Skills Commonwealth-State Relations

The Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council consists of portfolio ministers with responsibility for skills and training in their jurisdiction, including the Commonwealth Minister for Skills and Training as the Chair.

It provides a forum for national cooperation and stewardship across the vocational education and training (VET) system and on the intersection of skills and training policy with workforce issues.

The Council collaboratively progresses items of national importance within the portfolio to achieve agreed objectives, outcomes and priorities, including those set out in the National Skills Agreement.

Skills Ministers’ considerations are informed by data and evidence, and input from partners and experts, including First Nations peoples, key VET bodies and across portfolios.

SWMC reports to National Cabinet on their progress to deliver tasked priorities, in addition to reporting annually on delivery of its workplan.

Following a review of the Ministerial Councils in 2022 by National Cabinet, Skills Ministers’ Meeting (SMM) was renamed to the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council (SWMC) in 2023. A direct reporting line to the National Cabinet was established on a key priority within an updated Federal Relations Architecture relating to skills reform and negotiation of a new National Skills Agreement.

SWMC is focused on supporting skills reform including:

• Embedding the stewardship model to deliver national priorities
• Delivery of key initiatives and reforms
• Placing TAFE at the Heart of the VET sector
• Oversight of the national training system and
• First Nations engagement and Closing the Gap.