Vocational education and training, often called VET, is an important part of the modern workplace. As the world of work, and the technology that supports it, becomes increasingly complex, employees need higher levels of skills to be effective, and to contribute to Australia’s economic growth and prosperity. Training and learning is no longer something you do between school and work. Now employees will train, retrain and continue to develop new and higher levels of skills throughout their lives. This ongoing learning is critical to the individual employee, the employer and the economy. VET also provides general education to help people to move into work, further study or work in the community. Many people also choose VET for personal development.
Australia’s national training system is a set of organisational arrangements between the Australian Government, state and territory governments working with industry, employers and training providers to deliver vocational education and training (VET).
Find out more about the national training system.
This section provides information about new events, publications and things of interest in the vocational education and training sector.
The ‘Student Experience’ roundtable was the second stage of the Equity Advisory Taskforce research into the key issues for students undertaking training in the vocational education and training (VET) system.
The complete series of Industry Skills Reports is now available. The series consists of the National Industry Skills Report which provides a cross industry overview and 10 industry specific reports. The reports analyse vocational education and training trends, discuss drivers of industry skill needs and offer a range of strategies to address future skills and workforce development requirements.
The
report examines the perceptions of young people and of their parents regarding vocational and technical education (VTE) participation and the triggers that might lead to this participation.
The
Annual National Report outlines the performance of the publicly funded VTE sector, providing detailed information on Commonwealth, State and Territory operation of the national system, its achievements, challenges and the outcomes achieved for the system’s clients.
The Australian Industry Group is leading a national round of consultations on workforce skills development strategies.
Australian and New Zealand Ministers at their meeting in Cairns on 20 September 2006 released an updated Users’ Guide to the Mutual Recognition Agreement and Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement 
(260.0 KB) RTF 
(22.7 MB).
Under the TTMRA, goods that may be legally sold in Australia may be legally sold in New Zealand and vice versa regardless of differences in standards and other sales related regulatory requirements; and a person registered to practise an occupation in one country is entitled to practise an equivalent occupation in the other country without the need to undergo further testing or examination. A similar scheme, the MRA, operates between the Australian States and Territories.
The Users’ Guide is designed to assist exporters, people in registered occupations, policy makers and regulators in both countries to understand better the arrangements and to ensure that the benefits of the mutual recognition are fully realised.
From February 2007, new arrangements have been put in place making it easier for licensed tradespeople, and authorities that issue licences, to know what licence a worker is entitled to when applying for a licence in another state or territory. The new arrangements cover licences issued to:
- electricians
- electrical fitters, lineworkers, and cable jointers
- tradespeople with restricted electrical licences
- plumbers and gas-fitters
- carpenters and joiners, bricklayers, and builders
- refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanics
- auto-gas installers
A new website allows the user to look up a licence entitlement in another jurisdiction, based on the currently-held licence. The website also has information on who to contact to apply for a licence. The website is www.licencerecognition.gov.au