List of recommendations

2.96The Committee recommends the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments and key stakeholders such as the National Centre for Vocational Education Research to improve data collection and reporting mechanisms in the vocational education and training sector. This should include a focus on the diversity of pathways within the sector and on better understanding the complex barriers faced by students.

3.117The Committee recommends that the Australian Government enhance the functions of the National Careers Institute (NCI) to ensure the NCI is able to operate as a single, trusted source of information on education, training, and careers. The primary focus of the NCI should be supporting key influencers such as teachers, employment service providers, and career educators. This should include but should not be limited to the following measures:

Overhaul the Your Career website and replace it with a new online portal which provides accurate, relevant, and current information on courses, qualifications, and career pathways. This should include measures to:

oenable the NCI to offer additional information on individual training providers and courses;

oensure that information provided to users is based on the user’s needs and aspirations and does not indicate a ‘default’ preference for courses or qualifications in a specific tertiary sector; and

oensure that users can easily navigate online resources.

In collaboration with Jobs and Skills Australia, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, and the Jobs and Skills Councils, identifying and addressing future skills needs and actively promoting careers which respond to those needs.

Ensuring that career educators in schools, Technical and Further Education (TAFE), and employment service providers are aware of the NCI and can use it as a resource in performing their functions.

Identifying and addressing duplication in sources of information on careers and vocational education and training at the national, state, and local levels.

Explore creating a grants funding program to support and enable the expansion of proven, evidence-based local career education programs.

3.118The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, via the National Careers Institute, work with State and Territory Governments to boost the capacity of vocational education and training alumni programs, including to develop work plans to underpin proactive outreach to schools, business associations, and employment bodies.

3.124The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments, the Jobs and Skills Councils, and other key stakeholders to design and deliver national campaigns to promote vocational education and training (VET) pathways and the careers they serve. Campaigns should be promoted at the national, state, and local levels, and should include material that:

Is diffused through a variety of media sources, including social media, government websites, and television.

Is accessible to all audiences.

Is adapted—insofar as possible—to local areas and labour markets, with a view to highlighting the value of VET to local communities.

Targets different entry pathways to VET, including post-secondary pathways and pathways for adult learners.

Showcases the benefits of the apprenticeship and traineeship pathways.

Targets diverse cohorts, with a focus on improving perceptions for women, First Nations peoples, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Showcases positive experiences with VET and examples of success among VET graduates.

Showcases a variety of career opportunities enabled by the VET sector, with a focus on in-demand industries and potential areas of skills shortage.

Campaigns should be underpinned by robust monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure their impact can be measured and to inform and refine future marketing initiatives.

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

Actively championing VET in promotional material and information relating to education and training.

Developing clear, accessible, nationally consistent information resources for use by students, parents, teachers, and other influencers.

Developing best-practice guidelines for schools to promote VET pathways, informed by consultation with education experts.

Establishing and raising the profile of student advisory groups and steering committees, including by ensuring that there is a mechanism to capture student views in the development of state and national education policy.

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

The extent to which the ATAR and university entrance are used to determine resourcing for schools, with a view to introducing new metrics which value both VET and university pathways.

How VET and non-VET subjects contribute to ATAR scores, with a view to removing disincentives in the ATAR framework to students pursuing VET pathways during secondary school and promoting national consistency in how VET subjects are treated within that framework.

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

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

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

Career education starting in primary school and continuing to the end of secondary school. Career education should vary by year level, and there should be a minimum number of contact hours for each student.

Australian secondary schools have at least one accredited career practitioner.

Improved professional development for career educators and teachers, including courses which build capacity to work with students from diverse cohorts.

Nationally consistent and up-to-date career information and resources, including on VET and university study options.

A career education framework at the school level, including plans to:

oappoint a school career leader with the function of coordinating careers education—including to ensure that all teachers are equipped to provide career advice if needed; and

oengage with students and parents on career planning, including to inform parents about potential VET and university pathways; and

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

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

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

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

oovercoming barriers to the delivery of VETDSSS through TAFEs;

obetter integrating VET courses with the broader school curriculum, underpinned by an understanding that VETDSSS should not, in principle, be different to ‘mainstream’ VET;

oencouraging and enabling industry to offer meaningful work experience to VETDSSS students, where appropriate; and

oensuring that VETDSSS courses are responsive to industry needs.

