Australian National Training Authority (ANTA)

The Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) was an Australian Government statutory authority established in 1992 and abolished in 2005.

Its purpose was to provide a national focus for vocational education and training (VET). It ensured that VET courses provided quality training, and that they responded to industry, community and individual needs. ANTA reshaped Australia’s training sector, addressing skills shortages and making sure the skills gained from VET qualifications matched the ones employers needed.

The ANTA

The ANTA agreement had two core objectives:

As the first fully realised national training system in the VET sector, it was a world leader in developing nationally consistent training standards for the sector.

Before ANTA, the Australian training system was not consistent across states like it is today. Qualifications were developed separately in each state, and they were often not recognised in other states. This meant that if you had completed a TAFE course in nursing in Qu eensland, you would have to study nursing again in Victoria. While there was an existing National Training Board that had developed nationally consistent standards for VET, Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) did not have to comply with them. The standards existed in theory more than practice.

When ANTA was set up in 1992, it introduced new initiatives, standards and accreditation programs which went on to form the National Training Framework (now known as the National Skills Framework). These aimed to make sure that TAFE graduates were work-ready, with the right skills for the job, and that they were able to take their qualifications across state lines. It also aimed to improve the reputation of the VET sector. This helped to address skill shortages and improve employment levels across the nation.

ANTA designed and implemented reforms to the training sector by:

Some of its most important initiatives included:

The Prime Minister abolished ANTA on 1 July 2005 and transferred its all its functions to the then Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). In 2011, this became the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

Since 2011, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has been the regulating body for the training sector, supported by research by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).

Higher education in Australia looks much different today than it did in 1992. The high standards and industry focus of today’s VET system can be traced back to these early 1990s reforms and the ANTA.