Vocational education for regional health: the role of training in economic transitions

Vocational education has a crucial role in regional labour markets, providing skills to meet local employment demand. In many regional areas of Australia, there has been a transition in employment from manufacturing and agriculture to service industries. The increase in employment has been most evident in the health and community services sector and particularly in care-based occupations, which has also changed the composition of regional labour forces. Using a political economy of skills conceptualisation, this article provides insights into the role of in-region vocational education providers in connecting communities to employment in emerging industries during these transitions. Vocational education is essential in navigating these various trends and transitions within communities, which underscores the critiques of competitive policy agendas in the provision of regional training.