Provide targeted investment for schools to deliver VETDSSS, with funding conditional on schools delivering VETDSSS in partnership with TAFEs.

Ensure that all VETDSSS courses can lead to or be counted towards a nationally recognised qualification.

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

Additional initial teacher education (ITE) programs with a VET speciality.

Additional ITE programs which focus on enabling industry experts to become qualified VET delivered to secondary school students (VETDSSS) educators, including ‘fast track’ programs where appropriate.

Adding units on VET into all ITE courses, to ensure all teachers are able to provide reliable, accurate information on VET to their students.

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

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.

5.153The 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.

5.160The 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.

5.176The 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.

5.187The 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:

oas 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

omicro-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.

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.

6.168The Committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that the ongoing process of skills reform include measures to encourage and support partnerships between technical and further education (TAFE) institutes and high-performing not-for-profit and industry-led providers.

6.169The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments to explore options to separate vocational education and training (VET) into ‘education’ and ‘training’, including funding and governance arrangements to support high-performing independent providers to deliver shorter and industry-specific courses and to prioritise the delivery of longer courses and qualifications through technical and further education (TAFE) institutes.

6.170The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments and with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to rationalise and improve regulation in the vocational education and training (VET) sector, including by better targeting regulatory and compliance action to deliberately or persistently noncompliant providers. This should include the following key measures:

The removal of duplicative administrative and reporting requirements.

Giving ASQA greater flexibility in terms of how it prioritises, considers, and makes decisions in relation to applications for regulation.

Strengthening registration requirements to prevent providers from changing the scope of their registration whether they have been operating for less than two years.

Providing that a provider’s registration automatically lapses when that provider has not delivered training or assessment for a period of 12 months.

Resourcing and supporting ASQA to focus its regulatory approach on lifting the quality of training in the sector, enhancing VET student outcomes, and building and maintaining a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

6.179The Committee recommends that as part of the ongoing process of skills reform, the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments and with the vocational education and training (VET) sector to:

Explore aligning fees and subsidy amounts for VET qualifications insofar as this is possible.

Review the VET Student Loans (VSL) scheme and investigate its relationship with Fee-Free TAFE.

6.187The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments to ensure that the lived experiences of individuals involved with or impacted by the vocational education and training (VET) sector are prioritised in advisory and governance mechanisms.

6.188The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments to:

Continue to upgrade and modernise facilities on technical and further education (TAFE) institute campuses, including to ensure that physical and digital spaces are accessible for students with disability.

Improve key support services on TAFE campuses, and ensure that students have access to counselling, career advice, legal services, health services, and disability support.

Establish robust mechanisms for student and staff representation.

6.189The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with State and Territory Governments and the sector to increase engagement by technical and further education (TAFE) institutes with students early in their training pathway, to ensure students fully understand the demands of the qualification and can make informed decisions about their training and career pathway. This should involve the development of tools to assess students’ aptitude for the units and qualifications they are looking to pursue and supporting tailored advice.

6.192The Committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that the skills reform agenda includes specific measures to boost access to vocational education and training for people in regional, rural, and remote areas, informed by local skills need.

6.200The Committee recommends that the Australian Government implement the recommendations of the Australian Universities Accord Final Report, and work with State and Territory Governments and other key stakeholders to define a roadmap to a genuinely integrated tertiary education system. This roadmap should include the following key elements:

Integrated funding arrangements which support lifelong learning.

Clearly defined guidelines for the qualifications that can be offered by vocational education and training (VET) providers and by universities.

Clearly defined guidelines and targeted funding for dual qualifications which align with current and emerging skills needs, including advanced apprenticeships.

Clear pathways between VET and university courses and qualifications, with defined entry points and processes for credit transfer.

An adaptive, user-friendly framework for the recognition of prior learning.

Service-level agreements between the regulators responsible for the VET and university sectors to reduce duplication and streamline process.

The development of the roadmap should be led by a coordinating council, with representatives from Commonwealth and State Government, and from both the VET and university sectors.

6.208The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, through the Jobs and Skills Councils, work with State and Territory Governments, peak bodies, experts, employers, employment service providers, and other key stakeholders to develop sector-level guidance on the skills requirements of individual roles. This guidance should support better-targeted recruitment focused on skills requirements over qualifications.

Ms Lisa Chesters MP

Committee Chair

29 February 2024