Entry Level Pathways
Last updated: 11 March 2026
By working with industry, this project will define clear entry-level tech pathways that support skills-based hiring and strengthen workforce readiness across the VET system.
Commencement date:
March, 2025
End date:
July, 2026
Overview
The Entry Level Pathways project is delivering industry-aligned profiles for entry-level tech roles to guide updates to the ICT Training Package. These profiles help training providers keep curricula current, boost student outcomes, and respond to evolving employer needs.
Up to ten entry-level pathways in the technology sector are being defined, outlining the knowledge, skills, and attributes required for each. By validating these pathways with industry, the project is establishing a shared understanding of digital skills needs that will guide the vocational education and training system.
The insights are already informing the design of qualifications, starting with the ICT Training Package. The project is delivering a data-driven framework for employers, providing clear direction for training providers, and supporting diverse learners to access meaningful tech careers. It champions a ‘skills-first’ approach to recruitment and training, improving workforce readiness and strengthening industry engagement.
Project scope includes:
- Define and validate up to ten entry-level pathways in the technology sector
- Capture the knowledge, skills, and attributes required for each pathway
- Provide a framework to guide updates to the ICT Training Package
- Support employers to adopt skills-based hiring approaches
- Strengthen industry engagement and workforce readiness
This project sets out entry‑level tech pathways, validated by industry, to shape VET training and support job‑ready graduates.
Impact
- For learners: Access to training that reflects industry change, with clearer pathways into entry-level tech roles.
- For training providers: Guidance on where qualifications and programs may need review, with insights into how industry shifts are likely to reshape delivery.
- For industry: Better alignment connecting industry’s skill needs with training that produces confident, entry‑level talent.
Background information
Eighty-five percent of hiring managers in Australia report skills gaps, and 86% are turning to skills-based hiring to address them.* At the same time, employers remain concerned about how well VET training aligns with workplace needs. The most recent survey shows 66.4% of employers engaging with VET were satisfied it met their workforce skill needs, down from 72.9% in 2015.***
This project is bridging the gap between employers and the VET sector by developing pathways that clearly define the knowledge, skills, and attributes required for specific entry-level technology roles or job families. These pathways are informing qualification design, starting with updates to the ICT Training Package, and supporting industry as it turns to skills-based hiring.
Consultation & feedback
The project is engaging a broad range of stakeholders, including training providers, industry representatives, and unions, to ensure the consultation process addresses diverse needs and perspectives.