Australia’s Skills Ministers have identified the opportunity to reshape Australia’s qualifications system to better support the different users of vocational education and training (VET) and their diverse needs.
Demonstration Project
Some JSCs, including Skills Insight, are undertaking demonstration projects to show how qualification reform could be achieved. Our demonstration project involves the development of a proposed concept for a Purpose 3 qualification.
Skills Insight’s proposed qualification reform concept is being developed to consider the goals of the Qualification Reform Design Group and Skills Ministers. It aims to reduce duplication in the system, moving away from task-based units and qualifications with job roles attached to them (where appropriate), and to allow for better transferability of skills and capabilities, with the learner in mind. Our concept is based on research and collaboration with industry, training providers and other stakeholders in the VET system over the past eight years (through our work at Skills Impact and Skills Insight).
Please feel welcome to contact us with any comments or questions about this proposed concept.
Key features of our proposed concept
Recognises Competency is a Journey
Our proposed concept acknowledges the unique roles that registered training organisations (RTOs), industry, and the workplace play in a learner’s journey to competency. Competency has multiple dimensions; while some aspects can be effectively trained and assessed by an RTO, it is essential to recognise that further competency development continues in the workplace, where real-world application and ongoing learning takes place.
Removing Duplication of Learning
Our proposed concept centres around Learning and Assessment Modules (LA-mods), which focus on transferable and foundational knowledge and skills, such as ‘Operate a vehicle’ as one example. These are complemented by Application Modules (App-mods), which apply those skills to specific contexts, like operating a tractor. This approach allows learners to build on their transferable foundational skills, streamlining the learning process by eliminating the need to duplicate similar learning across multiple units of competency.
Transferable Skills Across Sectors
Instead of tying qualifications to specific job roles, this concept emphasises transferable capability and training outcomes. This shift enables learners to transfer relevant parts of their training and skills across qualifications, workplaces and industries. Our proposed concept is built around Learning and Assessment Modules (LA-mods) that transcend industry or occupational boundaries, with the ability to select Application Modules (App-mods) for specific work contexts.
Next steps
The concept is being tested on the existing Certificate II in Rural Operations. The Certificate II in Rural Operations provides learners with transferable and foundational skills required for many roles across rural and regional industries. This work is being supported by a Steering Committee of stakeholders with experience in VET delivery and/or the rural operations qualification. The existing Rural Operations Training Package Project is paused while this work is happening, so that the qualification can be reviewed efficiently.
The outcomes of Skills Insight’s demonstration project will be submitted to the Qualification Reform Design Group, along with the contributions of other JSCs, to inform the future direction of Qualification Reform.
An interim report was submitted to Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) in late June that provided a progress report on Skills Insight’s demonstration project activities. The proposed qualification reform concept and early draft templates were also tested with the qualification reform project’s Steering Committee in a workshop in Brisbane in late July.
A final report will be submitted to the DEWR at the end of September. Feedback from the Steering Committee and other stakeholders will help inform this final report. It will outline the concept, including examples of how it could work using the Certificate II in Rural Operations as an example and recommendations for implementation, such as how the concept could integrate with policy and the National Training Register.
Timeline
April – June
In-depth analysis of Design Group’s recommendations
Early concept template development
June 28
Interim report submitted to Design Group & DEWR
July – September
Steering Committee workshops
Refinement of concept template/s
Testing templates with Certificate II in Rural Operations
27 September
Findings submitted to Design Group & DEWR
Categorisation Project
All JSCs will test the purpose-led qualification reform approach on a selection of existing qualifications within the industries they support. Each JSC will produce a report with insights and advice for the Design Group’s consideration.
Skills Insight is reviewing available data to create a model for categorising each qualification into one of the three purposes. We will then use this model to assign purposes to a test group of qualifications. A manual check of the categorisation outcome will be performed to analyse the success of the model and inform any further adjustments.
An interim report with initial findings has been submitted to the Design Group, with a final report due at the end of September.
JSC reports to the Design Group will seek to answer the following questions:
There is also space for JSCs to provide additional observations and insights. Information from all JSCs’ submissions will be used together to help shape the new qualification model and plans for its implementation.
Timeline
April – June
Data analysis
Qualification selection & initial categorisation
June 17
Preliminary report submitted to DEWR & the Design Group
July – September
In-depth review & categorisation of qualifications
Review & checking with key stakeholders
Identification of opportunities for future reform
27 September
Findings submitted to Design Group & DEWR
Project background
Recognising that a robust qualifications system is crucial to workforce development and a resilient economy, the Ministers have established the Qualification Reform Design Group to undertake Qualification Reform.
With agreement from all Skills Ministers, the Qualification Reform Design Group has asked Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) to ‘be a co-designer and co-owner of reform as well as the main driver of implementation’.
Proposed purpose-led 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:
Purpose 1
Qualifications leading to a specific occupation (for example a licensed trade).
Purpose 2
Qualifications to prepare learners for multiple occupations within an industry.
Purpose 3
Qualifications that develop cross-sectoral or foundation skills and knowledge which may be applied across industries or lead to tertiary education and training pathways.
‘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
Timeline
March
Publication of Qualification Reform Design Group’s advice to Skills Ministers
April
JSC Network, DEWR and Design Group workshop
June – September
All JSCs undertake Categorisation projects and select JSCs undertake Demonstration projects
September 27
JSC submit project findings to DEWR
End of 2024 / Early 2025
Design Group refines new model and timeline based on JSC findings
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