By 2028, 31,200 new workers are expected to enter the education and training industry.
Workforce projections: 3-year and 10-year outlook
Workforce projections – industry
Time period | Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | Share | ||
2025 to 2028 | 7,600 | 24% | 23,700 | 76% | 31,200 |
2025 to 2035 | 55,000 | 40% | 84,000 | 60% | 139,000 |
Workforce projections – Victoria
Time period | Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | Share | ||
2025 to 2028 | 143,000 | 38% | 230,000 | 62% | 373,000 |
2025 to 2035 | 650,000 | 45% | 804,000 | 55% | 1,454,000 |
Note: Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.
New workers expected⁵ by industry subdivision from 2025 to 2028
Industry subdivision | Number of workers | VET | Higher education | No post-school qualifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Preschool and school education | 20,800 | 18% | 72% | 10% |
Adult, community and other | 5,300 | 23% | 48% | 29% |
Tertiary education | 5,100 | 14% | 80% | 6% |
Occupations with high new workers expected⁵ with direct TAFE study pathways⁶ from 2025 to 2028
Occupation | New workers expected5 | TAFE pathways into occupation6 | Available under Free TAFE7 |
|---|---|---|---|
Primary school teachers | 11,200 | Higher education qualification required | - |
Secondary school teachers | 8,000 | Higher education qualification required | - |
University lecturers and tutors | 2,500 | Higher education qualification required | - |
School principals | 960 | Higher education qualification required | - |
Private tutors and teachers | 920 | Higher education qualification required | - |
Western metropolitan (within metropolitan Melbourne) and Barwon (within regional Victoria) are expecting the highest share of new workers
New workers expected⁵ for education and training, by region⁸, from 2025 to 2028
New workers expected – industry
| Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected 2028 | Share of total new workers expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Industry | 7,600 | 23,700 | 31,200 | 8% |
New workers expected – Metropolitan Melbourne
| Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected 2028 | Share of total new workers expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Metropolitan Melbourne | 6,300 | 18,500 | 24,800 | 79% |
Western metropolitan | 2,800 | 2,800 | 5,500 | 22% |
Northern metropolitan | 1,800 | 3,200 | 5,000 | 20% |
Eastern metropolitan | 570 | 3,700 | 4,300 | 17% |
Southern metropolitan | 1,200 | 2,900 | 4,100 | 17% |
Inner metropolitan | 0 | 3,600 | 3,600 | 14% |
Inner south-east metropolitan | -30 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 9% |
New workers expected – Regional Victoria
| Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected 2028 | Share of total new workers expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Regional Victoria | 1,300 | 5,200 | 6,500 | 21% |
Barwon | 590 | 1,200 | 1,700 | 27% |
Loddon Campaspe | 290 | 720 | 1,000 | 16% |
Central Highlands | 280 | 710 | 990 | 15% |
Gippsland | 80 | 890 | 970 | 15% |
Ovens Murray | 60 | 500 | 550 | 9% |
Goulburn | 80 | 410 | 490 | 8% |
Great South Coast | -30 | 340 | 310 | 5% |
Mallee | -80 | 330 | 250 | 4% |
Wimmera Southern Mallee | -20 | 150 | 130 | 2% |
Note: Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.
- 79 per cent of new workers expected for the industry will be located within metropolitan Melbourne, with Western metropolitan and Northern metropolitan with the highest share of new workers
- 21 per cent of new workers expected for the industry will be located within regional Victoria, with Barwon and Loddon Campaspe with the highest share of new workers.
Updated