Recognising that a robust qualifications system is crucial to workforce development and a resilient economy, in 2024 the Skills Ministers established the Qualification Reform Design Group to undertake Qualification Reform.
With agreement from all Skills Ministers, the Qualification Reform Design Group asked Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) to ‘be a co-designer and co-owner of reform as well as the main driver of implementation’.
Each JSC undertook a categorisation project to test the design group’s purpose-led approach to VET qualification design on a selection of existing qualifications within the industries they support. Some JSCs, including Skills Insight, undertook demonstration projects to show how qualification reform could be achieved, and collaborated to identify the commonalities between them.
Skills Insight’s final report about this work was submitted to the Qualification Reform Design Group in September 2024. Information from reports submitted by the JSCs was then used to inform final advice to the Skills Ministers, who agreed to the new approach to VET qualifications design.
‘Skills Insight welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the qualifications reform process. It is important that qualifications are responsive, agile and flexible to address the evolving needs of the workforce, and that they are also attractive to deliver. Our industry needs the support of a wide range of training organisations to skill people and provide the knowledge needed for success in their chosen occupations and beyond.’
Michael Hartman, CEO of Skills Insight, 2024
Proposed purpose-based approach
In its initial advice to Skills Ministers the Qualification Reform Design Group acknowledged that a ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t work for qualification design, proposing a system in which qualifications are recognised as having three distinct purposes. In their Final Report they outline a refined approach that recognises a ‘continuum of purposes informed by three archetypes’:

Purpose 1 – Occupation
Qualifications leading to a specific occupation (for example a licensed trade).

Purpose 2 – Industry
Qualifications to prepare learners for multiple occupations within an industry.

Purpose 3 – Vocational Learning and Cross-sectoral
Qualifications that develop cross-sectoral or foundation skills and knowledge which may be applied across industries or lead to tertiary education and training pathways.
Timeline
March 2024
Publication of Qualification Reform Design Group’s advice to Skills Ministers
April 2024
JSC Network, DEWR and Design Group workshop
June – September 2024
All JSCs undertake Categorisation projects and select JSCs undertake Demonstration projects
September 2024
JSC submit project findings to DEWR
End of 2024 / Early 2025
Design Group refines new model and timeline based on JSC findings