Release type: Media Release

Date:

National plan to address VET workforce challenges released

Ministers:

The Hon Andrew Giles MP
Minister for Skills and Training

The Albanese Government is today releasing the vocational education and training Workforce Blueprint, a roadmap of action to address long-standing challenges within the sector.

The Blueprint supports action under the National Skills Agreement, which allocates $30 million for national action and $70 million for states and territories to deliver workforce initiatives to grow and retain a quality and sustainable VET workforce.

The Blueprint’s aims are:

  • growing the workforce, by increasing the number of people entering the VET workforce pipeline to ensure long-term supply of staff, including teachers, trainers and assessors;
  • retaining and developing the workforce, by supporting and building workforce capability to ensure a sustainable, highly skilled and quality VET workforce;
  • understanding the workforce, by developing a data collection on the VET workforce and undertaking occupational mapping and research to better understand the roles and pathways across all VET contexts. 

Under the Blueprint, the Albanese Government, in collaboration with the state and territory governments, will progress the following nationally led actions:

  • comprehensive occupational mapping for the VET workforce;
  • developing a VET workforce data strategy;
  • establishing an ongoing research program for key workforce issues;
  • mapping and analysing compliance and administrative burdens, and seeing how they can be reduced.

These foundational actions will lead to improved workforce data and fill key gaps, providing an evidence base for further responses to support the VET workforce.

The Blueprint will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains responsive to challenges affecting the VET workforce.

The Blueprint was informed by the Vocational Educational and Training Workforce Study, undertaken by Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA). A link to the VET Workforce Study can be found here.

Further information and access to the full Blueprint can be found here.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles:

“The Albanese Government is committed to working with the states and territories to strengthen the VET sector to ensure it can deliver the quality education Australians deserve.

“The Coalition neglected the sector for years and that’s compounded skills shortages in nationally critical industries.

“The Blueprint recognises the importance of the VET workforce, the challenges it faces, and the actions needed to support it.

“Giving Australians the skills they need means supporting those who teach and train them.”