Roles and responsibilities of parties to the Funding Agreement

Under the 2005-2008 Commonwealth-State Agreement for Skilling Australia’s Workforce, the principal role of state/territory training agencies is to address, within the national framework, the training needs and priorities of the respective state/territory governments, industries and communities.

In addition to their state and territory based roles and responsibilities, state and territory training agencies are committed to, and actively involved in, the national VET system through:

providing advice to their respective ministers on all aspects of the national VET system;

• providing advice to their respective ministers on resource allocation at the state/territory level, including state/territory VET plans and decisions on user choice funding;
• participating in the processes for the formulation of national strategic policy, national planning and national objectives and priorities;
• consulting with, and supporting, industry and client networks at the state/territory level; and
• ensuring the effective operation of the training market within the state/territory.

State governments operate a range of training services and programmes and also have industry advisory arrangements. These details are available from training.com.au    and the following links.

• Australian Capital Territory Department of Education and Training
  www.det.act.gov.au    
  
  
• New South Wales Department of Education and Training
  www.det.nsw.edu.au    
  
  
• Northern Territory Department of Education, Employment and Training
  www.deet.nt.gov.au    
  
  
• Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts
  www.det.qld.gov.au    
  
  
• South Australia Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology
  http://www.training.sa.gov.au/    
  
  
• Tasmania Department of Education
  www.education.tas.gov.au/vet    
  
  
• 'Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development
  www.diird.vic.gov.au    
  
  
• Western Australian Department of Education and Training
  www.det.wa.edu.au/training    

The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) as the Australian Government department responsible for vocational education and training has the following roles in the national training system:

• providing advice to Australian Government ministers on all aspects of the national training system, including:

- its responsiveness to emerging national economic and social priorities;

- improved pathways between educational sectors through linkages between schools, vocational education and training and higher education; and

- determining the global level of Australian Government resources for the vocational education and training sector;

• participating in formulating national strategic policy, national planning and national objectives and priorities;
  
  
• managing Australia's bilateral relationships with other Australian Government agencies, and Australia's participation in relevant international organisations;
  
  
• administering arrangements for accountability to the Federal Parliament on the national training system, including:

- Australian Government vocational education and training expenditures; and

- the performance of the national training system;

• facilitating, with the states and territories, cooperation between education and training providers in international marketing;
  
  
• managing payment of Australian Government funds to the states and territories; and
  
  
• establishing industry skills councils.