On 2 April 2019, the Australian Government released the final report of the Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System, also known as the Joyce Review.
The final report, Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System, recommended strengthening the vocational education and training (VET) system to ensure it delivers the skills students, job seekers, employers, industry and businesses need to thrive in a changing economy. The Joyce Review made 71 recommendations around six key priorities:
- strengthening quality assurance
- speeding up qualification development
- simpler funding and skills matching
- better careers information
- clearer secondary school pathways
- greater access for disadvantaged Australians.
The Australian Government’s initial response to the Joyce Review was the $585.3 million Delivering Skills for Today and Tomorrow package. Since then, the Government has made significant further investments and is working with state and territory governments to further strengthen our shared national VET system.
The Prime Minister commissioned this independent review of Australia’s VET sector in November 2018. The Review sought information from interested parties through a public submissions process which closed on 25 January 2019.
The Review was led by the Honourable Steven Joyce, a former New Zealand Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment. Mr Joyce was subsequently appointed Chair of the Skills Expert Panel, providing independent strategic advice to the Government on VET reform implementation.
Further information on the Joyce Review, including the final report, can be found on the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet website.