Vocational Education Teachers

ANZSCO ID 2422

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
28,000
Future Growth
8.7%
Weekly Earnings
$1,780
Full-Time Share
60%
Female Share
51%
Average age
50

Summary

Vocational Education Teachers teach one or more subjects within a prescribed course of study at technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, polytechnics and other training institutes to tertiary students for vocational education and training purposes.

Specialisations: Adult Education Teacher, TAFE Lecturer, TAFE Teacher, Workplace Trainer and Assessor.

A Certificate IV in Training and Assessment is needed to work as a Vocational Education Teacher, a relevant qualification and extensive practical or industry experience is usually needed as well.

Tasks

  • identifying the various needs of students and creating effective learning options to meet these needs

  • liaising with individuals, industry and education sectors to ensure provision of relevant programs and services

  • planning, designing and developing course curriculum and method of instruction

  • advising students on courses and related matters

  • teaching students using teaching aids including presentation of lesson materials, discussions, workshops, laboratory sessions, multimedia aids and computer tutorials

  • marking and grading students' assignments, papers and exams and providing feedback to students about their progress

  • maintaining records of students' progress, attendance and training activities

  • consulting with Education Managers, Librarians, Student Counsellors and other support staff

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Below average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Practical
  • Helping
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow strongly
  • is likely to reach 40,600 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
8.7%
(or 3,300 jobs)
From
37,300
in 2021
To
40,600
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 36,300
2012 35,200
2013 40,600
2014 33,000
2015 30,300
2016 26,100
2017 37,400
2018 32,000
2019 28,500
2020 35,400
2021 37,300
2026 40,600

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 58% of people employed as Vocational Education Teachers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 8 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    More than half of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,780 per week, this is higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,534
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,930

    Median hourly earnings are $47, this is more than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Vocational Education Teachers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,780 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Education and Training
70.0%
2
Public Administration and Safety
5.9%
3
Mining
3.5%
4
Manufacturing
2.5%
5
Other industries
18.3%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

31.2% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

27.3% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

18.1% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.8% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

12.1% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.2% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.4% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Vocational Education Teachers All Jobs Average
NSW 31.2 31.6
VIC 27.3 25.6
QLD 18.1 20.0
SA 6.8 7.0
WA 12.1 10.8
TAS 2.2 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 1.4 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
50
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
51%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Vocational Education Teachers is 50 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 51% of the workforce. This is 3 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Vocational Education Teachers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.5 5.0
20-24 1.5 9.3
25-34 11.3 22.9
35-44 21.2 22.0
45-54 30.5 21.6
55-59 16.2 9.0
60-64 11.7 6.0
65 and Over 7.0 4.2
Median Age 50 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A Certificate IV in Training and Assessment is needed to work as a Vocational Education Teacher, a relevant qualification and extensive practical or industry experience is usually needed as well.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Training and Education VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Vocational Education Teachers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 24.5 10.1
Bachelor degree 26.3 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 24.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 19.8 21.1
Year 12 3.1 18.1
Year 11 0.6 4.8
Year 10 and below 1.3 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Vocational Education Teachers who are trustworthy and responsible, motivated and have good interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 61%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 61%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 59%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 57%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 57%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 55%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 55%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 54%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 46%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 46%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 45%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 43%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 43%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 43%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 41%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 37%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 37%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 36%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 34%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 81%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 65%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 63%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 52%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 48%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 44%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 44%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 39%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 38%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 37%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 37%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 37%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 37%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 36%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 36%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 30%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 24%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 23%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 23%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 19%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 71%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 63%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 59%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 59%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 59%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 55%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 48%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 48%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 48%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 46%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 46%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 46%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 45%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 45%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 43%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 36%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 36%

    Memorization

    Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.

  • 32%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 32%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 30%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 75%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 72%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 70%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 69%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 67%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 66%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 64%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 64%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 61%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 61%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 61%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 59%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 58%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 57%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 57%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 56%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 54%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 52%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 52%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 51%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 76%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 48%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 38%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 38%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 33%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 71%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 71%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 71%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 62%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 62%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 43%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 92%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 89%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 86%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 86%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 86%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 83%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 83%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 82%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 77%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 76%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 76%

    Public speaking

    Talk to a group of people.

  • 75%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 74%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 71%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 70%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 69%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 69%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

  • 67%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 65%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 64%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 25-1194.00 - Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary.


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