Best Wishes for the Holiday Season 

The NSW Public Sector ITAB would like to wish you all the joy and peace of the upcoming holiday season. 

Despite the ongoing economic and social challenges faced by our sectors, 2024 has been a year of significant achievements, made possible through strong relationships and thriving communities of practice.

We hope these successes have laid a solid foundation for an even more productive and rewarding 2025.

NSW Skills Plan shaping future of Vocational Education and Training

The NSW Skills Plan 2024–28: Building Skills and Shaping Success, released by the NSW Department of Education, outlines a forward-thinking strategy to strengthen vocational education and training (VET) in the state. This is the first comprehensive plan since 2008, designed to foster economic growth, individual wellbeing, and industry development.

Key highlights
The plan builds on the NSW Government’s commitments under the National Skills Agreement and addresses the findings of the NSW VET Review. It adopts a system stewardship approach, emphasising collaboration between the government and stakeholders to reform the skills system and target strategic priorities.

Focus areas
The plan prioritises addressing skill shortages in critical industries such as construction, digital and cybersecurity, and clean energy transitions. 

It targets three core areas for system reform:

1. Funding focused on priority skills and outcomes.
2. Ensuring TAFE NSW remains strong and stable.
3. Local skills planning tailored to community needs.

Strategic priorities
Five strategic priorities guide the plan’s implementation:

1. Align skilling efforts with government priorities.
2. Enhance equitable access, pathways, and outcomes for learners.
3. Strengthen partnerships with industry and employers.
4. Support and grow the VET teaching workforce.
5. Foster system responsiveness and innovation.

Visit the Department of Education website to download the following:

• NSW Skills Plan 2024-28
• Interim Skills Outcome Framework
• Critical Skills Areas Data Appendix
• NSW Skills Plan on a page

NSW Skills List Management Policy updated – Version 3.2

The NSW Skills List Management Policy (Vs3.2) has been updated and is now available.

This policy outlines the criteria used to assess qualifications for inclusion and/or removal from the NSW Skills List and the two approaches for adjusting the NSW Skills List – through department-initiated changes and proposals from stakeholders. 

This update to the policy also outlines the data components that have been enhanced with additional and more detailed modelling, to better support the assessment of proposals to make changes to the Skills List as part of a Skills List Review.

Bridging NSW's Digital Skills Gap

The 20% Alternative Pathways Pledge, part of the NSW Digital Skills and Workforce Compact, commits organisations to hiring 20% of their entry-level digital workforce through alternative educational pathways such as VET, micro-credentials, bootcamps, and traineeships.

Key goals by 2030:

• Add 31,000 diverse workers to the digital sector.
• Increase women in tech roles by 7%.
• Double representation of First Nations Australians in tech.
• Boost participation of people with disabilities by 4%.

This initiative enhances VET's role in addressing skills shortages and supports NSW’s strategic vision for a competitive, inclusive digital economy. Learn more at the NSW Digital Compact website.

Skills Ministers endorse VET Qualifications Reform recommendations

Commonwealth, state, and territory skills ministers have endorsed transformative recommendations from the Qualifications Reform Design Group (QRDG) to modernise VET qualifications, increasing flexibility and reducing complexity.

The QRDG’s report, Unlocking the Potential of VET, proposes a departure from a one-size-fits-all qualifications system to one designed for varying purposes:

1. Occupation-specific qualifications: Maintain a focus on safety, licensing, and specific job requirements.
2. Industry-focused qualifications: Enable learners to transition between related occupations while retaining industry relevance.
3. Cross-sectoral learning: Emphasise transferable skills, such as literacy, digital literacy, and innovation, beyond traditional units of competency.

QRDG Chair Craig Robertson highlighted the need for adaptable skills to support career mobility, lifelong learning, and reduced costs for students and training providers. These reforms aim to equip Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) with the flexibility to use innovative teaching methods and embed foundational skills across qualification levels.

The reforms also encourage industry to develop qualifications linked to broader vocational purposes, ensuring the VET sector meets the evolving demands of the workforce.