A VET system staffed with experienced and well-supported educators is crucial in facilitating the development of learners and contributing to a skilled workforce.
Across Australia’s regional, rural and remote areas, the vocational education and training (VET) sector is challenged in growing and sustaining a workforce who can suitably train workers for our essential industries – creating a need for practical, feasible and industry-led attraction and retention solutions for the VET workforce.
Click across the tabs to view active and completed project stages. Consultation takes place at every stage of the project.
Skills Insight will explore the challenges facing regional, rural and remote registered training providers (RTOs) in attracting and retaining educators and trainers. This includes 13 sectors within the agribusiness, fibre, furnishing, food, animal and environment care industries.
RTOs support industries in developing a skilled workforce that can safely and efficiently complete work. They provide a national standard of formal accreditation and skills recognition to support workforce consistency.
The project’s findings and potential solutions will support the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council’s blueprint to sustain qualified trainers and assessors throughout Australia, as well as guide future research. Further industry analysis for the blueprint will come from the other Jobs and Skills Councils, along with Jobs and Skills Australia’s VET Workforce Study.
Skills Insight works across agribusiness, fibre, furnishing, food, animal and environment care industries, uniquely placing us where we can dig deep into regional, rural and remote VET workforce structural challenges and sustainable development pathways.
Get involved
RTOs that are interested in consulting on their workforce’s dynamics should email Diana McNaughton at [email protected].
Project goals
The project aims to uncover insights into:
industrial and structural challenges impacting the VET workforce
pathways to build a sustainable VET workforce
potential industry-led promotion, attraction and retention strategies.
Project design
Through stakeholder consultation and qualitative research, this project will map VET workforce dynamics in regional, rural and remote areas to understand specific workforce challenges and uncover potential solutions.
The project team will start consultations with a sample of RTO participants and specialist program-focussed providers, who can provide insights into VET challenges and RTO needs for workforce development.
VET workforce research will also include national, state and territory data on demographics, diversity, employment, VET roles, skills shortages, qualifications, regional and remote distribution, and sector information from industry stakeholders, unions, peak bodies, VET learners, state/territory training authorities, industry training advisory bodies, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Jobs and Skills Australia, and Australian Skills Quality Authority.
A review of initial intelligence and data will later be undertaken to confirm and provide a detailed plan for project work after February 2025.
Initial report timeline
Project team
Diana McNaughton
Project Lead and Stakeholder Engagement, Skills Insight [email protected]
Skills Insight is undertaking this project to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by registered training providers (RTOs) in attracting and retaining educators in rural, regional and remote Australia. As the Jobs and Skills Council for the agribusiness, fibre, furnishing, food, animal and environment care industries, we are uniquely placed to undertake this work.
Between October and December 2024 the project team conducted a series of 30 interviews with a sample group representing training providers from across rural and remote areas (as well as industry-aligned RTOs based in metropolitan areas) working in the agribusiness, fibre, furnishing, food, animal and environment care industries. Thank you to everyone who participated.
The insights gathered from stakeholder interviews have been used to inform a report that presents qualitative data on the challenges experienced by participants and examples of current approaches to these challenges. The report also considers demographic characteristics and diversity of the workforce and how this relates to attraction and retention strategies. The project has been designed to be undertaken in three streams, with this report marking the completion of Stream 1 work and identifying priorities for streams 2 and 3.
Alongside the report, a Stream 2 Workplan was submitted to the Department of Employment and Workforce Relations (DEWR) for approval, including a detailed outline for proposed future activities.
The project’s findings and potential solutions will be used alongside work from all JSCs and Jobs and Skills Australia to support the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council’s blueprint for a sustainable VET Workforce and guide future research.
Get involved
Weekly online sessions will begin in April to encourage ongoing RTO feedback as the research progresses. More information about dates, times and how to register will also be provided on this website in the near future.
Anyone interested in the project, both RTOs and employers, should email Diana McNaughton at [email protected]
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Key findings
Key findings indicate that while attraction, retention, and succession planning can help with workforce shortages, there are a number of structural barriers affecting training delivery and workforce viability, including:
Administrative burden – excessive compliance and regulatory requirements reduce efficiency, making RTO operations less viable and difficult to manage. This creates unsatisfying work environments, hindering workforce attraction and retention.
Funding constraints – inconsistent and unpredictable funding models increase the difficulties for RTOS to invest in long term workforce development and training delivery.
VET workforce skills shortages – staff shortages affect course delivery, teaching hours, the ability to maintain industry partnerships, and overall RTO viability.
