Overview
Australian secondary school students can undertake VET while studying their Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. This allows them to develop work relevant skills and provides additional pathways to further education and work. VET also supplies the labour market with graduates who have skills and experience employers value.
Recent reviews have revealed opportunities to improve VET for secondary students, including by addressing concerns around inconsistent quality, industry value, and limitations of current data collections.
To support improvements, national consultation will be undertaken to inform the development of a National VET for Secondary Students Strategy (National Strategy).
The first phase of consultation will start in February 2022. It will seek the views of industry representatives and employers on how to shape the National Strategy and make sure it aligns with their expectations and needs.
Other key stakeholders, such as RTOs, schools and students, will also be consulted.
How to get involved
Feedback forms
We want to understand what stakeholders think about VET for secondary students and the opportunities to strengthen it, starting with industry representatives and employers.
Two feedback forms have been developed for:
- industry representatives and employers (now closed)
- other stakeholders, such as RTOs and schools.
These feedback forms outline some of the key challenges and issues identified with VET for secondary students based on previous reviews. They include questions to help facilitate input on how to improve VET for secondary students and how to shape the National Strategy.
We encourage you to complete the feedback form relevant to you and share your views.
Other ways to get involved
There will be opportunities for a range of stakeholders to get involved in 2022.
We encourage you to register for email updates about upcoming consultation opportunities.
Background
The Heads of Agreement for Skills Reform outlines the required changes to the VET system so that Australians can access high quality and relevant training. The priorities in the Agreement aim to ensure the VET system is delivering for students, and employers and equipping Australians with the skills they need for emerging jobs.
Among the Heads of Agreement priorities are several initiatives aimed at strengthening VET pathways for secondary students and improving the quality and vocational relevance of VET delivered to those students.
Extensive work already undertaken, including the Senior Secondary Pathways and Strengthening Skills Reviews, has helped to develop a shared understanding of the issues across the delivery of VET to secondary students.
Consultation will focus on solutions to these issues and capturing input to the National Strategy from industry groups, employers, peak bodies, and education and skills sectors.