Flinders University researchers have warned that Australia’s training system for alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers is shrinking at the same time as the need for qualified support staff is expanding. A new analysis comparing vocational education and training (VET) provision in 2011 and 2024 found fewer providers, fewer available programs and a major shift from public TAFE institutions toward private training organisations. The researchers say the contraction could affect not only the future size of the specialist AOD workforce, but also the ability of health and social services to respond safely and effectively to substance-related harm.
The study, published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues, examined how AOD-related VET programs have changed over a 13-year period. VET courses are a significant entry route into AOD work, particularly for people who do not hold university qualifications in medicine, nursing, psychology or social work. These programs can provide foundational knowledge about substance dependence, withdrawal, harm reduction, treatment pathways, trauma, risk assessment and culturally safe practice. According to lead author Dr Kirrilly Thompson of Flinders University’s National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), the number of pathways into this workforce has contracted even though demand for services continues to rise.
“We found the AOD training landscape in Australia has contracted significantly over the past 13 years — fewer providers, fewer programs, and a shift away from public TAFE toward a majority private market,” Thompson said. “This contraction is happening while demand for AOD services continues to grow. That’s the part that concerns me most — that we’re scaling training down, but not because the need is shrinking.” The findings suggest that workforce planning and education planning may be moving in opposite directions: more people require support, while fewer formal training options are available to prepare the workers who provide it.
The researchers describe the changes as a constraint on training pathways rather than simply a change in the organisation of education. In the AOD field, vocational qualifications can be used by support workers, community service practitioners, case managers and other frontline staff who regularly encounter substance use in their work. A reduction in programs may therefore influence who can enter the sector, where they can study and how much specialist preparation they receive before supporting clients. Inadequate training can have practical consequences, including missed signs of overdose risk, poor understanding of withdrawal, inappropriate referral decisions and the persistence of stigma toward people who use alcohol or other drugs.
The implications extend well beyond dedicated drug and alcohol services. Substance use frequently intersects with mental health conditions, family and domestic violence, homelessness, contact with the justice system and physical illness. A person seeking help for housing instability or psychological distress may also be experiencing dependence, risky use or the effects of another person’s substance use. Workers in these services may not identify themselves as AOD specialists, yet they can be among the first professionals to recognise a problem or offer a pathway to treatment. The researchers argue that accessible AOD education is therefore part of the broader infrastructure of health and social care.
Professor Jacqueline Bowden, director of NCETA, said vocational education is often the main entry point into AOD work for people without a health degree. When access to training declines, the effect is not limited to enrolment figures. It can alter the composition and preparedness of the workforce itself. Consistent education is particularly important in AOD practice because effective support relies on more than general interpersonal skills. Workers may need to understand pharmacology, tolerance, intoxication, overdose, evidence-based treatment, motivational approaches, relapse, co-occurring illness and the effects of trauma. They must also be able to communicate without reinforcing shame, a factor that can discourage people from seeking care.
The analysis also examined the rapid expansion of online delivery. Digital courses can remove geographic barriers for students who live far from major cities and may allow workers to study while remaining employed. However, online availability does not automatically mean equal access. Participation depends on reliable internet, suitable devices, quiet study space, digital literacy, course fees and the support available from employers. These barriers can be especially severe for rural and remote workers, who may already face limited professional services, long travel distances and fewer opportunities for supervised practice. The researchers caution that a program can be technically available while remaining financially or practically inaccessible.
Another concern is whether the training workforce reflects the communities most affected by AOD-related harm. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accounted for 18 per cent of those receiving AOD treatment or support in Australia during 2023–24, while only 6 per cent of participants in NCETA’s 2019–2020 national AOD workforce survey identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. The comparison does not by itself explain why this gap exists, but it highlights the importance of culturally responsive recruitment and education. Training designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, rather than simply delivered to them, can help workers understand the effects of colonisation, racism, intergenerational trauma, community strengths and culturally safe models of care.
Bowden said online delivery must be judged by the quality and inclusiveness of the learning experience, not merely by the existence of a website or virtual classroom. “It’s the digital infrastructure, affordability and culturally responsive training design that matters,” she said. A culturally diverse workforce can improve communication and trust, but representation alone is not sufficient. Courses also need relevant content, qualified educators, opportunities for practical learning and systems that support students through completion. Without these elements, expanding the number of online enrolment options may create the appearance of access without delivering an equivalent educational opportunity.
The long-term consequences of the contraction remain uncertain, and the researchers say further evidence is needed. The study used content analysis to compare the AOD VET landscape in 2011 with that of 2024, identifying changes in providers and programs rather than measuring the individual experiences or outcomes of every student. NCETA is now investigating the financial and employment outcomes of people who complete AOD qualifications. That work may help determine whether shrinking training provision affects wages, job stability, career progression, student debt and retention in the sector. It may also reveal whether private-market expansion creates new flexibility or instead increases costs and reduces consistency between programs.
The study, titled “Alcohol and Other Drug Vocational Education and Training in Australia: Changes in the Landscape From 2011 to 2024,” was authored by Kirrilly Thompson, Jane Anne Fischer, Armin Muminovic, Gianluca Di Censo, Olivia Gray, Ashlea Bartram and Jacqueline Bowden. Its central warning is that education capacity is a form of health-system capacity. As substance use continues to intersect with emergency care, mental health, housing, family services and community support, the number and quality of trained workers may influence how quickly people are identified, how respectfully they are treated and whether they reach effective care. Australia’s challenge, the researchers suggest, is not simply to make AOD training available online, but to ensure that it remains geographically reachable, financially realistic, culturally safe and technically robust for the workforce the country will need.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Alcohol and Other Drug Vocational Education and Training in Australia: Changes in the Landscape From 2011 to 2024
News Publication Date: 9-Jul-2026
Web References: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.70125
References: Thompson, K., Fischer, J. A., Muminovic, A., Di Censo, G., Gray, O., Bartram, A., & Bowden, J. “Alcohol and Other Drug Vocational Education and Training in Australia: Changes in the Landscape From 2011 to 2024.” Australian Journal of Social Issues. DOI: 10.1002/ajs4.70125
Keywords: Alcohol and other drugs, vocational education and training, AOD workforce, TAFE, private providers, online learning, rural health, culturally responsive care, substance-use services, Australia
