The Australian Travel Careers Council (ATCC) has continued its comprehensive review of the Certificate III in Travel.
The organisation staged the fourth Travel Skills Taskforce (TST) forum recently focusing on the structure and relevance of elective units within the qualification.
Bringing together 20 industry practitioners from New South Wales and interstate, the forum examined how elective units align with current and emerging workforce needs, and how they can better support a more flexible and future-focused travel curriculum.
Participants assessed the existing framework, which includes five elective units – three drawn from within the travel qualification and two, which many participants were not aware may be imported from other national training packages.
Discussion centred on whether these units remain relevant, appropriately pitched and capable of supporting a range of career outcomes across the travel sector.
Rick Myatt, ATCC CEO (pictured), emphasised that elective selection must be guided by intended job outcomes, local industry requirements and the level of complexity appropriate to the Australian Qualifications Framework.
He encouraged participants to evaluate units in detail, rather than relying on titles alone, and highlighted the value of incorporating cross-sector units from areas such as business or information and communications technology to broaden student capability.
A consistent theme emerging from the discussion is the growing importance of human-centric skills.
While acknowledging the role of technology, participants agree that adaptability, critical thinking and customer engagement remain central to long-term success in the industry.
The fifth and final TST industry consultation forum is scheduled for April 22, followed by a wrap-up session on May 11.
This final stage will review the proposed qualification structure and assess how the recommended changes will support students, the existing workforce and those transitioning into the travel industry from adjacent sectors.
