Defence Youth Development
Public Skills Australia is working in partnership with the Australian Defence College to develop vocational training products that create career and learning pathways into the Australian Defence Force (ADF), Defence industry, and the Australian Public Service (APS).
Project Updates (August to April)
Consultation Period Now Open
Public Skills Australia invites stakeholders to contribute to the consultation phase of the Defence Youth Development Project, running from 12 November to 10 December 2025. This phase supports updates to two entry-level qualifications and the creation of a new Skill Set in the DEF Defence Training Package:
- DEF10126 Certificate I in Defence Skills
- DEF20326 Certificate II in Defence Skills
- DEFSS00049 Foundational Military Skill Set
These qualifications provide foundational employability and life skills for young Australians, particularly those participating in VET in Schools, Cadets, and other youth development programs. They support pathways into Defence, the Defence industry, and broader public sector roles.
Summary of updates
The summary of changes to these qualifications include:
- Redesign of packaging rules to increase flexibility of qualification
- Update of packaging rules to include tactile learning skills for student engagement
- Inclusion of graduate statements
- Update of qualification to the 2025 template
The Certificate I in Defence Skills provides a pathway to build a learner's knowledge and awareness of foundation skills applicable to the Defence working environment.
Updates to the Certificate I include:
- Updating superseded units
- Removal of prohibitive electives
- Inclusion of new units to meet industry needs and improve learner engagement
The Certificate II in Defence Skills is a mixed-purpose qualification that supports both pathways and occupational outcomes within Defence or the broader public sector. It focuses on future skills needs, cross-sector employability, and learner engagement.
Changes to this qualification include:
- Removal of units directly aligning to military operational readiness
- Inclusion of broad, entry-level electives to address Defence and public sector skills needs
- New qualification title to reflect contemporary qualification use.
DEFSS00049 Foundational Military Skill Set has been developed to compile the military foundational units previously packaged within DEF21115 Certificate II in Military Skills. This Skill Set aligns to the foundational competencies acquired by recruits during their initial military training.
Stakeholders are encouraged to:
🔹 Request Draft documents | Register for consultation sessions: Click here
🔹 Follow Public Skills Australia on LinkedIn for updates: LinkedIn
Your input will help shape qualifications that support Australia’s future Defence and public service workforce.
To get in touch with the Training Product Development team about this project, please email tpd@publicskillsaustralia.org.au