This communique from ministers was released on 20 September last. In it, they launched the inaugural National Skills Plan. VDC News highlights this plan in another article in this issue. But there were a number of other matters discussed too.

These include:

• Moves to net zero transformation though qualification recognition and training
• Closing the gap initiatives, including “the need for urgent funding to sustain and grow the Aboriginal Community Controlled and First Nations Owned training sector.”
• The National Skills Agreement, and the establishment of 6 TAFE Centres of Excellence so far (We have highlighted these in earlier editions of VDC News!).

Higher Apprenticeships have also been on the agenda again. Skills Ministers have “agreed to establish a working group to consider issues relating to regulation, funding and industrial relations settings and to work together with employer and employee representatives and other key stakeholders to progress solutions and shared terminology. The working group will provide a final report to the Council by July 2025.” VDC News takes a look at higher apprenticeships in this issue too.

Quality issues get a mention as well, with the public release of the revised Standards for Registered Training Organisations late last month. “Skills Ministers also discussed the pathway to a more sophisticated approach to differentiated regulatory supervision in the VET sector by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), with phased implementation to commence in line with the application of the revised Standards from July 2025.”