VET News

Did You Know that VET is The Key to Tackling Australia's Skills Shortages?

The latest quarterly Labour Market Update released by Jobs and Skills Australia reveals skills shortages are particularly persistent in regional areas, with engineering and medical fields under particular pressure.
 
Regional areas are facing skills shortages in a number of occupations, including: General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers, Registered Nurses, Medical Imaging Professionals, Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers, Cooks, Chefs, Motor Mechanics, Automotive Electricians, and Mining Engineers.

Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O'Connor said, “Doctors and nurses in regional and rural areas are crucial to healthy and happy communities, so it is vital we continue to build on our reforms in higher education and vocational education and training to increase the accessibility of training and encourage more Australians to skill in areas of demand."

Shortages of doctors, nurses, medical staff and other essential services workers in regional and rural areas are a particular concern, and it is imperative that we work together with jurisdictions, industry, the VET sector and universities to educate and train more Australians and improve access to relevant courses and degrees across the nation.
 
Strong and accessible higher education and vocational education and training sectors are crucial to tackling this skills shortage.

Over the past year, around 92 per cent of total employment growth has been in occupations where some level of post-secondary school qualification is usually required, while around two-thirds of total employment has been in occupations where VET qualifications are the primary pathway.

Minister O'Connor continued, “To provide greater opportunity in Australia for secure and rewarding employment, we must continue to skill and reskill our workforce.”

See the full Minister's Media Centre Release here.

Date posted Jun 1, 2023