The vocational education and training (VET) system relies on experienced, well-supported educators to develop learners and build a skilled workforce.
In regional, rural and remote Australia, the VET sector faces persistent challenges in attracting and retaining the workforce needed to educate people. Addressing this requires practical, viable and industry-led solutions to build and sustain 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 One work and identifying priorities for streams Two and Three.
Alongside the report, a Stream Two 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 Two 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 Three 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 One
September 2024 – February 2025 Initial research and consultations
Stream Two
March – August 2025 Developing potential industry-led solutions
Stream Three
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 One. This report also identifies priorities for streams Two and Three.
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 One
September 2024 – February 2025 Initial research and consultations
Stream Two
March – August 2025 Developing potential industry-led solutions
Stream Three
August 2025 – March 2026 Testing solutions and final reporting
Project team
Diana McNaughton
Project Lead and Stakeholder Engagement, Skills Insight [email protected]
The VET Workforce Project is activating development of two co-designed strategies to improve rural, regional, and remote attraction and retention.
Co-designing a Workforce Development Framework
As part of Stream Three of the project, roundtable and networking events were held around the country and online from February to May 2026. These events included sessions to co-design an adaptable Workforce Development Playbook to support VET workforce development initiatives in regional, rural, and remote communities.
The Playbook connects each stage of career development – from mentor to supervisor to VET educator – with practical actions, existing resources and potential partnerships.
Those who attended an event will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft Workforce Development Playbook in the coming weeks. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to date.
Once the Playbook is finalised, it will be made available on this webpage for use.
Stream Two report
Activities during Stream Two highlighted the following factors, which were used to inform the work plan for Stream Three:
the strong success of industry-led workforce development models, particularly where training is delivered in the workplace in partnership with RTOs
that shortages of VET educators mirror shortages in the broader industry, requiring a dual approach
the need for systemic reform to address regulatory burden, funding instability, and workforce shortages in order to improve attraction and retention in the VET workforce.
A Stream Two Report was submitted to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations for review alongside reports from all Jobs and Skills Councils on their work to support the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council’s VET Workforce Blueprint.
A First Nations pilot program is being developed to strengthen pathways into the VET workforce and build internal capacity for culturally grounded training and guidance.
The timeframe for the pilot has been extended to December 2026 to align delivery with community priorities, education semester timeframes, culturally appropriate learning approaches and regional, rural and remote delivery considerations.
The program is being delivered in partnership with Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation working with MRWED as the registered provider. The pilot focuses on building local training capability through delivery of two nationally recognised units of competency:
TAEDEL311 Provide work skill instruction
TAEDEL412 Facilitate workplace-based learning
Nalderun is working closely with community stakeholders to ensure learning resources and delivery approaches are culturally appropriate, while maintaining alignment with nationally recognised training outcomes. Participants will undertake training in a location of cultural significance, supporting a learning experience that connects vocational education with community, culture and place.
Further updates will be shared as the pilot progresses.
Kathryn (Kath) Coff, CEO of Nalderun Aboriginal Education Corporation met with Skills Insight’s Ruth Barnard, Diana McNaughton and Ruth Geldard to discuss First Nations participation in the VET workforce and how it can be better recognised and supported. Kath (right) took the team to witness the grandmother tree Me-Mandook Galk, a sacred site to the Dja Dja Wurrung people.
Roundtable and networking events
The roundtable and networking events provided opportunities to contribute to several related projects and support the development of local connections.
Employers, unions, training providers, industry partners, business support services, local government, and community organisations were invited to participate in roundtables to support this project and build local connections.
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.
