More Information on Industry Currency
Last updated 27/10/26
This page provides information about industry currency and ways to effectively maintain industry skills and knowledge.
VET Fulfills an Important Role Within our Education System
Millions of Australians access VET courses each year to build the skills and knowledge they need to enter and succeed in the workforce.
VET also creates access and opportunities for people who have faced difficulties pursuing education, training and work.
VET qualifications improve students’ job prospects
VET students gain both technical skills and theoretical knowledge
VET students benefit from small class sizes, individualised support from TTAs and course affordability
Millions of Australians access VET courses each year to build the skills and knowledge they need to enter and succeed in the workforce.
VET also creates access and opportunities for people who have faced difficulties pursuing education, training and work.
Industry Currency Supports High Quality Vocational Education
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) sets standards that emphasise high quality teaching and strong student outcomes in VET. RTOs and TTAs must meet these standards. This includes a standard relating to industry currency.
Industry currency refers to the industry skills and knowledge that enable workers to deliver high-quality outcomes.
a current working knowledge of practices, sector reforms, legal and regulatory standards
understanding of industry changes impact operating environments and service delivery
understanding of changing client expectations and needs
Standard 3.3: Training and assessment is delivered by persons with industry current skills and knowledge relevant to the training product.
Learn more about ASQA and RTO standards Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA)
RTOs, TTAs and Industry Employers Recognise the Importance and Value of Industry Currency for VET Students
To Effectively Stay Up-to-date With Industry Skills and Knowledge, TTAs Need Access to Meaningful Industry Currency Opportunities
Meaningful industry currency opportunities support TTAs to stay up-to-date with industry skills and knowledge, which ensures VET students receive a high quality education based on the most recent practices, standards and requirements. There are several factors that inform what type of industry currency opportunity would be most beneficial for individual TTAs. These include the training packages taught, recency of time spent in industry, recency of industry change and location.
Through research, TTAs, RTOs, industry employers, peak bodies and unions identified indicators that help determine whether an industry currency opportunity is meaningful, relevant and useful.
Meaningful Indicators:
2. There is a clear and direct connection between the industry currency opportunity and training courses the TTA teaches
3. TTAs can actively reflect on the industry skills and knowledge gained through the industry currency opportunity
4. The industry skills and knowledge gained can be effectively translated into the TTAs teaching role to ensure high quality teaching and student outcomes
The toolkits include recommended industry currency opportunities that align with these indicators.
I'm a TTA - how do I use these indicators to help me pick the right industry currency opportunities for me?
I'm an RTO - how do I support TTAs to select the right industry currency opportunities?
TTAs will then use the information provided to select the specific industry currency opportunities they want to access throughout the year.
Recommended and Meaningful Industry Currency Opportunities
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) sets standards that emphasise high quality teaching and strong student outcomes in VET. RTOs and TTAs must meet these standards. This includes a standard relating to industry currency.
Industry currency refers to the industry skills and knowledge that enable workers to deliver high-quality outcomes.
Meaningful Indicators:
2. There is a clear and direct connection between the industry currency opportunity and training courses the TTA teaches
3. TTAs can actively reflect on the industry skills and knowledge gained through the industry currency opportunity
4. The industry skills and knowledge gained can be effectively translated into the TTAs teaching role to ensure high quality teaching and student outcomes
Where you can engage in hands-on skills practice
Where you can engage in hands-on skills practice and refresh your knowledge through interactions with staff who hold relevant skills and knowledge
Where you can refresh your knowledge through interactions with clients, families, carers and guardians (where consent is provided)
Where you can actively contribute to group discussions or ongoing tasks
Where you can speak with leaders, managers or subject matter experts with relevant skills and knowledge about identified topics, prepared questions or talking points
Where you have clear roles and responsibilities within the project
Where you can engage in hands-on skills practice
Where you can engage in hands-on skills practice and refresh your knowledge through interactions with staff who hold relevant skills and knowledge
Where you can refresh your knowledge through interactions with clients, families, carers and guardians (where consent is provided)
Where relevant industry representatives attend the group and you can actively participate in the conversation
Where you can actively contribute to the conversation
and I want a toolkit to maintain and integrate industry skills and knowledge into teaching.
and I want a toolkit to enable high quality teaching and confidently meet compliance requirements.
and I want a toolkit to share industry skills and knowledge with VET TTAs and support VET graduates’ job readiness.
We Would Love Tour Feedback
Share your experience of using the industry currency toolkits.
research@humanability.com.au