October 2025 Policy and Reports Update

Insights

October 29, 2025

In this policy update, we highlight important reports and initiatives that were announced in late September and October of 2025 that influence the Arts, Personal Services, Retail, Tourism, Hospitality and Vocational Education and Training (VET) sectors, as well as the broader economic landscape.

NSW Productivity and Equality Commission – Review of Regulatory Barriers Impeding a Vibrant 24-hour Economy – Final Report

In September, the NSW Productivity and Equality Commission released its Review of Regulatory Barriers Impeding a Vibrant 24-hour Economy – Final Report.

The purpose of the review was to identify barriers to productivity in the night-time economy (NTE) across NSW and to quantify the economic impact of these barriers for venues, events and precincts operating within, or intending to operate within, the night-time economy.

The review recommends:

Improving awareness and visibility of existing programs and reforms
Encouraging participation in the NTE through a targeted campaign
Assessing practical ways to measure and recognise the social and cultural benefits of night-time activity, so these are valued alongside economic outcomes
Collecting data and making it easier for government agencies to share information
Expanding data access for councils and industry to support better local decision-making
Evaluating the six-hour closure policy and considering opportunities to improve it.

Many of SaCSA’s industries, particularly those operating within New South Wales, are featured throughout the report. Stakeholders across these sectors are encouraged to review the findings in full.

Access the full report here.

NSW – The Art of Tax Reform: What We Heard (Consultation Summary Report)

In September, the NSW Government released its Consultation Summary Report, The Art of Tax Reform: What We Heard, following six weeks of public consultation.

The report notes that tax policy settings have been identified by the sector as an impediment to artists’ and creatives’ business viability, international competitiveness and income stability.

It summarises feedback from more than 300 written submissions, along with insights from meetings with over 40 stakeholders. The report suggests that tax reform is not an end in itself but can play an important role in addressing the challenges facing the sector.

The report details more than 80 ideas for reform raised through submissions, grouped under four key themes: safeguarding the sector, supporting artists and creative workers, unlocking giving and growing audiences and engagement.

SaCSA is proud to be quoted within the report.

Access the report here.

The Push – Youth Music Organisation: Young Australian Music Audience 2025

On 3 September, The Push – Youth Music Organisation released its study titled Young Australian Music Audience 2025, which found that music is more than entertainment for young Australians, it is a foundation for connection, identity and belonging.

The report highlighted that:

Cost continues to affect the majority of young Australians, excluding those who cannot afford rising ticket prices and related expenses.
Age restrictions prevent people under 18 from accessing countless venues and opportunities to experience live music. For those living outside major cities, distance and limited transport options make attending events even more difficult.
The ways young people discover and engage with music have shifted significantly.

Interestingly, the report notes that with upcoming social media restrictions for Australians under the age of 16, there is a need to ask what alternative, supported spaces can provide opportunities for young people to connect, discover new artists and form lasting friendships offline.

Access the full study here.

Visit Victoria 2030

On 8 October, the Victorian Government released its latest strategy, Visit Victoria 2030, which outlines Visit Victoria’s priorities and demand-led pathway to 2030.

According to the strategy, the visitor economy supports almost 300,000 jobs, contributes more than $43 billion to the economy and plays a vital role in sustaining regional towns. However, the way people travel is changing, visitors are increasingly seeking experiences that are more sustainable, meaningful and accessible.

The ambition for 2030 is to grow the visitor economy to $53.4 billion, as forecast by Tourism Research Australia.

Of particular interest to SaCSA, the strategy highlights workforce capacity, noting the need to ensure Victoria’s hospitality and tourism sectors have the skills and resources required to deliver high-quality service.

Access the full strategy here.

JSA – Education and Training Divides – Gendered Skills, Pathways and Outcomes

On 10 September, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) released the second paper in its three-part Gender Economic Equality series, titled Education and Training Divides – Gendered Skills, Pathways and Outcomes.

The paper emphasises that skill mismatches can lead to the underutilisation of workers’ full skill potential, reducing productivity and reinforcing structural barriers, bias and discrimination in the labour market. It also notes that while women in Australia are now more highly qualified than men, they continue to earn less, on average, across almost all occupations.

The paper provides new perspectives on Australia’s education and training gender divides, offering intersectional and longitudinal insights into gendered skills, training pathways and outcomes.

Access the full paper here.

JSA – International Students Outcomes and Pathways Study

On 25 September, JSA released their study entitled International Students Outcomes and Pathways Study, which looks at the experiences of international students who began their studies in Australia in 2010-2011 and subsequent years, with a focus on those cohorts who commenced their studies more than 10 years ago.

The study tracks their progress in the context of the education and migration settings that were in place up to the end of 2023. Additionally, it assessed the differing motivations of students depending on their country of origin, the transition through temporary work visas, the qualifications, industries and occupations in which they ‘cluster’ and the pursuit of permanent residency.

The report notes that there are opportunities to reform permanent migration settings in the context of international students staying in Australia over the medium and long term. It found that international VET graduates are more likely to work in occupations and earn incomes that align with their qualifications than their higher education student counterparts.

Access the study here.

JSA – Occupation Shortage Report – June Quarter 2025

On 15 September, JSA released their Occupation Shortage Report for the June Quarter 2025. The report offers a quarterly analysis of metrics derived from the JSA Survey of Employers who have recently advertised.

