Vocational education and training workforce

The Productivity Commission has been asked by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), through the Australian Government, to undertake a study of the workforces in the vocational education and training (VET), early childhood development (ECD), and schools sectors. This report on the VET workforce is the first of the final reports from this suite of studies. In particular, the Commission was requested to consider the demand for and supply of VET workers, workforce composition and workforce planning, among other factors of significance. Although this is primarily a study of the VET...  [+] Show more

The Productivity Commission has been asked by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), through the Australian Government, to undertake a study of the workforces in the vocational education and training (VET), early childhood development (ECD), and schools sectors. This report on the VET workforce is the first of the final reports from this suite of studies. In particular, the Commission was requested to consider the demand for and supply of VET workers, workforce composition and workforce planning, among other factors of significance. Although this is primarily a study of the VET workforce, the Commission has considered the context in which the VET sector operates and the implications this has for workforce composition and development, including, for example, an examination of cross-sectoral dimensions, as exist between the VET sector and the schools and higher education sectors. Key points include: the VET workforce builds Australia’s human capital and contributes to its economic prosperity by equipping workers with the skills that industry needs; the VET workforce also contributes to social inclusion and civic participation; there are nearly 5,000 Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), ranging from large, broad-based Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes to private sector and enterprise-based RTOs of varying size and scope; the VET workforce comprises about 73,000 TAFE employees and an estimated 150,000 who work for other VET providers; the VET workforce includes trainers and assessors, other professionals and general staff; the VET workforce has a greater proportion of part-time, casual and older workers compared with the general labour force; VET trainers and assessors are required to be ‘dual professionals’, having both industry currency and educational capabilities; at an aggregate level, the current VET workforce numbers, profile and capability meet many of the existing demands on the VET sector, however, some clear deficiencies should be addressed; the VET sector requires more trainers and assessors with industry skills in demand, greater attention to meeting changing contemporary skills needs, and a wider base of the VET workforce that has at least basic educational capabilities; a confluence of demographic, economic and regulatory factors will introduce greater challenges for the VET sector over coming years and reforms are recommended to improve the VET workforce’s capacity and capability; and better data, particularly covering the private VET sector, are urgently required to inform policy strategies and assist with workforce planning.

Excerpts from publication.