The National Skills Agreement (the Agreement) [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 154.154] is a 5-year joint agreement between the Commonwealth, states and territories to strengthen the vocational education and training (VET) sector and will commence 1 January 2024. The Agreement will: deliver a national vocational education and training (VET) system that provides high quality, responsive and accessible education and training to boost productivity; support Australians to obtain the skills and capabilities they need to obtain well-paid, secure jobs; and ensure Australia has the skilled workforce it needs now and into the future, with technical and further education institutes (TAFE) at the heart of the VET sector.
The Agreement also represents a fundamental shift in the way that governments work together to address shared challenges and capitalise on shared opportunities in the VET system. A new stewardship model will support governments to work collaboratively and purposefully towards national priorities, while preserving flexibility to align local skills supply with demand.
National priorities are areas where governments have agreed require focused effort to address critical skills and workforce shortages. The agreed inaugural national priorities are: gender equality; Closing the Gap; supporting the Net Zero transformation; sustaining essential care services; developing Australia's sovereign capability and food security; ensuring Australia's digital and technology capability; and delivering reforms to improve the regulation of VET qualifications and quality. The Agreement gives effect to National Cabinet's vision statement and guiding principles on longer-term VET reform. The National Cabinet endorsed the Agreement on 16 October 2023.
The factsheets are: Overview of the new National Skills Agreement: reforming the national VET system; Stewardship in the National Skills Agreement: governments working collaboratively and purposefully to address Australia's skills needs; TAFE Centres of Excellence: nationally networked collaboration in critical sectors; Measures to strengthen the VET workforce: building a high quality and sustainable vocational education and training workforce; National TAFE network: fostering collaboration among TAFE teachers and administrators and enhancing teaching and learning; Closing the Gap: achieving better outcomes for First Nations people in the VET sector; Improved completions - especially for priority groups: helping more students to complete their qualifications or courses; Ensuring access to foundation skills training: more Australian adults will have the opportunity to develop literacy and numeracy skills; and Enhanced VET data and evidence: streamlining and sharing data to strengthen the VET system.
Edited excerpts from publisher's website and publications.
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