As part of an ongoing mission to remain a global leader in Vocational Education and Training (VET), Australian state and territory training authorities are collaborating with the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), the regulators of the VET sector, to produce a new initiative, the VET Data Streamlining (VDS) Program.

VDS was created with the goal of modernising the way VET student activity data is collected, managed, and used, and the initiative serves as the basis for the Enhanced VET Data and Evidence initiative and as a key component in the National Skills Agreement (NSA).

Once complete, RTOs will be able to automatically sync course and learner data directly without the need for data exports, making submission practices faster and more efficient.

The three components of the VDS Program

• New VET Information Standard. This will replace Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard (AVETMISS) 8.
• Student and Training Activity Reporting System (STARS). This new system is designed to support the VET Information Standard and is accessible by NCVER and government bodies, including VET sector regulators. This will integrate with Student Management Systems (SMS), including Wisenet.
• Policy and Legislation Updates. These updates will ensure alignment with the new VET data standard and enable increased data submission frequency.

The VDS Program is in a preliminary stage and is projected to roll out progressively until full completion by December 2028, allowing RTOs and other organisations time to transition to updated data submission processes. The end result will be a richer national dataset that includes improved cybersecurity measures and enables stronger evidence-based decision making for the sector, which will allow the government to better support RTOs and their needs.

The future of the VDS Program

As one of Australia’s leading Student Management Systems in the VET sector Wisenet became involved in the program in 2023, a time in which RTOs and Student Management System providers were being interviewed to determine how the VDS Program would impact the sector.

In 2024, the core components of the VET Information Standard were approved, and in July 2025 the initial business and technical rules were completed to provide support to guide RTOs through the process of collecting and reporting VET Information Standard compliant data.

Following on from this, in July 2025, RTOs and SMS developers who deliver fee-for-service training were invited to participate in the Stage 1 rollout of the VDS Program. This initial stage will lead to a wider industry transition to the new VET Information Standard, which is projected to begin by mid-2026.

As Stage 1 adopters of this rollout, Wisenet is in a position to integrate with the incoming Student and Training Activity Reporting System (STARS) system as it is introduced.

Wisenet will ensure that our software and our users stay ahead of any changes to compliance as the VDS Program moves towards completion by 2028.

You can find the latest updates on the VDS Program on the NCVER website.