Governments are placing new expectations on education and training in the face of industry transformation, the desire for fair wage growth and the need for higher worker productivity.
Post-secondary education sector reforms
The Australian Government is undertaking a number of reforms across the post-secondary education sector to ensure that Australia can meet its knowledge and skills needs now and into the future.
These include:
- a forthcoming five-year National Skills Agreement with states and territories to lift the level of foundation skills through a strong TAFE system
- establishing Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) to develop insights in collaboration with states and territories to inform migration, vocational and higher education settings
- Funding 10 Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) to engage industry and promote skills-based solutions to address workforce issues, enable rewarding careers and higher productivity
- reviewing Australia’s higher education system through the Australian Universities Accord to drive lasting and transformative change over the long-term, including by better aligning the vocational education and training (VET) and higher education systems.
Victoria operates within this national environment. Strong platforms for the delivery of quality education and training targeted to the future operate through the:
- Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery (OTCD)
- Apprenticeships Victoria
- Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board.
Quality-assured Skills First providers deliver this education and training.
The Victorian Skills Authority plays a critical role
The Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) collates workforce demand and skills insights that reflect Victoria’s priorities and engages with Jobs and Skills Australia and Jobs and Skills Councils, which provide national insights, to inform Victorian skilling responses.
The VSA recognises that future skills and quality learning arise from collaboration. Structured engagement of all partners in the skilling journey (including government, industry [businesses and unions] educators and learners), with a willingness to envisage new learning models is the way forward.
However, collaboration and engagement hold little value if these do not account for the lived experience of providers and educators and the aspiration of learners. This approach is in progress in Victoria along with new arrangements for industry advice which push for future-focused qualifications, as well as broader outcomes for learners and the common good.
Through its collaborative approach, the VSA aims to:
- lead VET qualification redesign for Victoria
- collaborate with JSCs to focus on qualification design with strong knowledge and teaching principles that result in workers who are adaptable and have recognised and portable skills and knowledge for further learning to take up highly skilled jobs.
- develop good learning pathways for VCE Vocational Major graduates
- ensure post-school education and training options build on the knowledge and skills acquired in school that encourages entry to high-priority industries and jobs.
- establish collaboration across vocational, higher education and migration policies
- develop coherent planning responses for workforce supply, in line with the Australian Government’s commitment in the Universities Accord process for better planning and coordination between the Australian Government and state and territory governments.
- support Centres of Excellence for priority industries
- leverage the Centre of Excellence model proposed in the National Skills Agreement to build leading-edge knowledge repositories and develop high-quality teaching material for particular disciplines.
- apply the Skills Lab methodology
- implement the Skills Lab collaborative mechanism to bring together diverse stakeholders to drive shared solutions and improvements to priority areas of the skills sector.
East Gippsland Learn Locals Collaboration
Victorian Learn Local Partnership Award winner – Learn Local Awards 2022
Buchan Neighbourhood Centre, Orbost Education Centre and Paynesville Neighbourhood Centre pooled their limited resources to promote a common regional Learn Local brand, and become a single point of contact for learners.
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