The VET workforce lab

The vocational education and training (VET) workforce lab is an innovative project being delivered by the Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) that is helping the sector to rethink the strengths and opportunities of the system. 

The lab is not a physical space but a collaborative approach that supports work with VET stakeholders to deliver solutions-based recommendations based on evidence.

Through the lab, the VSA is helping stakeholders to unpack ongoing issues in the VET workforce as well as respond to Victoria’s future skills needs. The journey starts with understanding the root causes. Whether it’s capability or workforce supply, it’s important to address the source of current issues to understand which policy solution can implemented most effectively.

The lab adopts a ‘think outside the box’ mindset to bring a richer understanding. Using a learning approach that puts the people at the heart of the process, the lab seeks to challenge common assumptions about the VET system, the regulatory environment, how the system operates and what those factors mean for the workforce now and in the future. The lab generates ideas, translates them into prototypes and seeks and incorporates stakeholder feedback through an iterative process. 

The work of the lab will be based on the real-life experiences of the VET teaching and learning workforce. The lab also prioritises areas for research and focus on the teacher pipeline from entry to exit from the workforce. The lab’s methodology encourages both online and physical participation through interviews, focus groups and workshops by a broad range of stakeholders, including:

• students
• teachers, trainers and assessors 
• learning designers
• curriculum and quality managers
• registered training organisations (RTOs) representatives
• industry bodies
• academia
• rural 
• regional.

The work sits at the core of the VSA’s role to drive innovation and quality in VET. 

Contact the VET workforce lab(opens in a new window) to find out more or how to get involved.