VET Workforce Research

Responding to the VET Workforce Blueprint

Our research is one of the initial actions set out in the VET Workforce Blueprint, developed by the Australian Government in collaboration with states and territories, to provide a roadmap to grow, support and sustain the VET workforce.

HumanAbility is one of the Jobs and Skills Councils to receive government funding under the blueprint to identify and respond to VET workforce challenges within our sectors.

Overall research aims and objectives

The project will run from October 2024 to mid-2026 and will explore:

• workforce demographics and the range of VET roles and responsibilities.
• VET workforce challenges and issues and potential responses to these
• pathways and a pipeline to the VET Workforce and identifying industry-led actions to support this.

At the end of the project, HumanAbility aims to identify :

• effective and specific initiatives to build and develop the care and support VET workforce
• attraction and retention strategies, including for under-represented groups
• succession planning, including for small and niche industries within the care and support sector, and where there are ageing workforces
• industry compacts and opportunities for VET teachers, trainers and assessors to maintain industry currency.

A three-stream approach to research

• Stream 1 (October 2024– June 2025): Undertake industry-specific VET workforce studies to develop a comprehensive understanding of industry-specific influences and roles in the VET workforce
• Stream 2 (July 2025 – September 2025): Investigate industry-specific VET workforce challenges and issues and identify industry-led responses
• Stream 3 (October 2025 – July 2026): Investigate and support industry specific VET workforce pathways and pipeline and identify industry-led actions

Current consultation opportunities (September - October 2025)

We want to connect with key industry stakeholders and VET teachers, trainers and assessors in the care and support sectors, i.e. aged and disability support, children’s education and care, health, human (community) services, and sports and recreation through an online workshop.

The purpose of the session is to ensure our next research streams align with and reflect industry and registered training organisation (RTO) needs in our sectors.

Maintaining industry currency in the VET workforce  

• Brisbane: Tuesday 7 October 2025, 12 pm - 3.30 pm
  Marriot Brisbane, 515 Queen Street, Brisbane QLD 

• Darwin: Thursday 9 October 2025, 10 am - 1 pm
  The Boardroom @ ISACNT, Suite 201, Level 2, The Avenue, 12 Salonika Street, Parap NT 

• ACT Online: Monday 13 October 2025, 1.30 pm - 3.30 pm AEST 

• Tasmania Online: Tuesday 14 October 2025, 1.30 pm - 3.30 pm AEST 

• Melbourne: Wednesday 15 October 2025, 9 am – 12.30 pm
  Hotel Grand Chancellor Melbourne, 131 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 

• Adelaide: Thursday, 16 October 2025, 12 pm – 3.30 pm
  Rydges Adelaide, 1 South Terrace, Adelaide SA 

• Sydney: Tuesday 21 October 2025, 9 am – 12.30 pm
  The Commons George Street, 388 George Street, Sydney NSW 

• Perth: Thursday 23 October 2025, 12 pm – 3.30 pm
  Parmelia Hilton, 14 Mill Street, Perth WA

Register to attend

Future consultation (November 2025 – June 2026)

We will look to partner with key industry organisations to pilot and test industry-led responses and solutions. To register your interest in partnering with us, please email [email protected].

Past consultation: Stream 1 of research

Thank you to all the current and recent VET professionals and organisations who completed our Stream 1 surveys, workshops and interviews between October 2024 and April 2025.

The research for Stream 1 is now complete and report has been submitted to the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. 

VET Workforce Report: Understanding, growing, retaining and developing the VET workforce for the care and support sectors (June 2025)

This VET Workforce Report presents our findings from the initial research conducted for this project between October 2024 and June 2025. We used a mixed-methods approach to capture the data including desktop research, consultations and surveys of current vocational education and training professionals, key stakeholders and registered training organisations.

This report provides a contemporary understanding of current VET workforce roles across the care and support sectors. It offers evidence on demographics, roles and responsibilities, pathways into and out of the workforce, and challenges to recruitment, retention and development.

VET Workforce Report

Care and Support VET workforce snapshot report (April 2025)

Our snapshot report is based on national surveys and workshops with the care and support VET workforce, i.e. aged and disability services, children's education and care, health, human (community) services, and sport and recreation. Thank you to all who participated in our research.

Snapshot report

Timeline