Challenges facing Australia’s Vocational Education and Training sector.

Australia’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) system is recognised for its industry engagement, quality and capacity to deliver qualifications that align to jobs. Australia consistently ranks in the top three countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for adult participation in VET.

The current VET system is working well but there is room for improvement. While employer satisfaction in VET remains strong, it has fallen over the last decade from 86.3 per cent in 2009, to 78.8 per cent in 2019.

The VET system must be improved to meet the rapidly changing needs of employers and businesses so they can grow and be internationally competitive, create new jobs and strengthen their labour market resilience.

The issues are known. There have been successive reviews of the VET system over the last decade, including the 2019 ‘Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System’ report by Steven Joyce (the Joyce Review). All identified key areas for improvements across the system. These include strengthening industry engagement across the national training system, increased responsiveness to employer needs and skills change, and boosting student outcomes through better qualifications.

Increased responsiveness of the VET system is essential in meeting industry skills needs and driving economic growth. An efficient and effective system is required to better drive and understand emerging skills needs, qualification development and training delivery.

This is important because access to skilled workers is a key factor that distinguishes successful enterprises from unsuccessful ones. But many Australian employers are unhappy with the VET system – employer satisfaction is the lowest it’s been in the decade.

The rise of the digital economy and the fourth industrial revolution are predicted to cause major job disruptions. In essence, industry needs are changing rapidly and the VET sector isn’t keeping up. And there are ongoing concerns about the quality of the sector itself, after the rise of some dodgy private organisations offering questionable qualifications.

Employers need to consider how to ensure their teams have the skills needed to perform their jobs well. Whilst the VET sector works to improve outcomes and adjust to industry need you want to consider how you can continue to develop the skills your team needs.

The Institute of Civil Infrastructure offers over 70 courses that were selected by civil contractors to match employer needs. The courses focus on three categories: Technical Management, People Management and Business & Operational Management.