECA, Submission 17, p. 5; Independent Education Union, Queensland and Northern Territory Branch (IEU–QNT), Submission 21, p. 3; PGA, Submission 24, p. 5; NFIA, Submission 30, p. [5].

[128]Ms Sharkey, AEU, Committee Hansard, 26April 2023, p. 22.

[129]See, eg, IEU–QNT, Submission 21,pages 4–5; NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, p. 9; COSBOA, Submission 86, p. 6.

[130]DEWR, VET Workforce Blueprint Scope, pages 1–3, https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/resources/vet-workforce-blueprint-scope, viewed 25 September 2023.

[131]See, for example, NECA, Submission 17, p. 6; PGA, Submission 24, p. 5; ADTIA, Submission 88, p. [6].

[132]Australian Industry Trade College, Submission 31, p. [10].

[133]Mr Christopher Watts, Senior Policy Advisor, ACTU, Committee Hansard, 29 March 2023, p. 12. See also Professor Shreeve, Submission 1, p. [5]; IEU–QNT, Submission 21, p. 5; Mr Bardon, NAAA, Committee Hansard, 19April 2023, p. 18.

[134]WAVE, Submission 70, pages 24–25.

[135]Ms Sharkey, AEU, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, pages 24–25.

[136]Ms Sharkey, AEU, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 24.

[137]AEU, Submission 37, pages 24–25.

[138]AiGroup, Submission 47, p. 7.

[139]Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, F2014L01377, ss 1.13–1.20.

[140]ADTIA, Submission 88, p. [6].

[141]Ms Gillick, NIET, Committee Hansard, 26July2023, p. 9.

[142]Ms Sharkey, AEU, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 26.

[143]Ms Dodd, TAFE Directors Australia, Committee Hansard, 29 March 2023, p. 6; VCCI, Submission 80, p. 9.

[144]ACCI, Submission 43, p. 11. See also MEA, Submission 5, p. 16; AiGroup, Submission 47, p. 7.

[145]NSW Department of Education et al, Submission 77, p. 9.

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

[147]Ms Kilzi, NUS, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 14.

[148]ETUA, Submission 87, p. 8.

[149]Ms Sharkey, AEU, Committee Hansard, 26 April 2023, p. 23.

[150]Professor Shreeve, Submission 1, p. [4].

[151]AVETRA, Submission 52, p. 5.

[152]Ms Dodd, TAFE Directors Australia, Committee Hansard, 29 March 2023, p. 4.

[153]Mr Bardon, NAAA, Committee Hansard, 19 April 2023, p. 18.

[154]Ms Raelene Stockton, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, pages 3–4.