The report notes that:

The vacancy fill rate increased over the quarter and the last 12 months to June quarter 2025 to 70.6%.
Increasing fill rates likely indicate employers are filling vacancies more easily.
During the June quarter 2025, total and qualified applicants per vacancy decreased, but were higher than 12 months ago.
Suitable applicants per vacancy increased slightly over the quarter and the last 12 months.
The improvements in the metrics, particularly over the last 12 months, are consistent with trends in other labour market indicators.

Access the full report here.

JSA – Vacancy Report August 2025

On 17 September, JSA released their latest Internet Vacancy Index, which is a monthly count of online job advertisements.

In seasonally adjusted terms, job advertisements decreased by 4.2% in August 2025. The report also highlights:

This month’s results show the resumption of the downward trend in online job advertisements observed over much of the last three years.
Despite this, advertisement numbers remain at elevated levels, with around 20% more advertisements in the labour market presently than compared with the monthly average for 2019.
Over the year to August 2025, online job ads decreased by 12.2%.

Of interest to SaCSA, this month’s Vacancy report spotlighted Behind the counter: early careers, underpayment and shifting demand for entry-level occupations. This highlighted that online job advertisements for Café Workers, Waiters, Sales Assistants (General), and Kitchenhands have declined since the recruitment peak in late 2022.

Access the full report here.

JSA – 2025 Occupation Shortage List – Key Findings Report

On 15 October, JSA released its 2025 Occupation Shortage List (OSL) along with the Key Findings Report, which provides an overview of the 2025 OSL results, including a summary of selected OSL indicators that underpin those results.

The OSL provides a list of occupations in shortage across Australia, as well as in each state and territory. It is released annually and represents a point-in-time assessment of jobs in the labour market.

The highlights of the report include:

29% of occupations (293 out of 1,022 assessed) were in national shortage.
This is four percentage points lower than in 2024 (33%) and more than seven percentage points lower than the peak reached in 2023 (36%).
In 2025, 29 occupations were newly identified as being in short supply compared to 2024.
- These occupations include a mix of roles related to health, science, technicians and trades, and machinery operators and drivers.
There were 69 occupations that changed from a shortage in 2024 to no shortage in 2025.
- Among these, 31 occupations were from the Professionals major group, including a cluster of business, finance, engineering, and ICT roles.

Access the full report here.

NCVER – Total VET Students and Courses 2024

On 22 September, NCVER released its report Total VET Students and Courses 2024, which provides data and insights on all nationally recognised VET delivered in 2024 by Australian registered training organisations.

The report notes that the number of domestic government-funded students decreased by 1.8% from 2023 to 1,317,680. These students were primarily:

Enrolled in qualifications: 1,228,110 (93.2%), remaining steady from 2023
Training at TAFE institutes: 633,385 (48.1%), down from 2023
Enrolled in Certificate III qualifications: 627,055 (47.6%), up 1.1% from 2023.

Of interest to SaCSA:

Male and female participation rates in VET were similar in 2024, at 26.7% and 24.8% respectively, for those aged 15 to 64 years.
Most VET students (78.6%) trained as domestic full fee-paying students.
By training package, the highest proportion of enrolments was in Community Services (18.3% or 455,460 enrolments), followed by Business Services (13.3% or 329,835) and Tourism, Travel and Hospitality (10% or 248,480).

Access the full report here.

NCVER – Apprentices and Trainees, March Quarter 2025

On 25 September, NCVER released its report Apprentices and Trainees 2025: March Quarter, which provides a snapshot of apprenticeship and traineeship training contracts across Australia.

As at 31 March 2025, there were 320,830 active (in-training) apprenticeship and traineeship contracts nationally, with more than two-thirds in trade occupations. The total number of in-training contracts decreased by 7.9% compared with 31 March 2024.

Non-trade contracts declined by 17.9%, to 90,665.
Trade contracts decreased by 3.2%, to 230,145.

Access the full report here.

NCVER – VET in Schools 2024

On 10 October, NCVER released its report VET in Schools 2024, which presents information on vocational education and training (VET) undertaken by school students as part of their senior secondary certification.

Key highlights:

In 2024, the number of students participating in VET in Schools increased by 5.8%, reaching 266,765 students across Australia compared with 2023.
Queensland continued to have the highest proportion of VET in Schools students (39.4%). Student numbers rose across all jurisdictions except Tasmania and the ACT, which experienced slight declines.
In 2024, 109,495 students (41%) were enrolled with private training providers, an increase of 10.4% from 2023. Schools were the second-largest provider (72,015 students or 27%).

Of interest to SaCSA:

The most popular training package was Tourism, Travel and Hospitality (56,740 students or 15.5%), followed by Sport, Fitness and Recreation (50,700 or 13.8%) and Business Services (42,120 or 11.5%).
Among those undertaking a school-based apprenticeship, the top three training packages were Tourism, Travel and Hospitality (2,800 or 12.7%), Community Services (2,735 or 12.4%) and Business Services (2,690 or 12.2%).

Access the full report here.

We encourage our stakeholders to delve deeper into these reports and strategies to understand their potential impact and leverage them in planning and decision-making. As always, we remain committed to supporting a vibrant and sustainable workforce across all industries.

Author: Shane Kocass, Policy Officer at SaCSA, analyses government policies, fosters meaningful engagement with government stakeholders, and assists in navigating the complex policy landscape to drive impactful outcomes.