GOLD COAST | 2 & 3 NOVEMBER 2023 REGISTRATION OPTIONS

#2023NVC - TRAINING THE NATION: TRANSFORMING LIVES

Leonie Davis, Director of Operations, Velg Training

The 2023 National VET Conference is locked and loaded and set to deliver a valuable and meaningful experience for all delegates.

Taking place on November 2nd and 3rd at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, the conference theme “Training the Nation: Transforming Lives” aims to celebrate the critical role vocational education and training plays in transforming individuals’ lives and contributing to the nation’s growth.

Our most loved annual event promises to provide opportunities once again for quality professional development and goal setting, and reflection, fostering personal and professional growth.

We hope that the #2023NVC will also foster a sense of belonging and community enabling delegates to collaborate, exchange ideas, and learn from one another.

Importantly we want to promote leaning into the conference theme by truly celebrating the successes of VET professionals across the country and the sector as a whole.

This year, there is something for everyone in the program, providing a diverse and engaging offering of valuable PD for all attendees, no matter which role they hold.

Through our Content Categories, sessions will be dedicated to the allimportant training, assessment, and compliance topics but also sessions specifically for VET in Schools, Management/Leadership, and our new category: Showcasing (designed to highlight concepts, case studies, or examples of innovative approaches in the VET sector, inspiring new ideas and creative solutions.)

The welcome function will be something exceptional in 2023. In response to feedback, it will be a memorable evening that perfectly balances networking and entertainment. The first part of the function will be an intimate setting so you can mingle, chat, and make meaningful connections while the last hour will be all about letting loose and having fun with games, prize giveaways and music to keep you moving and grooving.

The #2023NVC promises to deliver an unforgettable experience for all, and we hope you join us in celebration of Training the Nation: Transforming Lives.

JOBS AND SKILLS AUSTRALIA: BUILDING OUR SKILLS POTENTIAL HAND-IN-HAND WITH VET

The skills of the Australian workforce are in sharp focus, as the country is in near full-employment and skills shortages are evident in many sectors. It’s within this environment that Jobs and Skills Australia has been established to provide independent, evidence-based analysis on Australia’s skills needs and how to enhance the potential of our population to meet those needs. I am leading the agency in its interim phase

We’re uniquely positioned to play a strategic role in shaping policies and programs to strengthen the VET sector and bolster the national skills system. Our approach is consultative, and we’re engaging widely with industry, governments and unions. This includes the education sector and we’re pleased that members of our Consultative Forum include the VET sector leaders Mary Faraone from TAFE Directors’ Australia and Troy Williams from the Independent Tertiary Education Council of Australia.

Since our inception, we’ve begun work on a new study into Australia’s Foundation Skills which will update decade-old data. VET plays an important role in teaching foundation skills, so we will be keen to hear from the sector as we develop the survey.

There will be multiple opportunities to make your views known as this work progresses.

The research we’re doing strongly endorses the vital role of the VET sector in preparing Australians for their careers. New analysis, released in our submission into the parliamentary inquiry into perceptions and status of VET, paints a more nuanced picture of vocational training than many in the community perceive and shows that vocational training offers a diverse range of skills across many fields of study, from introductory to advanced.

Our Labour Market Update report, released in February, reveals that just over 60% of total employment growth in the past 12 months was in occupations where VET qualifications were the primary pathway. VET qualifications are also associated with many occupations in shortage that have strong future job prospects.

JSA is working hard to build the evidence base on the effectiveness of the skills system to meet Australia’s skills needs. But we will be working with all our partners and stakeholders to make sure we work on topics that will be of most value to the system. In coming weeks, we will be asking for input into how JSA’s work program is developed going forward and priorities for the coming year.

JSA will continue to reach out to our partners in the sector to ensure our work is informed by your voices. Our key projects will be available for public comment on our website jobsandskills.gov.au, and you can also subscribe to our regular newsletter there. You can also connect with us at any time by emailing connectwithus@ jobsandskills.gov.au

Professor Peter Dawkins AO is the Director of Jobs and Skills Australia. He is an Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Mitchell Institute for Education and Health Policy at Victoria University.