The National Skills Agreement is a five‑year agreement between Commonwealth and state and territory governments, working in partnership, to ensure that the national vocational education and training (VET) system provides high‑quality, responsive and accessible education and training to boost productivity, deliver national priorities and support Australians to obtain the skills and capabilities they need to obtain well-paid, secure jobs.

The Agreement aims to:

• deliver a national VET system that provides high quality, responsive and accessible education and training to boost productivity
• support Australians to obtain the skills and capabilities they need to obtain well-paid, secure jobs
• ensure Australia has the skilled workforce it needs now and into the future, with TAFE at the heart of the VET sector.

The Agreement also represents a fundamental shift in the way that governments work together to address shared challenges and capitalise on shared opportunities in the VET system. A new stewardship model will support governments to work collaboratively and purposefully towards national priorities, while preserving flexibility to align local skills supply with demand.