Heavy vehicle driver skills project

Freight Victoria, Wodonga TAFE and The Gordon Institute of TAFE Victoria is the freight and logistics capital of Australia. In 2022-23, Victorian freight and logistics contributed approximately $36.1 billion to Victoria’s gross state product, and directly employed 237,797 people.

Truck drivers are an integral part of the sector. The Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) employment projections forecast that 5,684 new truck drivers are expected between 2024-27, and 21,269 within 10 years. However, with 43% of current truck drivers aged over 50 – and only 2% female – ensuring the industry can attract, retain and grow a skilled and diverse workforce is crucial to keeping Victoria’s economy growing.

With this in mind, the VSA and Freight Victoria have brought together representatives from across the transport and freight industry, TAFEs (Wodonga TAFE and The Gordon Institute of TAFE), other training providers and Victorian Government representatives to discuss this industry challenge, and collaborate on solutions through a co-design process.

The approach will lead to a suite of recommendations to address the lack of low risk, skilled work-ready truck drivers entering the workforce, and strategies to attract new cohorts to the industry.

Find out more about our co-design projects.

Updated 23 May 2025

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Heavy vehicle driver skills project

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