We are one of the first Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) to progress reforms to vocational education and training (VET) packages, Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor has announced. 

AUSMASA will apply the Qualification Reform Design Group’s model and principles to redesign pathways qualifications for the automotive sector by examining the 15 different Certificate II pathway qualifications in the automotive training package, comprising hundreds of units of competency.   

This work is anticipated to reduce the number of qualifications and units of competency and equip students with a broader range of industry-relevant capabilities.  

Strengthening automotive pathways will support industry to draw on a larger pool of entry-level candidates and provide better career options and job mobility for learners across the sector.  

AUSMASA CEO Dr Gavin Lind said the proposed reforms had the potential to reduce the number of qualifications and units of competency, while simultaneously broadening the skill sets of graduates. 

“We are committed to applying the Qualification Reform Design Group’s innovative model to strengthen automotive sector qualifications,” he said. 

"By embracing the Design Group principles, we're steering automotive education towards a future where transferability and cross-sector skills are at the forefront. 

"We're redesigning the way qualifications are delivered for a new era of the automotive industry."  

Minister O’Connor said “This would recognise and value what workers already know, and not force them to slide down the snake to start up a new ladder at the bottom. 

“This reflects the analysis by Jobs and Skills Australia that identifies many common skills across occupations and industries.” 

In March 2024, the Qualification Reform Design Group delivered advice to Skills Ministers on how to improve and modernise Australia’s VET qualifications, following extensive consultation. 

The Design Group proposed a revised system that moves from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to designing qualifications based on their purposes, especially to respond to changing workplaces and industries.  

The model aims to meet industry needs, attract more students to VET by providing relevant knowledge and skills, improve the status and responsiveness of the VET system, and enable quality delivery by reducing compliance burdens. 

For more information, please visit the Qualification Reform Design projects.