The VET Workforce Blueprint has been developed in collaboration with states and territories to provide a roadmap to grow, support and sustain the VET workforce. It has been informed by consultations with stakeholders and expert advice from the VET Workforce Blueprint Steering Group.
Key goals
The key goals of the Blueprint are to:
- Grow the workforce: Increasing the number of people entering the VET workforce to ensure long-term supply of staff to support quality training.
- Retain and develop the workforce: Improving retention and supporting workforce capability to ensure a sustainable, highly skilled and quality VET workforce.
- Understand the workforce: Developing data collection systems for the VET workforce and undertaking foundational work and research to better understand the various roles and pathways across all VET contexts.
The Blueprint identifies 8 opportunities and 14 actions to address challenges and barriers to the attraction, retention and development of the VET workforce. It will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains responsive to changes within the VET sector and the economy.
National actions
The Blueprint’s actions are flexible, and allow for responses at the national, local, industry or training provider level to ensure they align with localised and regional contexts and priorities.
To support the Blueprint’s release an initial suite of foundational national actions will be progressed in collaboration with states and territories. These include:
- occupational mapping for the VET workforce
- a workforce data strategy
- an ongoing research program for key workforce issues
- mapping and analysing compliance and administrative burden to inform strategies to reduce this burden.
Governments will also continue to work together through the National Skills Agreement on further actions to strengthen the VET workforce.
Industry-led responses
Funding of $12 million is being provided to Jobs and Skills Councils (JSC) for industry-led initiatives that support the Australian Government’s response to the VET Workforce Blueprint.
This targeted funding will enable each JSC to identify and respond to VET workforce challenges faced by the industries within their remit.
The work undertaken by JSCs will complement and contribute to the opportunities and actions included in the Blueprint.
Jobs and Skills Australia’s VET Workforce Study
Jobs and Skills Australia undertook a VET Workforce Study to provide an evidence base for the Blueprint and profile the VET workforce to build a better understanding of the size, composition, characteristics and transitions of the current workforce. It also considers the key job roles and pathways into, within and out of the sector.