JSA opens consultation on strengthening the VET workforce

Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) has released a discussion paper, Building a better understanding of the VET workforce, as part of the national VET Workforce Blueprint. The paper invites stakeholders from across the vocational education and training (VET) sector  including early childhood education and care (ECEC) to share insights and shape future workforce strategy.

The discussion paper focuses on Opportunity 1 from the Blueprint and outlines three foundational national actions designed to improve workforce planning and support long-term system sustainability.

Three national actions under consultation:

1. Comprehensive occupational mapping – to clarify and strengthen pathways into and through VET educator roles, including in high-demand areas such as early childhood education.
2. A national VET workforce data strategy – to improve consistency in data collection and enable more accurate forecasting, planning and policy development.
3. An ongoing research program – to build a long-term evidence base around key workforce challenges and opportunities.

JSA is also conducting focused research into the impacts of casualisation, an issue raised consistently during development of the VET Workforce Blueprint and one with particular significance in ECEC qualification delivery.

Given the central role of VET in training Certificate III and Diploma-qualified early childhood educators, any improvement in workforce planning, educator retention and training quality will have flow-on benefits across the ECEC sector.

Providers, RTOs and workforce planners are encouraged to contribute feedback based on:

• current educator training gaps
• regional access to qualified trainers
• qualification delivery capacity
• the effects of casual and short-term contracts on workforce sustainability
• emerging needs tied to the expansion of early years programs and universal pre-K initiatives

The consultation will remain open until midday AEDT, Thursday 11 December 2025.

Submissions can be made via the JSA website.

This consultation marks a key step in addressing structural barriers to growth in the VET workforce and ensuring that training supply keeps pace with the demand for qualified workers across sectors,  including early childhood education.