Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Vocational Education Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Vocational Education Coordinator oversees the development, delivery, quality assurance and continuous improvement of vocational and career-technical education programs. This role manages curriculum alignment with industry standards, coordinates work placements and apprenticeships, ensures compliance with regulatory/accreditation requirements, builds employer partnerships, supports trainers and students, and drives measurable student outcomes and workforce pathways.

Key SEO/LLM keywords: Vocational Education Coordinator, vocational education, VET, career and technical education, apprenticeships, competency-based assessment, industry partnerships, program coordination, accreditation, work placements, LMS.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Vocational Trainer or Trainer/Assessor
Career Advisor / Employment Services Officer
Program Administrator or Training Coordinator

Advancement To:

Program Manager / Senior VET Coordinator
Director of Vocational Education / Head of Workforce Development
Manager, Apprenticeships & Traineeships

Lateral Moves:

Curriculum Developer / Instructional Designer (VET)
Employer Engagement or Industry Partnership Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the end-to-end coordination of vocational education programs, including planning, scheduling, resource allocation, trainer assignment, and operational delivery to ensure courses meet student and employer needs.
Design and map curriculum against national/state training packages and competency frameworks to guarantee alignment with industry standards and accredited learning outcomes.
Manage compliance and quality assurance activities for registered training organisations (RTOs) or vocational providers, including preparation for audits, evidence collection, and corrective action planning.
Oversee competency-based assessment processes: develop assessment tools, verify assessor currency, validate assessment outcomes, and maintain assessment records in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Build and maintain strong employer and industry partnerships to create work placement opportunities, co-design micro-credentials, and inform curriculum that supports local labour market needs.
Coordinate apprenticeships and traineeships administration, including contract management, milestone tracking, workplace supervisor liaison, and completion compliance.
Serve as the primary point of contact for students requiring vocational guidance, delivering case management, study support plans, reasonable adjustments, and referral to specialist services.
Implement and manage work-based learning programs and industry placements, including student matching, workplace induction, insurance compliance, and OHS coordination.
Monitor program KPIs and student outcomes (completion, retention, employment rates), producing regular reports and insights to senior leadership and funders.
Administer program budgets and funding agreements, track expenditure, ensure compliance with grant/funding conditions, and prepare financial reports for stakeholders.
Maintain and update student records and training logs within the LMS/SIS (e.g., LMS, AVETMISS, PRISMS or equivalent), ensuring data accuracy for funding and reporting obligations.
Provide operational leadership to training staff: conduct onboarding, mentor trainers, coordinate professional development, and ensure assessor currency and compliance.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives, using student feedback, industry input and audit findings to update curriculum, delivery methods, and assessment practices.
Develop and implement marketing, recruitment and retention strategies for vocational courses, targeting priority cohorts and industry sectors to increase enrollments and placements.
Coordinate accreditation and course approval processes, prepare submission documentation, and manage liaison with regulatory bodies and third-party auditors.
Create and maintain program policies, procedures and student-facing documentation (e.g., student handbooks, placement agreements, assessment guides).
Negotiate and manage third-party delivery agreements and subcontractor relationships, ensuring contractual compliance, quality of delivery, and consistent assessment standards.
Facilitate cross-functional collaboration with academic departments, career services, workforce development teams and community partners to align vocational pathways with broader institutional objectives.
Drive digital learning and blended delivery strategies, manage LMS content, ensure e-assessment readiness, and support trainers to integrate technology effectively.
Coordinate risk management and OHS compliance for vocational programs, ensuring safe training and placement environments and compliance with workplace health and safety regulations.
Maintain cultural competency initiatives and inclusive practice to support equity groups (e.g., Indigenous learners, learners with disability, refugees) and implement culturally appropriate training supports.
Track and manage certification and issuing of qualifications, statements of attainment, and national competency records in accordance with awarding body requirements.
Support funding acquittals and contractual reporting to government agencies, philanthropic funders or industry bodies, preparing accurate progress updates and compliance evidence.
Analyze labour market intelligence and employer demand to recommend new course development, micro-credentials, or adjusted delivery models to meet skills shortages.

Secondary Functions

Produce ad-hoc dashboards, management reports and data extracts to support strategic decision-making and regulatory reporting.
Contribute to the organisation's vocational education strategy and multi-year program roadmap, aligning offerings to economic development priorities.
Coordinate events such as employer forums, career expos, assessment validation workshops and graduation ceremonies to enhance industry engagement and student transition outcomes.
Provide cover delivery or assessment where necessary and assist with occasional classroom or workplace training to maintain service continuity.
Support marketing teams with content and case studies that promote vocational pathways, success stories and employer partnerships.
Participate in continuous improvement working groups, curriculum validation panels and external stakeholder committees.
Manage improvement projects (e.g., implementation of new LMS modules or assessment digitisation) and support change management with detailed project plans and stakeholder communications.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Vocational curriculum development and mapping to national/state training packages and competency standards.
Competency-based assessment design, validation and moderation processes.
Accreditation and compliance management for RTOs or similar accrediting frameworks.
Apprenticeship and traineeship administration and contract management.
Learning Management System (LMS) and Student Information System (SIS) proficiency (course setup, enrolments, results entry, reporting).
Student records management and accurate reporting for funding bodies (e.g., AVETMISS, PRISMS, or local equivalents).
Program financial administration and grant/funding acquittal reporting.
Industry engagement and employer partnership development, including MOU/contract negotiation.
Quality assurance frameworks, audit preparation and corrective action implementation.
Project management skills for program rollouts, curriculum updates or technology implementations.
Workplace health & safety (OHS) compliance as it relates to training and placement environments.
Data literacy: KPI tracking, basic data analysis and dashboarding for program performance.
Certification issuance and national qualification compliance.
Familiarity with adult learning principles and delivery modalities including blended and workplace-based learning.
Training packages: working knowledge of TAE401xx Certificates (or local trainer/assessor qualification) and vocational trainer currency requirements.

Soft Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication tailored to students, employers and regulatory stakeholders.
Stakeholder management and relationship-building with industry, community and funding partners.
Strong organisational and time-management skills to juggle concurrent cohorts, assessments and placements.
Problem-solving and decision-making when addressing student support, employer issues and compliance risks.
Empathy and cultural competency to support diverse learner cohorts and inclusive practice.
Leadership and coaching to develop trainer capability and foster a high-performing delivery team.
Negotiation and diplomacy when managing third-party providers and workplace supervisors.
Attention to detail and accuracy in record-keeping, funding reports and audit evidence.
Adaptability and resilience in a changing regulatory and labour-market environment.
Analytical mindset to review outcomes data and drive continuous improvement.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Education, Vocational Education & Training, Career Development, Workforce Development, Business Administration or related field; or equivalent vocational qualifications plus relevant experience.

Preferred Education:

Graduate Certificate or Master’s in Education, Vocational Education, Leadership, or Workforce Development.
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE401xx or regional equivalent) or demonstrated assessor/trainer qualifications.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Vocational Education & Training (VET)
Adult Education / Adult Learning
Career Development / Workforce Development
Business Administration / Program Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2 - 7 years coordinating vocational training programs, trainer support, or workforce development initiatives.

Preferred:

3+ years experience in program coordination within an RTO, community college, TAFE, trade organization, or employer-led apprenticeship program.
Demonstrated experience with accreditation/compliance, industry engagement, and successful coordination of work placements or apprenticeships.
Experience managing budgets, funding agreements and reporting to government or philanthropic funders.
Proven track record of improving student completion and employment outcomes through curriculum, assessment and employer partnerships.