VET Practitioner Education in Australia: Issues and Approaches

Abstract

Appropriate qualifications and professional development opportunities for vocational education and training (VET) teachers, trainers, and assessors are key to the future success of VET in meeting industry and individual needs. This chapter, based on qualitative analysis of research on the development of teacher capability and the authors’ lived professional experiences, examines the main issues and approaches in the training and development of VET practitioners in Australia. It describes the VET system in Australia and the nature of the VET teaching workforce, documents the history of VET teacher preparation and development, highlights key dilemmas confronting VET teacher education and professional development, draws conclusions, and provides potential ways forward.