Vocational education and training in Australia

This information aims to give a general overview of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system. It focuses on the key elements of the VET system and those parts which impact on licensing stakeholders.

What is vocational education and training?
Training Packages
Australian Qualifications Framework
Australian Quality Training Framework
Registered training organisations
Types of registered training organisations
National recognition
National Training Information Service

What is vocational education and training?

VET is about providing people with work ready skills and knowledge. It covers a vast array of subject and employment areas from traditional trades to the creative arts.

In Australia, VET is governed by formal national arrangements which are supported and enforced by state and territory legislation. These national arrangements are known as the National Training Framework.

Comprised of three parts interrelated parts, the National Training Framework works to quality assure VET and provide national consistency in terms of qualifications and the delivery of training.

The three parts of the National Training Framework are:

  • Training Packages
  • the Australia Qualifications Framework
  • the Australian Quality Training Framework.

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Training Packages

A training package describes the skills and knowledge that an individual needs to possess to be able to perform effectively in the workplace. It is used to recognise and assess a person competence to perform certain skills in a specific industry, industry sector or enterprise.

Developed by national industry skills councils, training packages are comprised of industry developed and set competency standards, known as units of competency. The units of competency are packaged to create qualifications which align, depending skill and knowledge requirements, to differing levels of Australian Qualifications Framework qualifications. Before being released for use all training packages must go through a quality assurance and endorsement process overseen by a national committee called the National Quality Council.

A training package does not describe how an individual should be trained. Instead, a training package ensures the quality, consistency and industry relevance of training courses and products delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs).

It is within training packages that the majority of work will be undertaken to integrate occupational licensing requirements into vocational education and training. It is now policy that licensing and regulatory requirements must be addressed in training package development. This will necessitate greater engagement and dialogue between licensing and regulatory authorities and industry skills councils.

Find out more about training packages.

Find out more about the integration of occupational licensing requirements into training packages.

Find out more about engaging with training stakeholders including industry skills councils.

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Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) sets out all nationally recognised qualifications in schools, vocational education and training and higher education. It ensures the quality, consistency and portability of training outcomes across Australia. There are 15 national qualifications within the framework, including eight vocational education and training qualifications.

In many cases it is an occupational licensing or regulatory requirement that a licensee possess an Australian Qualifications Framework qualification or statement of attainment.

Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework.

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Australian Quality Training Framework

The Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) is the set of nationally agreed quality assurance arrangements for training and assessment services delivered by training organisations. It assures the quality and consistency of training outcomes.

Find out more about the Australian Quality Training Framework.

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Registered Training Organisations

Registered training organisations (RTOs) are the stakeholders in the VET system which licensing stakeholders will have the most regular contact and interaction with.

Under the Australian Quality Training Framework, only training organisations which meet ongoing registrations requirement can deliver training and in turn issue Australian Qualification Framework qualifications and statements of attainment.

Once training organisation meets the Australian Quality Training Framework requirements it becomes known as a registered training organisations (RTOs). RTOs can only deliver units of competency or qualifications which they are registered for. This is known as the RTOs scope of registration.

The initial registration process and ongoing audits by state training authorities help to ensure the quality and consistency of the RTOs delivering vocational education and training throughout Australia.

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Types of Registered Training Organisations

Registered training organisations may include TAFE colleges and institutes, private training providers, adult and community education providers, community organisations, schools, higher education institutions, commercial and enterprise training providers, industry bodies, and other organisations that meet Australian Quality Training Framework registration requirements.

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National recognition

A key principle of the National Training Framework is national recognition. This means that all states and territories will recognise:

  • the decisions of all other states and territories in registering training organisations and accrediting courses. Once registered by one jurisdiction, this may enable a registered training organisation to operate in any state or territory without a further registration process.
  • Australian Qualifications Framework qualifications and statements of attainment issued by other registered training organisations.

This enables individuals to receive national recognition of their qualifications and statements of attainment.

Combined with the current reforms to mutually recognise and harmonise occupational, national recognition allows for a new streamlined and national approach to occupational licensing which enables greater workforce mobility and reduces the regulatory burden for industry and for workers possessing vocationally trained trade qualifications.

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National Training Information Service

The National Training Information Service is the key portal for training information in Australia. It provides access to all training package information including qualifications and units of competency. It also list all registered training organisations in Australia and their scope of registration.

To access the National Training Information Service visit www.ntis.gov.au

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RELATED INFORMATION

Key training links
Information for licensing stakeholders
Integration of licensing requirements into VET

This page was generated on 13 October, 2009