Industry Skills Development Group
Who to Contact
Enquires and correspondence regarding Vocational Education and Training should be directed to:
training@dest.gov.au
or
Refer to our organisational chart 
(20.2 KB) and DEST Contact Directory for more contact information.
Our Structure
VET staff work across two Groups and eight Branches. A brief description of each Branch’s responsibilities is provided below. Contact details are provided on our organisational chart.
- The Public Relations Section is responsible for a range of public relations activities including the Australian Training Awards, Ministers Awards, Worldskills, Australian Apprenticeships Marketing Conference and promotion of Vocational education and Technology pathways at Career Expos and other public exhibition events.
- The Navigation Projects Team manages the development and maintenance of the Navigation Projects including the National Training Information Service (www.ntis.gov.au), the Training Portal (www.training.com.au), and Resource Generator (www.resourcegenerator.gov.au). It does so on behalf of DEST and the VET sector.
- The VET Client Information Section provides information on Australian Government policies and programs in the vocation education and technology sector to its clients - the Australian Apprenticeships Centres, potential apprentices and employers, State and Territory Governments and the sector at large. The section provides communications support to the VET Groups in terms of assistance in developing communication and information products. Lastly, the section manages the Australian Apprenticeship website and ensures that all AACs have appropriate information products and branding.
- The ICT Policy Section is responsible for developing ICT policy in the vocational education sector. This role includes providing policy advice on e-learning and copyright issues and management of the TVET Australia one-stop shop (for the discovery and licensing of training materials, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, and the Institute for Trade Skills Excellence).
- The Adult Literacy Policy Section is responsible for coordinating and providing policy advice on adult language and literacy, and Adult Community Education (ACE); and manages both the Adult Literacy National Project and the Workplace English Language and Literacy
(WELL) programme.
- The Literacy and Numeracy Section is responsible for managing and providing policy advice on the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Programme (LLNP).
- The Client Pathways Section is responsible for access and equity policy and programmes in VET, particularly for Indigenous people and people with a Disability.
- The Quality Assurance Section is responsible for policy development, advice, research and analysis related to quality assurance strategies for vocational and technical training, including the Australian Qualifications Framework, the Australian Quality Training Framework and VET workforce development. The Section will also provide ministerial and high level support for the National Quality Agency and National Industry Skills Council.
- The Industry Skills Councils and Training Packages Policy Section is responsible for Industry Skills Council management and provides policy advice and analysis on issues relating to training packages, including employability skills and implementing the Review of Training Packages.
- The Industry Skills Councils and Licensing Section is responsible for Industry Skills Council management and provides policy advice and analysis on issues relating to licensing and recognition of prior learning.
- The Industry Skills Section is responsible for producing the National Skills Reports and analysing skills information and data.
- The Skills Initiatives Section is responsible for managing the National Skills Shortages Strategy (NSSS), Commonwealth-State Skills Initiatives and initiatives related to meeting skills needs.
- The Industry Liaison Section provides policy and strategic advice relating to aspects of the vocational education and training system, including on industrial relations issues, gained through liaison with key industry stakeholders and other Government Departments.