Industry connections – strengthening employer and enterprise involvement in VET is essential for addressing skill gaps and developing clear workforce pathways.
Geographic and climate challenges – regional, rural, and remote locations face severe workforce shortages, much higher delivery costs and limited access to qualified trainers and education facilities.
Next steps
The insights outlined in this report have been used to formulate potential next steps to be undertaken in Stream 2 of the project:
identification of simpler pathways for industry professionals to become trainers
exploration of co-delivery models to allow industry professionals to contribute to training while remaining in their industry
identification of structured pathways for enterprises to engage with RTOs
identification of potential methods to ease the administrative burden on RTOs
stakeholder engagement with industry, RTOs, unions and local governments to co-design pilot delivery models
identification of two to three regions to pilot solutions in Stream 3 with the aim of demonstrating successful industry-led workforce solutions.
Project goals
The project aims to uncover insights into:
industrial and structural challenges impacting the VET workforce
pathways to build a sustainable VET workforce
potential industry-led promotion, attraction and retention strategies.
Project timeline
Stream 1
September 2024 – February 2025 Initial research and consultations
Stream 2
March – August 2025 Developing potential industry-led solutions
Stream 3
August 2025 – March 2026 Testing solutions and final reporting
Project team
Diana McNaughton
Project Lead and Stakeholder Engagement, Skills Insight [email protected]
As the Jobs and Skills Council for the agribusiness, fibre, furnishing, food, animal and environment care industries, Skills Insight is well placed to consult with stakeholders about the challenges faced in attracting and retaining educators in rural, regional and remote Australia.
In the initial stages of this project, a series of 30 interviews were undertaken with training providers, revealing insights into VET workforce challenges and current approaches to addressing them. These findings have been documented in a report along with recommendations to shape future work.
The project has been designed to be undertaken in three streams, with the current report outlining findings from stream 1. This report also identifies priorities for streams 2 and 3.
Thank you to everyone who participated in weekly brainstorming sessions held throughout May.
These sessions invited RTOs and VET professionals to continue the conversation and explore innovative new approaches to attracting and retaining the VET workforce. Discussions were held around the following themes:
Findings indicate a number of structural barriers impacting training delivery and workforce viability, including:
Administrative burden: compliance and regulatory requirements reduce efficiency, making RTO operations less viable and difficult to manage, creating unsatisfying work and therefore hindering workforce attraction.
Funding constraints: inconsistent and unpredictable funding models make it challenging for RTOs to invest in workforce development and training delivery.
VET workforce skills shortages: staff shortages impact course delivery, teaching hours, the capacity to maintain industry partnerships, and overall RTO viability.
Misrepresentation and system complexity: opportunities and challenges in the VET sector are often misunderstood or overlooked. Employers and RTOs alike can struggle to navigate the system, leading to misaligned expectations and missed opportunities for collaboration.
Industry connections: strengthening employer and enterprise involvement in VET is essential for addressing skill gaps and developing clear workforce pathways.
Geographic challenges: regional, rural, and remote locations face severe workforce shortages, much higher delivery costs and limited access to qualified trainers and education facilities.
These factors significantly impact:
skills shortages and RTO viability, affecting the ability to deliver high-quality, industry-relevant training
the role of industry-led initiatives in expanding alternative training models and career pathways for VET educators
the attraction and retention of VET professionals, particularly in regional areas
the development of a sustainable workforce pathway to meet future industry demands.
Findings from the report and brainstorming sessions are being used to inform next steps. Targeted consultations are now underway to explore existing, successful strategies for addressing attraction and retention — including how these approaches might be generalised or adapted, and how the project can identify, promote, and support the implementation of effective solutions.
Stakeholder input will continue to guide this work to support a strong and thriving VET workforce.
Anyone interested in the project is welcome to email Diana McNaughton at [email protected]
Project goals
The project aims to uncover insights into:
industrial and structural challenges impacting the VET workforce
pathways to build a sustainable VET workforce
potential industry-led promotion, attraction and retention strategies.
Project timeline
Stream 1
September 2024 – February 2025 Initial research and consultations
Stream 2
March – August 2025 Developing potential industry-led solutions
Stream 3
August 2025 – March 2026 Testing solutions and final reporting
Project team
Diana McNaughton
Project Lead and Stakeholder Engagement, Skills Insight [email protected]
At the finalisation stage, final checks are conducted and the outcomes of the project are submitted to the Department for consideration. Following this, outcomes are published or enacted.
