Retail

Retail Qualifications Continuum Review

Reviewing five retail qualifications to align with evolving industry needs, enhance job readiness and support diverse career pathways across the retail sector.

Last updated Oct 2026

Project overview

The retail sector is a major force in Australia’s economy, employing over 1.6 million people. The need for adaptable, multi-skilled professionals has grown as the industry evolves with technology and changing consumer behaviour. However, current qualifications often lag behind industry needs, lacking specialisation and core skills like managing customer aggression.

Stakeholders strongly support this project, emphasising the need for qualifications to better reflect rapid market innovation through a stronger focus on digital skill sets. They also highlighted the importance of developing foundational soft skills—such as cultural competency, communication in an omni-channel environment, managing customer aggression, and effective problem-solving—before graduation.

To address these gaps, this project will deliver a full review and update of the following qualifications:

Timeline & milestones

March 2025 – November 2025

Initial development

November 2025 – April 2026

Public and government consultation

April 2026 – May 2026

Incorporation of feedback

8 September 2026 - 6 October 2026

Additional consultation

Early 2027

Senior Officials check, submission to the Assurance Body & Assurance Body Consideration

Early 2027

Skills Ministers endorsement & training products published

This project will:

Eliminate duplication

in current training products while maintaining the necessary repetition for skill mastery

Streamline foundational skills

so that graduates are genuinely job-ready from day one

Introduce specialisation streams

that allow learners to tailor their qualifications to specific career paths

Support trainers

with a comprehensive contextualisation and mapping guide to ensure delivery meets current industry demands

Technical Committee

Members

View our team of industry and training sector experts guiding SaCSA's project.

James Vial – Chief Executive Officer | Australian Vocational Academy (formerly Australian Retail College) (RTO)

Philippa Mortimer – VET Curriculum Support Advisor – Skills and Pathways | NSW Department of Education – Skills and Pathways (RTO)

Carol Amorim – RTO Manager | Association of Independent Schools of NSW (AISNSW) (RTO)

Melissa Buhagiar – Team Leader – Transport & Logistics, Floristry, Retail and Aviation (Western Sydney Region) & Chair – Teacher Engagement Network (TEN) Floristry and Retail (Statewide) | TAFE NSW (TAFE)

Robyn Turnham – Head Teacher Retail, Community Pharmacy & Floristry (Western Region) | TAFE NSW (TAFE)

Wendy Blight – Lead Lecturer and Workforce Development Coordinator | Charles Darwin University (TAFE)

Kate Cruickshank Yi (KC) – Head of Training | KOOKAI (Industry)

Nathalie Becker – National Operations Manager | Hairhouse (Industry)

Kristy Marshall – Learning and Development Coordinator | Drakes Supermarkets (Industry)

Holly Fawcett-Powells – Education Officer – VET/RTO | Catholic Schools (Industry)

Holly Cohen – Retail Services Teacher/Retail Subject Matter Expert – VET Statewide Staffroom | Woonona High School (Industry)

Lisa Maksimas – Program Manager/Retail Trainer | Australian Retailers Association (ARA) (Industry Association)

Michael Borowick – National Industrial & Work Health and Safety Officer | Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association – SDA (Union)

Document library

View all resources related to this project below. Additional resources will be added as they become available.

Files

Retail Qualifications Continuum Review Consultation Strategy

412 KB

Download

Project team

Graham Megginson
Product & Project Development Lead
Message
Nicole Venter
Stakeholder Engagement Manager – Retail
Message

Timeline and milestones
Technical Committee
Resources