VET: securing skills for growth

Education is at the core of a thriving economy and while Australia has historically had a comparative advantage in its highly-educated workforce, this is being eroded. At the same time, the challenges posed by emerging technologies that threaten to make current skills obsolete pose a further threat to our workforce capabilities. In developing an education strategy that meets the dual challenge of adapting to digital disruption and ensuring our workforce remains internationally competitive, it is important to look at all aspects of the education system, including Vocational Education and Training (VET). VET is a crucial component of Australia’s education system and will undoubtedly play an important role in securing Australia’s future skills needs. Traditionally, the VET sector has been the domain of the public provider through the establishment of the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) system. Recent reforms have introduced competition to the sector, with a view to improve accessibility, transparency, quality and efficiency. In the report, VET: securing skills for growth, CEDA will seek to examine the following questions: What is the role of VET within the broader education strategy of Australia? What role does VET play in securing Australia\u27s future skills? What outcomes do we want from the VET system? In examining those questions, CEDA seeks to assess the current outcomes of the sector and propose ways the VET system could be improved in order to meet the skills Australia will require for growth