Career Development and Employment Services Review

Endorsement and Implementation

Finalisation and Submission

Consultation

Validation Consultation

Validation consultation is to confirm that draft training products reflect current industry needs and workforce requirements, appropriately address stakeholder feedback, are practical and implementable, and are fit for purpose before finalisation and submission.

During the validation phase, draft documents will be available through the consultation portal for everyone signed up to receive project updates and workshops will be scheduled to discuss the changes. Learn more about using the consultation portal.

Public validation begins on Tuesday 4 August 2026 and will close Sunday 16 August 2026.

Summary of Proposed Changes

The Summary of the Proposed Changes describes the changes under consideration for the Certificate IV in Employment Services, Certificate IV in Career Development and Graduate Certificate in Career Development Practice an overview of the project’s scope, including the purpose of the affected qualification/s, a summary of the proposed changes to the qualification/s and unit/s of competency, our consultation plan and next steps.

A number of the proposed units of competency were written using the new Application of Skills and Knowledge (ASK) template. Unlike the traditional Unit of Competency (UoC) template, which focuses on prescriptive, step-by-step processes, the ASK template focuses on outcome-based standards.

Past Consultation

The draft training products are based on feedback and learnings from functional analysis research, interviews, workshops and technical committee member advice. Feedback surveys were open until Friday 29 May 2026 and we thank all those who took the time to provide us with your insights.

We also held consultation workshops to help us understand industry changes, challenges and opportunities, and to identify functions that are common across all/specific settings and potential pathways within the sector. Consultation sessions were held in Cairns (17/03), Brisbane (19/03), Alice Springs (26/03), Hobart (31/03), Melbourne (21/04), Albury Wodonga (23/04), Adelaide (28/04), Perth (05/05), Sydney (12/05), Darwin (14/05) and online (30/03, 07/05, 19/05, 20/05, 21/05).

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has participated and provided their input. Your feedback has been invaluable and is captured in this interim Consultation Log. A complete version will soon be released.

Development

Functional Analysis

Our functional analysis report used in-depth research to provide a detailed overview of the diverse roles, functions, and skills required in the sector. We are committed to developing training products that meet industry standards and contribute to improving workforce readiness by identifying gaps and opportunities in skills development.

Thank you to all trainers, educators and assessors of vocational qualifications in career development and employment services who provided their feedback on existing qualifications, skill sets and units of competency via a short online survey. Your feedback has helped us to understand what's working, what's not working and where things could change and improvements made. The survey closed on Friday 20 January 2026.

‍

‍

‍

Set Up

Our review of the career development and employment services qualifications aims to align the qualifications with current industry needs in line with national workforce development priorities and evolving sector expectations, including significant shifts in labour market dynamics, service delivery models and learner demographics.

Career and employment advisor services include career planning, labour market navigation, CV and interview preparation and guidance on vocational and higher education pathways. These services are particularly critical for individuals facing structural barriers to employment, such as young people, mature-age workers, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

The qualifications are designed and primarily used for a specific occupation:

• CHC41115 Certificate IV in Employment Services: supports a single occupation and reflects the role of Employment Services Consultants who provide employment services to job seekers and employers. They use specialised knowledge to support individual job seekers in locating, securing and maintaining employment and assist employers in meeting their recruitment needs.
• CHC41215 Certificate IV in Career Development: supports a single occupation which provides programs and services to individuals and groups of clients and employers to support people in planning their career and/or locating, securing and maintaining suitable employment. They may work in career information and transition services or assist in career advisor roles in education, training, school or transition work environments. They may have limited supervisory responsibilities in contexts such as employment service.
• CHC81315 Graduate Certificate in Career Development Practice: supports a single occupation and reflects the role of career development practitioners. Practitioners at this level make high level, independent, complex judgements in the context of providing guidance in career development. Their role involves the full responsibility and accountability for all aspects of their work. Practitioners may work independently or in larger service organisations.

This is a 14-month project that is expected to be completed by October 2026.