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A short history of Australian VET

From the Kangan reforms to the revised Standards for RTOs - how vocational education and training in Australia became the system it is today.

Australian VET has been shaped by half a century of reform - each wave responding to the same enduring question: how do we guarantee quality at scale?

1974

The Kangan Report

The landmark review reframes technical education around the needs of the individual learner, laying the philosophical foundation for modern TAFE.

1992

ANTA & the national system

The Australian National Training Authority is established, beginning the shift to a national, competency-based training framework.

1998

The AQTF

The Australian Quality Training Framework introduces nationally consistent standards for registering and auditing training organisations.

2011

ASQA is established

Under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act, ASQA becomes the national regulator, replacing most state bodies.

2015

Standards for RTOs 2015

A new, outcomes-focused set of standards raises the bar on trainer competency, assessment validation and marketing integrity.

2023

The National Skills Agreement

Commonwealth and states commit billions to fee-free TAFE and a renewed focus on workforce-relevant qualifications.

2026

The revised Standards

The most significant reframing in a decade shifts the evidentiary burden toward demonstrated learner outcomes - the story we are living now.