On 1 August, the Victorian TAFE Association (VTA) provided a submission into the Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee’s inquiry into student pathways to in-demand industries.
The purpose of this inquiry is to identify how best to guide and support students into in-demand industries that are critical to Victoria’s economic future. It focuses on improving pathways and support for priority cohorts – including regional students, female students wanting to work in male-dominated industries and students facing disadvantage.
Our submission put forward 19 practical recommendations focused on attracting and retaining students at TAFE and in in-demand industries.
Victoria is facing workforce challenges in in-demand industries
Victoria is facing growing workforce shortages across sectors critical to our economic future. At the same time, there is the challenge of building a more diverse workforce, one that better reflects our communities and taps into the full productivity potential of our population.
The 2024 Victoria Skills Plan highlighted that by 2034, Victoria is forecasted to require over 1.4 million new jobs (1). 80% of these future jobs are attainable via TAFE pathways (2).
There is no silver bullet to building an efficient skills pipeline
The reasons students do not complete, or do not pursue, pathways to in-demand industries in the first place are complex and diverse. They are often shaped by unique circumstances that can be outside of the student’s control. First Nations learners, women, and people in rural and remote communities may also experience additional challenges that can impact participation and completion.
There is no silver bullet, but by making pathways more attractive, accessible, and supported, we can encourage participation, increase completion rates, and close skills gaps.
To meet skills shortages, we must take a broad definition of ‘student’
To build a strong and sustainable pipeline into in-demand industries, we propose that the definition of ‘student’ must be broad in scope and go beyond secondary school leavers. While school-based career advice and support remain important, they are not the solution to the immediate workforce shortages facing Victoria’s in-demand industries.
Even with effective guidance, a year 10 student in 2025 is unlikely to enter the workforce before 2031. School students can help future-proof our workforce, but they cannot meet today’s demand.
Addressing current shortages requires a broader and more inclusive approach to student attraction. This should actively include adults already in the workforce seeking to upskill or reskill, as well as those re-entering the workforce after time away. Encouraging these cohorts into TAFE is essential if we are to meet the workforce demands of in-demand industries.
Our recommendations focus on attracting and retaining students in the pipeline
To address skills challenges we need to consider the drivers of student attraction, retention, and conversion at all stages – from schooling through to TAFE and training pathways, and into industry.
Our recommendations address how to bring students into the pipeline from other industries and those looking to return to work. An efficient pipeline is one that has strong retention, where students remain engaged through training and continue onto sustained employment. It should also support continued upskilling and reskilling to maintain skills currency or enable transfer to new areas or roles within industry.
Our conceptual model (see below) provides a visual representation what a high-performing pipeline to in-demand industries looks like. Drawing on research into the underlying causes of workforce shortages, and the various services that support retention and conversion, we provide recommendations across all elements of this framework to optimise all stages from attraction to TAFE through to retention in industry.
Figure 1. End-to-end learner cycle to in-demand industries
All parts of the system must be aligned
The pipeline of students and workers required to meet workforce shortages in in-demand and growing industries cannot be achieved by adjusting any single element of the system. Success requires shared responsibility across schools, TAFE, Government, and industry to ensure coordinated and aligned efforts.
Critically, industries that are in-demand must be viewed as a desirable destination by potential students with good pay and good working conditions, where workers are supported to stay in those industries and thrive.
19 recommendations to support a ‘whole of system’ approach
Supported by our conceptual model, research, data and consultation with our members, we have proposed a set of recommendations to ensure Victoria has a sustainable pipeline of future-ready workers equipped to meet Victoria’s most critical needs.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be highlighting key elements of our submission, to build a discussion on how all parts of the system can align to support student attraction, conversion and retention in our skills pipeline. We’ll take a deep dive into:
- What are some of the biggest barriers to going to TAFE?
- What drives workforce shortages?
- What role can industry play in supporting student pathways?
For those who can’t wait, you can read our full submission here.
VTA Recommendations
References
- Victorian Skills Authority, workforce summary. Employment projections for the next three and ten years by region, industry, and occupation. 2025.
- Australian Government, Labour Market Insights, now https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/occupation-and-industry-profiles