VET News

VET Qualification Reform - Initial Advice Available Now!

In June 2023, the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council noted that reforming VET qualifications is key to supporting workforce development and a stronger, more resilient and productive economy. Skills Ministers recommitted to important qualifications reform.  The Qualification Reform Design Group was established to support this.

The Design Group provided initial advice to the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council in early March 2024 on how to make progress on improving VET qualifications design.  

Following are some of the highlights from the Design Group report, Unlocking the Potential of VET.

Design Group Proposal: A differentiated qualifications system

The Design Group proposes a new differentiated qualifications system to preserve qualifications that  are working well while enabling new qualification models to serve different purposes. The new  system moves from a ‘one size fits all’ approach to designing qualifications based on their purposes: 

• Purpose 1 – qualifications leading to a specific occupation (for example a licensed trade) 
• Purpose 2 – qualifications to prepare learners for multiple occupations within an industry  
• Purpose 3 – qualifications that develop cross-sectoral or foundation skills and knowledge  which may be applied across industries, or lead to tertiary education and training pathways.

This approach will enable a broader, more holistic, approach to competency-based assessment and an  opportunity for training providers and schools to have a higher level focus on concepts, principles and  underpinning skills training. 

• Purpose 1 qualifications can be delivered using the existing competency-based training model, as  they are likely to remain focused on discrete tasks associated with a specific occupation. 
• Purpose 2 qualifications encourage a focus on the standard of skills and knowledge required across  an industry rather than the performance of specific, discrete tasks. They may require new  approaches to assessment that enable skills and knowledge to be applied in different contexts. 
• Purpose 3 qualifications encourage a focus on the skills and knowledge that a qualification  develops, with flexibility in the context of application. They may require evolution of qualification  design beyond the current competency-based model towards a focus on learning outcomes.

Design Group Principles

The Design Group has developed 6 Qualification Development Quality Principles to guide the cultural  shift that needs to occur in qualifications design.  

1. ensure learners’ needs and aspirations inform qualification design, including  transferability, transitioning occupations and industries, and mobility across industries; 
2. place equal importance on skill, knowledge, and application; 
3. allow flexible training and assessment in high-quality training environments; 
4. avoid duplication with other training products where industry context does not require it; 
5. reduce specificity except where a higher level of detail is required for licencing, high-risk,  safety, regulatory or graduate quality reasons; and 
6. consider and integrate foundation skills, general capabilities, and knowledge progression.

The intent of these principles is to shift away from a one-size-fits-all approach where every  qualification is aligned to a specific occupation. Instead, JSCs will use evidence to better understand  the relationship between qualifications and occupational outcomes and be empowered to build  products that better suit industry and learner needs.

By the end of 2024, the Design Group, assisted by JSCs, will report to Skills Ministers on demonstration  projects and any changes to operating arrangements for VET qualifications (such as the Training  Package Organising Framework) necessary to implement the new system.  Part of the advice will include an implementation plan for the new qualifications system from 2025  based on joint work with JSCs, state and territory governments and sector stakeholders.

To read the full report, see  Unlocking the Potential of VET.

To read the update, see Qualification Reform Design Group - March 2024 update .

To visit the DEWR VET Qualification Reform page , see  here.

Date posted Mar 14, 2024