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Back to NewsADCF vs. ACSF in the VET Sector: What Are the Differences and Why Do We Need Both?
The Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector is a critical part of the education landscape, equipping individuals with the skills they need to thrive in various industries. In our sector, we are always dealing with new acronyms, policies, regulatory interpretations, and frameworks. The newest framework is the ADCF, or Australian Digital Capability Framework. What is it, why is it here, and how does it impact your organisation?
The skills your staff and students need to succeed are changing with the times. Two important frameworks help guide skill development and assessment in the sector: the Australian Digital Capability Framework (ADCF) and the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). While they serve different purposes, understanding both is important for educators, learners, and employers alike.
Introducing the Australian Digital Capability Framework (ADCF)
The Australian Digital Capability Framework (ADCF) was developed to address the growing need for digital skills in today’s workforce. The ADCF focuses on the digital skills and competencies needed in modern day work and life. It provides a structured approach to assessing and developing digital capabilities across various contexts.
The ADCF includes five key focus areas:
- Information and Data Literacy
- Communication and Collaboration
- Digital Content Creation
- Protection and Safety
- Technical Proficiency
The ADCF includes these components to make sure the industry has a reliable and consistent way to identify, evaluate, and help learners as they improve their digital skills.
The Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF): A Foundation for Core Skills
The Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) is a structure used across the VET sector to assess and develop core skills in five key areas.
The ACSF includes five key areas:
- Learning: The ability to acquire and apply knowledge.
- Reading: Understanding and interpreting written texts.
- Writing: Communicating effectively in writing.
- Oral Communication: Speaking and listening effectively.
- Numeracy: Applying mathematical concepts in real-life contexts.
The ACSF gives a clear and complete way to define these basic skills, which are important for learners to do well in training, work, and daily life.
The Limitations of the ACSF
While the ACSF is effective at assessing traditional core skills, it falls short in a critically important area, digital skills. Knowing how to use digital technologies is essential now. However, the ACSF does not specifically address digital literacy and capability, leaving a gap in the framework that needs to be filled to ensure learners are prepared for the modern workplace and its constantly changing requirements.
Why Both Frameworks Are Essential
Integrating both the ACSF and the ADCF in the VET sector is important for a well-rounded education. While the ACSF provides a strong foundation in core skills, the ADCF builds on this foundation by adding the necessary digital competencies needed today. Together, these frameworks offer a comprehensive approach to skill development, ensuring that learners are prepared for the demands of the modern workforce.
Compliance with the New Standards for RTOs 2025
From 1st July 2025, the new Standards for RTOs 2025 will require organisations to assess and support learners in all foundation skills including digital literacy and competency. The ADCF will be the framework used to guide the identification and development of these digital capabilities. This change highlights the importance of digital skills in education and training, making sure all learners are ready to meet the technological demands of the modern workplace.
For educators and training organisations, understanding and utilising both frameworks means providing more relevant and comprehensive training and identifying and implementing learner support to ensure their engagement and success. For learners, it means being better equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. And for employers, it means having a workforce that is capable, adaptable, and ready to succeed in a dynamic environment.
Conclusion
In summary, while the ACSF and ADCF serve different purposes they are both part of a whole of skill development and supporting learners as they train in the Australian VET sector. It is important for us to understand how these frameworks work together. By recognising the limitations of the ACSF in digital skills and using the ADCF to fill that gap we can ensure learners are ready for their careers.
About the Author
Matt Peachey
Matt Peachey is the CEO of the Learning Resources Group. Over the past decade, he has grown the small resource development company into one of the largest training resource providers in the country and industry leaders in digital and LLN space of Vocational Education Support.
Matt has spent extensive time working directly with RTO’s all over the country to help them implement their training and assessment programs. He has also assisted a number of RTO’s with their marketing and business strategies.
Matt's goals for The Learning Resources Group is to ensure that the organisation is poised to support the VET industry through future changes.
Prior to his work in the VET sector Matt had 10 years working in the automotive industry firstly in sales management and eventually as a process and strategy consultant.
Outside of the TLRG office, Matt can be found volunteering for Lifeline as a counsellor, scouring the countryside for great wine or touring around on his motorcycle.
