Background
Under the provisions of the Skilling Australia's Workforce Act 2005 and the terms of the 2005-2008 Commonwealth-State Agreement for Skilling Australia's Workforce, the Ministerial Council for Vocational and Technical Education (MCVTE) has overall responsibility for the national training system. This includes strategic policy, priority setting, planning and performance, and key cross sectoral issues impacting on the national training system, such as skills forecasting, workforce planning (including skills needs) and articulation between higher education and vocational education and training.
The MCVTE was established in late 2005 and held its inaugural meeting in November 2005.
Membership
Membership of MCVTE is comprised of the State, Territory and Australian Government Ministers with responsibility for vocational education and training.
Current membership is as follows:
| Australian Government | The Hon Julia Gillard, MP (Chair) |
| NSW | The Hon Verity Firth, MLA |
| Vic | The Hon Jacinta Allan, MP |
| Qld | The Hon Rod Welford, MP |
| WA | The Hon Peter Collier, MLC |
| SA | The Hon Paul Caica, MP |
| Tas | The Hon David Bartlett, MHA |
| ACT | The Hon Andrew Barr, MLA |
| NT | Ms Marion Scrymgour, MLA |
MCVTE Meetings
MCVTE meets at least once a year and the locations of meetings are agreed on a rotational basis. The Council also conducts its business by correspondence or out-of-session.
MCVTE Advisory and Support Structures
MCVTE is supported by the following key Committees in accordance with the national governance and accountability framework for the national training system:
- National Industry Skills Committee (NISC) - provides MCVTE with high-level advice on workforce planning, future training and priorities and other critical issues facing the sector
- National Quality Council (NQC) - oversees quality assurance and ensure national consistency in the application of the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) standards and audit and registration of training providers
- National Senior Officials Committee (NSOC) - as the administrative arm of MCVTE, NSOC is responsible for supporting the MCVTE, implementing its decisions, driving national collaboration on training matters and monitoring effectiveness of the system
- Action Groups - these groups are established by NSOC where agreed by the MCVTE on a needs basis and for a fixed period.
A small Independent Secretariat supports the work of MCVTE and NSOC. It is hosted within the Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts and is located in Brisbane. The Secretariat is jointly funded by the Australian Government (50%) and State and Territory Governments (50%).
Secretariat Contact details
Phone: 07 3227 8656
Fax: 07 3227 8651
Email: MCVTE Secretariat
