Skills for the Future: Vocational Education for the Advanced Manufacturing Industry
Start: September 2022
Expected end date: September 2026
Australia’s renewed focus on advanced manufacturing has increased attention to the skills and capabilities needed for more digitally enabled, automated and technology intensive work. Vocational education and training (VET) has an important role in preparing new entrants to manufacturing and supporting the existing workforce to develop new skills as technologies and work practices change.
This research examines to what extent and how Australia’s VET system contributes to skills development for advanced manufacturing. It uses employability as a lens to examine how technical, digital, foundational and relational capabilities are developed, and how education policy, institutional practices, industry relationships and progression pathways shape opportunities for people to participate and progress in advanced manufacturing work.
Research Outcomes
The research shows that Australia’s VET system plays an important role in developing skills for advanced manufacturing, although this contribution varies across settings. Its contribution is strongest where providers are able to build coherent learning across competencies, support foundational capabilities, sustain relationships that provide access to contemporary equipment and workplace experience, and create clearer opportunities for learners to progress.
A key finding is that technical competence remains essential, but workers also need to be able to apply what they know in new and changing situations. Advanced manufacturing increasingly requires people to combine technical and digital skills with problem-solving, judgement, communication and the ability to adapt as technologies and work practices change. This highlights the importance of developing broader capability alongside technical competence.
Developing this capability also depends on creating the right conditions for people to learn, participate and progress. Foundational skills such as literacy, numeracy, digital capability and communication are important, but so too are access to learner support, experienced educators, contemporary equipment, workplace learning and clear pathways for further development. If advanced manufacturing is to develop and sustain the workforce it needs, these conditions need to be considered as part of skills development rather than something individual learners are expected to manage on their own.
The findings also show that skills development is not produced by curriculum alone. Training package requirements, quality and audit settings, funding, infrastructure, educator capability, learner support and employer-provider relationships all influence the capacity of VET providers to respond to changing industry needs.
The research identifies particular opportunities around stronger VET–higher education pathways, greater recognition and support for AQF 4–6 qualifications, work-based learning and higher apprenticeships. Microcredentials and other short-form training can also support rapid upskilling, but are most valuable when they contribute to coherent and recognised pathways rather than operating as isolated credentials.
Supervisory Team
- Principal Supervisor: Prof Paula McDonald
- Associate Supervisors: Dr Melinda Laundon
Publications
First Author
- Changing skills for advanced manufacturing: How vocational education responds to industry needs. Greentree, J. (2024, 3 Dec) [Conference Paper] Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) 2024 Conference, University of Woolongong 3-5 December 2024
Other Publications
- How education and training systems can support a digitally-enabled workforce for the manufacturing industry of the future: an exploratory study. Laundon, M., McDonald, P., & Greentree, J. (2023). Education + Training, 65(6/7), 909–922. doi:10.1108/et-04-2023-0158
Associated Researchers