VET News

Reshaping the VET Sector to Address Australia's Critical Skills Needs

Minister for Skills and Training, the Hon. Brendan O'Connor gave an address at the Regional Australian Conference this week.  Here is just some of what he had to say:

Over the years there have been many strategies to achieve access and equity in education and training for rural and regional Australia.  Despite efforts based on expertise, goodwill and a spirit of cooperation, past promises have often not lived up to the rhetoric.

We came to office with a commitment to understand and overcome the challenges of delivering high-quality Vocational Education and Training outside metropolitan Australia.  I want to be real about the scale of those challenges.

Australia likes to position itself as the land of a fair go, where every individual should have the opportunity and right to access quality VET and develop skills that can support them in their work and life.  It’s a good sentiment. But many people feel left behind with the rise of insecure work and a rapidly changing economy.

To face these challenges, the Australian Government has seized the moment to reshape the VET sector.  The new National Skills Agreement is an example of a truly transformative policy, on the back of goodwill and collaboration.  Under the Agreement, the Commonwealth will invest up to $12.6 billion to expand and transform access to the VET sector, support quality training and implement reforms to address critical skills needs.

If States and Territories access all the Commonwealth funding available under the Agreement, the combined investment by governments will exceed $30 billion.  Regional Australians will benefit from the commitments made by all governments.

The Government’s recently released Employment White Paper highlighted the need to grow the high-skilled workforce, and to support students of all ages to move more easily between vocational education and university.

That is not a working model.

We need both tertiary sectors to work with each other – and work with industry and governments to make sure we have the skills our economy needs.

These investments come on top of $414 million which has already been committed for the delivery of a further 300,000 Fee-Free TAFE places from next year.

Over 77,000 people from regional Australia have enrolled, making up over a third of total enrolments. About 8,700 students enrolled in the hospitality and tourism sector, which is a sector of key regional need.  A further 9,500 students have enrolled in agriculture courses.

Research by Jobs and Skills Australia has identified 38 critical green energy occupations are needed right across Australia, including in regional and remote areas. Growth in these occupations is also likely to be concentrated in regional Australia, presenting a great opportunity, as clean energy will continue to provide well paid employment that might otherwise be lost as global demand for fossil fuels decreases.

Without a much more concerted effort to improve general educational outcomes in regional areas, Australians in regional communities will find themselves locked out of these new jobs.  We also know there are unique challenges faced by apprentices in regional, rural and remote areas and that these challenges are more acute for remote apprentices.

That is why we are providing guaranteed mentoring places for rural apprentices.

Read the full Minister's address here.

Date posted Nov 30, 2023