VET News

Australia Has Spoken - What Does This Mean For Vocational Education, Skills and Training?

With a new government now in place, let's take a look at some of the intentions for our vocational education and training sector.

Jobs and Skills Australia

Jobs and Skills Australia is an independent body to be established within the first 100 days of the new government's leadership.  Established as a national partnership to drive VET education and strengthen workforce planning, this incentive is intended to enable working partnerships between employers, business community, state and territories, unions and the training and education sector.

The government has also promised to work with state and territory governments, industry organisations and unions on new opportunities which allow for upskilling through accredited microcredentials.   

Plans to host an employment summit, bringing together employer groups and unions to look at ways to improve wages and boost productivity are also in play.

Technical and Further Education (TAFE)

A total of 70% of Commonwealth VET funding is pledged for TAFE programs.

With 465,000 Fee Free TAFE places targeted at skills shortages in critical workforce areas over the next four years, this aligns with the government's Future Made in Australia Skills Plan which will focus on acute skills shortages in areas such as manufacturing and construction. 

A $50 million TAFE Technology Fund will also fund IT facilities, workshops, laboratories and tele-health simulators in TAFE campuses across the country.

Apprenticeships

$100 million will be invested as part of a New Energy Apprenticeships Program to support 10,000 New Energy Apprenticeships.  This investment will encourage apprentices to train in the new energy jobs of the future and provide them the support they need to complete their training.

An additional $10 million will be invested in a New Energy Skills Program to tailor skills training to meet the needs of new energy industries. The New Energy Skills Program will work with the states, industry and unions to ensure workers have access to training pathways that are fit-for-purpose.

University

Up to 20,000 extra university places will be prioritised over 2022 and 2023 to provide further opportunities for Australians to secure a tertiary qualification leading to employment.  Additional courses will also be offered in national priority areas like clean energy, advanced manufacturing, health and education, or where there are skills shortages and more enrolments will be offered for students from regional and remote areas, First Nations students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

National Skills Agreement

Heavily influenced by commissioned VET sector reviews of recent years, the delayed National Skills Agreement between the Commonwealth, states and territories will also now become a focus after stalled talks on the latest draft agreement.  With a planned release of early 2022, it is anticipated that this focus will return a new national skills agreement in the coming months.

Date posted May 26, 2022