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On 12 August 2022, Education Ministers, teachers, principals and other education experts came together for a roundtable to discuss ways to improve teacher supply and retention. It was agreed at the roundtable that a working group led by the Secretary of the Australian Department of Education would develop a National Teacher Workforce Action Plan.

The Working Group developed a draft Action Plan which was released for consultation on 3 November 2022. Teachers, principals, education stakeholders and members of the community made 661 submissions detailing what was right with the plan and what needed to be improved. That feedback has been reflected in this updated plan.

The December 2022 Action Plan outlines both immediate actions and actions that are needed over the medium and longer term in five priority areas: (1) Improving teacher supply - to increase the number of people choosing teaching as a career; (2) Strengthening initial teacher education - to ensure initial teacher education supports teacher supply and delivers classroom ready graduates; (3) Keeping the teachers we have - to improve retention by increasing support for teachers, enhancing career pathways, reducing unnecessary workload and freeing up teachers to focus on core teaching tasks and collaboration; (4) Elevating the profession - to recognise the value teachers bring to students, communities and the economy; and (5) Better understanding future teacher workforce needs - to improve the information available for teacher workforce planning.

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India is a dynamic global partner for Australia across education, research, science and technology. The strategy builds on our strong bilateral relationship and demonstrates Australia's clear vision for the education partnership with India going forward. It draws views from across Australia's education sector and government in identifying opportunities for collaboration. The strategy presents ways to deliver mutual benefits through education, strengthen institutional and research partnerships, and enhance people-to-people links, mobility and employability.

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The Workshop brought together teachers and administrators of Australian Capital Territory (ACT) secondary and TAFE institutions. Operational problem areas were identified and guidelines established for the future development of linked courses in the ACT. Included is a keynote address given by R. M. Sharp, a British consultant.

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The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) and its antecedents arose from the shocks to the Australian economy and the economic restructuring of the 1970s and 1980s with rising unemployment and particularly high youth unemployment. The design, scope and data collection of LSAY has not changed much since its inception in 1995. This has been both a strength - because it has provided a long period of highly comparable data - and also a weakness - because it has meant limited evolution to meet changing needs. The remit of the LSAY review is to consider how the survey has been used, whether it has provided value for money and how it could be improved and made more useful for the evolving policy environment.

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In their Australian education experience, the majority of international students undertake study in more than one educational sector. The English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sector is the first step in an Australian study pathway for two out of every five international students who study in Australia's tertiary sector. Many other study pathways are also followed by international students. For example, 47 per cent of international students in Australian schools go onto further study in the tertiary sector and 48 per cent of international students in higher education had studied in another sector previously. This paper presents the findings of the Department of Education's annual analysis of the major study pathways undertaken by international students through Australia's education system. To achieve this, the study pathway options of four separate cohorts of international students are analysed in detail, with each assumed to be broadly representative of the whole population of international students in Australia. The key findings of this analysis are presented, followed by a more comprehensive analysis of each cohort. Lastly, the appendixes detail the methodology used in this study; and present a set of tables showing the most common study pathways undertaken by students in each of the cohorts examined.

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This report outlines the findings of a preliminary review of the Australian Public Service (APS) Office Traineeship. This traineeship was the first to be established across all states and territories under the Australian Traineeship System (ATS). The first trainees commenced employment with departments in March 1986. In establishing the traineeship, the federal government undertook to review its operations in the first year. In this review, the Commonwealth would consult with major parties on the future development of traineeships in the Australian Public Service, and their possible extension into other areas of work. The review was conducted during September 1986 by a working party comprising officers from the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations (DEIR), the Commonwealth Department of Education (CED), and the Public Service Board (PSB). The review collected qualitative information on the attitudes and perceptions of those involved in the implementation of the traineeship. The information was collected through surveys conducted in each state and territory. As the APS Office Traineeship package was developed over a short time-frame and traineeships were a completely new form of vocational training in Australia, there were some problems. However, the traineeship was seen to be of value in developing the skills of young people and increasing their education, training and employment opportunities. It was considered a satisfactory method of transition into the APS and the workforce generally. Trainees themselves were also strongly supportive of the traineeship, with nearly all trainees believing that it will help them to get a job in the future. Some suggestions were made for improving the traineeship in the areas of coordination, recruitment, the training plan, TAFE resources and provision of financial assistance. Show less

As part of the Australian Government’s contribution to the National Partnership on Youth Attainment and Transitions, existing youth, career and transitions programs were consolidated into two new programs from 1 January 2010: School Business Community Partnership Brokers and Youth Connections. Youth Connections provides a safety net for young people who have disconnected or are at risk of disconnecting from education, and offers flexible case managed support and services that recognises the role that family and community play in a young person’s wellbeing and development. These guidelines relate specifically to the Youth Connections program. They set out the requirements for the provision of services by organisations contracted as Youth Connections providers.

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The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a critical part of the architecture of the Australian education and training system. It defines the essential characteristics, including the required learning outcomes, of the 14 different types of qualifications issued across the senior secondary education, vocational education and training (VET) and higher education systems in Australia. To retain their relevance and effectiveness, qualifications will need to respond to current and emerging workforce and social needs, be delivered in ways that meet learners' needs and circumstances, and be trusted by learners, employers and the community generally. The Australian government announced a review of the AQF in the 2017-18 budget. This document is the final report of the Expert Panel, chaired by Peter Noonan. It recommends significant reforms to the AQF.

Key findings and recommendations include: The AQF is widely used by the tertiary education sectors to underpin the validity, reputation and value of formal qualifications in the Australian education and training system; there are too many levels, the structure is overly rigid and there is a lack of clarity between the current AQF levels and qualification types; shorter form credentials, especially microcredentials, will have greater portability if they have some quality assurance; and an ongoing governance body will be required to give effect to decisions by Ministers on the recommendations of the Review of the AQF and to ensure that the AQF remains relevant, is effectively implemented and widely used.

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The concept of linked courses providing bridges between secondary and post-secondary levels of education or the world of work is not new to Australia. As these findings of the Seminar show, the provision of linked courses between secondary and post-secondary educational institutions is seen to have real potential benefits. It is further considered that linked courses will extend the breadth of general education, and at the same time, facilitate further education and career choice options, as well as being a positive mechanism in easing the transition from school to work and from school to further study.

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