VET Dictionary
| AAC | Austrailan Apprenticeship Centre | Provides information to job seekers on careers, apprenticeships and traineeships, training and career pathways and Government initiatives to assist job seekers into training. |
| ABS | Australian Bureau of Statistics | Australia's official statistical organisation has a key central role in expanding and improving the range of statistics available on the performance of our economy, the well-being of our population, the condition of our environment, and the challenges faced by our regional and remote communities. |
| ANZSIC | Australian New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification | The Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) has been developed for use in both countries for the production and analysis of industry statistics. |
| AQF | Australian Qualifications Framework | The Australian Qualifications Framework (commonly known as the AQF) is a unified system of national qualifications in schools, vocational education and training (TAFEs and private providers) and the higher education sector (mainly universities). |
| AQTF | Australia Quality Training Framework | The Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) provides the basis for Australia’s nationally consistent, high quality vocational education and training system. There are two sets of standards under the AQTF: 1. Standards for Registered Training Organisations, and 2. Standards for State and Territory Registering/Course Accrediting Bodies |
| AVETRA | Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association | AVETRA is Australia's only national, independent association for research in vocational education and training, brings together research stakeholders and researchers from the TAFE, university, industry and government sectors. |
| COAG | Council of Australian Governments | COAG is the peak intergovernmental forum in Australia, comprising the Prime Minister, State Premiers, Territory Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). |
| CRICOS | Commonwealth Register of Insitutions and Courses for Oveseas Students | |
| DEEWR | Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations | |
| EBPPP | Enterprise Based Productivity Places Program | The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, has announced that up to $25 million will be provided to fund Enterprise Based Productivity Places Program (EBPPP) training for existing workers. The EBPPP builds on the successful National Enterprise Productivity Places Program trials conducted in 2008 and 2009. |
| ERTOA | Enterprise Registered Training Organisations Association | ERTOA is the voice of Australian businesses and industries engaged with the national training agenda in a constructive way to build workforce capability and to skill and re-skill their employees. |
| ISC | Industry Skills Council | Industry Skills Councils have the two key roles of providing accurate industry intelligence to the Vocational Education and Training sector about current and future skill needs and training requirements, including thorough industry skills reports, and supporting the development, implementation and continuous improvement of quality nationally recognised training products and services, including Training Packages |
| ITAB | Industry Training Advisory Body | State and Territory organisations that provide advice to their Governments and Industry on skill needs and training requirements. |
| LLN | Language, Literacy and Numeracy | |
| MCVTE | Ministerial Council for Vocational and Technical Education | MCVTE was established in November 2005. It meets at least once a year and has overall responsibility for the National Training System, including strategic policy, priority setting, planning and performance as well as cross-sectoral issues impacting on the training system, such as skills forecasting and workforce planning (including skills needs). |
| NCVER | National Centre for Vocational Education Research | The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) is Australia's principal provider of vocational education and training (VET) research and statistics. |
| NISC | National Industry Skills Committee | The National Industry Skills Committee (NISC) is a sub-committee of the Ministerial Council for Vocational and Technical Education (MCVTE). It was established in 2006 to provide high level evidence-based advice to MCVTE regarding workforce planning and future training priorities in the vocational education and training system. In addition it engages with the National Senior Officials Committee (NSOC) on issues of relevance to industry and the National Quality Council (NQC) to ensure that industry’s views inform the quality assurance arrangements for the national training system. |
| NQC | National Quality Council | The National Quality Council is a Committee of the Ministerial Council for Vocational and Technical Education (MCVTE), and oversees quality assurance and ensures national consistency in the application of the Australian Quality Training Framework standards for the audit and registration of training providers. It has specific decision-making powers in relation to the endorsement of Training Packages and other aspects of the quality assurance under the National Skills Framework. |
| NTIS | National Training Information Services | NTIS is the official national register of information on Training Packages, Qualifications, Courses, Units of Competency and Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and has been developed for experienced training sector users. |
| PPP | Productivity Places Program | Under the Skilling Australia for the Future initiative, the Australian Government has funded the Productivity Places Program (PPP) which will deliver 711,000 training places over 5 years. These training places are being delivered in an industry-driven system, ensuring that training is more responsive to the needs of businesses and participants. |
| RPL | Recognition of Prior Learning | Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)/Recognition of Current Competency (RCC) is an assessment process that applies to individuals who may have prior study, or other relevant experience, but who do not have access to Credit Transfer arrangements for the chosen course. The RPL/RCC process recognises previous study by matching learning that has been achieved through study, life and work experience against learning that would be covered in specific subjects or modules. |
| RTO | Registered Training Organisation | Registered training organisations (RTOs) are providers and assessors of nationally recognised training. Only RTOs can issue nationally recognised qualifications. In order to become registered, training providers must meet the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) standards. This ensures the quality of Vocational Education and Training (VET) services throughout Australia. Training organisation register to provide nationally recognised training with its relevant state or territory registration authority. |
| STA | State Training Authority | Each Australian state and territory government has a training authority that administers vocational education and training (VET) – allocating funds, registering training organisations and accrediting courses. The state and territory training authorities (STAs) are accountable to their minister, who is a member of the Ministerial Council for Vocational and Technical Education (MCVTE). |
| TAFE | Technical and Further Education | TAFE is the generic term used to describe publicly-funded training and assessment providers. They are operated and funded by each State/Territory and are usually divided into Colleges or Institutes. |
| TVET | Technical and Vocational Education and Training Australia Ltd | Ministerial company owned by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for Training. The company provides: • Secretariat service to the National Quality Council (NQC) • A secretariat service to the National Industry Skills Committee (NISC). • Services to support the activities of MCVTE carried out by the NQC. • Services to support the advisory role of the National Industry Skills Committee. • An integrated service to enable users of the national training system to identify and acquire training materials, identify copyright requirements and enter licenses for use of that material consistent with the scope and direction of the NQC. |
| VET | Vocational Education and Training | The term used to describe this sector of education in all states and territories. |
| VTE | Vocational and Technical Education | The term used to describe this sector of education by the Federal Government, although it seems to be losing favour to the preferred VET. |
| VTO | Vocational Training Order | The formal training requirements for each vocation are set out in a vocational training order (VTO). These VTOs are developed in consultation with employer groups, unions and industry. |
| WELL | Workplace Education Language and Literacy | The main aim of the WELL Programme is to provide funding to organisations to train workers in English language, literacy and numeracy skills. This funding is available to organisations for language and literacy training linked to job-related workplace training and is designed to help workers meet their current and future employment and training needs. |
| WRAPS | Wholesale, Retail and Personal Services | WRAPS is the term commonly used in the VET sector to describe the industries of Retail, Hairdressing, Beauty, Floristry, Funeral Services. |
