Skilled. Thriving. Connected. positions South Australians at the centre
We're placing an emphasis on learners making informed choices to engage and progress in skill development. Learners will have access to tailored supports and services that help them to achieve successful outcomes with priority skills needed to thrive in the workplace and community.
Skilled people drive productivity and competitiveness in established and emerging industry sectors such as construction, defence, renewable energy, information technology, advanced manufacturing, and space.
Our focus is to see learners make informed choices, progress skills development, gain meaningful work and access tailored supports.
A learner’s journey can be varied and there are pressures and expectations about career pathways.
Whether learners are combining VET with their school studies to get a head start to a career, working towards an initial qualification, looking to upskill, reskill or transfer their skills and pivot into many varying pathways, or re-engage with learning after a break, it is important that supports are in place to assist decisions and overcome barriers to increase the likelihood of completion.
Skilled people - Areas of reform
Career and course information
We will focus on supporting learners to navigate potential VET pathways throughout their journey, and to make informed choices through access to trusted high-quality information and guidance that:
- is simple, personalised and aligned to aspiring learners’ goals and aspirations and motivations,
- connects to further education and employment pathways, including from school and other entry points, and to higher education,
- links to support for aspiring learners who need it to enter training, and
- is engaging and relevant with inclusive and culturally appropriate settings for all learners.
We will do this through identifying and connecting trusted sources of information for learners and identifying gaps in current offerings. Where there are gaps in information or services, we will work with key partners to develop and provide high quality information and guidance supports which assist learners to make informed career and course choices.
The implementation of the new Career Education and Pathways Strategy for public school students will be crucial in changing perceptions of VET and supporting young people to find the career of their choice.
Assessing learning needs
To better support learners to complete their training, we are reforming pre-enrolment assessments to better align courses to students’ interests, capabilities and to identify any support needs learners may have.
Key features include the assessment of:
- suitability of the course, considering the learner's pathway and current capabilities, including a clear understanding of the learner's purpose for study,
- the learner’s foundation skills capabilities, and
- any vocational and non-vocational support needs.
Support for learners prior to commencing their training (including through foundation skills training, personal, and learning supports, where the learner needs them) will better equip learners throughout their training, leading to more successful outcomes. These supports will be made available throughout their training to aid successful transitions to employment or further study.
Foundation skills
Foundation skills
Foundation skills (language, literacy, digital literacy, numeracy, and employability skills) are increasingly required to support workforce participation and mobility and are important for learners to succeed in their chosen qualification.
An enhanced focus on foundation skills for VET students and adult learners in community settings will contribute to the improvement of:
- retention in training and completion,
- workforce productivity, including employability skills, and
- social participation.
We will continue to ensure that foundation skills are available to support learners who have identified gaps in language, literacy, numeracy, and digital skills so that they can access and complete their training through their VET and/or Adult Community Education (ACE) provider.
Learner wellbeing
We will ensure that appropriate assistance is available to VET learners, including adult learners in community settings, to help remove barriers to skill development.
Physical, mental, and social wellbeing of learners throughout the learner journey is central to achieving successful study and work outcomes. Skilled. Thriving. Connected. enhances supports available from the beginning of the learner’s journey through to completion.
We will deliver supports that help learners succeed in their training pathway that include:
- wellbeing support that is comprehensive,
- tailored to meet learner needs as identified at enrolment and monitored throughout the training,
- culturally appropriate training and supports for learners that have been co-designed with learners and communities,
- removing barriers to study to enable learners to develop skills that support lifelong learning, and
- advocacy and mediation in relation to disputes.
We will work with training providers, industry, and employers to ensure that the system and delivery approaches are responsive to learner's needs, purpose, and goals. This includes training that is high quality, adaptive and meets student and industry needs, including for learners who need additional assistance.
For apprentices and trainees, this also includes ensuring that on job training is in line with the quality standard set by the regulatory framework as well as strengthening supports for employers to provide safe and culturally appropriate workplaces.
Closing the Gap
To provide more equitable access to skills development opportunities and outcomes for Aboriginal people, we will work closely with Aboriginal people, their communities and training providers to facilitate skill development that works for them and supports their career aspirations and opportunities.
Skills SA will work with Aboriginal communities and peak bodies to support training pathways for Aboriginal learners seeking to build, deepen or broaden their skills.
This includes:
- developing culturally appropriate supports for Aboriginal learners,
- strengthening the Aboriginal Community Controlled RTO sector, and
- building capability of RTOs and employers to assist Aboriginal learners and apprentices and trainees to achieve successful outcomes.
The approach to delivering on Closing the Gap initiatives under Skilled. Thriving. Connected. will actively contribute to the four Priority Reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The My Training website
CASE STUDY
In early 2023, Skills SA set out to develop a new website that focused on improving the learner’s experience, providing better access to career and training information, and empowering them to make informed decisions about their educational journey.
To ensure the learner was at the heart of the development of the website, Skills SA collaborated with current, and potential, students to capture valuable insights which were used to form content and the platform of the website.
The My Training website is intuitive and user friendly with an upfront, home page course search, engaging imagery, interactive maps and search tools, and an option to save user preferences.
Whether it’s using tools like the career finder questionnaire and accessing information on high demand sectors and occupations to highlight new career pathways, finding course details and training providers to put learners on the right pathway to their dream job or accessing learner supports such as enrolment and course related support and help to secure a placement, the My Training website truly is a ‘One Stop Shop’ for South Australian learners.
Providing wrap-around support for learners needs to be a priority
Skilled. Thriving. Connected. will support learners from diverse backgrounds, including apprentices and trainees, with opportunities for women, Aboriginal learners, and other underrepresented cohorts, strengthening the role of VET in driving greater social inclusion.
This includes:
- working with partners to focus on inclusive and safe work practices,
- ensuring access to training and supports for people that are disengaged or experiencing disadvantage,
- developing workplace-related skills, and
- supporting access to employment opportunities.
Improving completion rates
Improving completion rates in underperforming courses and improving outcomes for learners as a result of their VET studies will contribute to addressing persistent skills shortages and meeting the skills needs of new and emerging industries.
At commencement, a clear understanding of the learner’s purpose for study and the learner supports required, helps to achieve successful learner outcomes, including progression to employment or further education or training.
Skilled. Thriving. Connected. will trial, evaluate and scale innovative and best practice approaches to help more learners successfully complete their training and transition to employment and further education. This includes a focus on learners who are facing barriers and those historically underrepresented in the workforce, informed by the recommendations in the National VET Completions report.
Learner Support Services
CASE STUDY
Every learner is different and some learners may require additional support to achieve their goals. Understanding this need, Skills SA offers Learner Support Services (LSS) to support students who face significant barriers to learning, or who are at risk of withdrawing from their course or falling behind.
Chayla Kaine-Gun’s story is an example of the positive impact LSS is having on learners. Chayla was losing motivation to complete the training she had started, not because the course was too difficult, but because she was dealing with family issues whilst studying.
Instead of giving up, Chayla reached out for support and met with Ms Diane Cooper, an LSS Officer. Through this support, Chayla not only successfully completed her training, but started to work towards new goals she did not have the confidence to consider prior to her studies.
Learners like Chayla do not have to go through these difficult times alone and by accessing tailored, confidential support provided by LSS, learners are supported to successfully complete their training and follow their dreams.