Common sense changes mean more VET teachers

The Albanese Government is making it easier for people with secondary school teaching qualifications, industry experts and teachers-in-training to use their skills in vocational education and training (VET) classrooms, in a move to help combat teacher and trainer shortages. 

The shortage of trained and skilled teachers, trainers and assessors in the VET sector is hampering efforts to overcome persistent skills shortages across our economy. 

That’s why we are making it easier for TAFEs and other registered training organisations (RTOs) to access a greater range of already qualified people to teach our next generation while simultaneously creating opportunities for those with existing qualifications, including former teachers. 

The reforms enable:

• people with specialised industry expertise to impart their skills and assist qualified VET teachers, trainers, and assessors in the delivery of training and assessment.
• people qualified to register as a secondary school teacher to deliver training and assessment either with supervision or with additional credentials.
• people working towards a Certificate IV or Diploma from the Training and Education (TAE) Training Package to deliver training and contribute to assessment under supervision.

These changes are designed to give much needed relief to TAFEs and RTOs who need more teachers and trainers, while we continue with broader work to support and grow our VET workforce, ensuring the long-term sustainability and quality of the sector.

Under the landmark National Skills Agreement, the Albanese Government has committed $100 million over five years to support, grow and retain a quality VET workforce. 

A VET Workforce Blueprint is in development which will identify attraction and retention strategies and examine ways to build capability, support career development and succession planning.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Skills and Training, the Hon Brendan O’Connor MP:

“This is a common-sense measure to increase the number of VET teachers, trainers and assessors in classrooms, who are the foundation for our efforts to solve the worst skills shortage in decades.

“These changes, while not a silver bullet, are an important part of a raft of measures we are introducing to bolster the VET teaching workforce and improve the standard of training delivery across the sector.

“The changes further demonstrate our government’s efforts to build a world-class VET sector and our commitment to students and the VET workforce.”