The National Cotton Training Coordinator project has involved the development of various training strategies that address this declining skill base. It has concentrated on developing programs that focus on skill set development rather than training for full qualifications. These strategies are the focus of this paper. To discuss this topic, I outline two examples to illustrate how current cotton extension activities are aligned to principles of the vocational education and training (VET) sector. Several national reviews of the VET system support these industry initiatives. The Federal Standing Committee for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry concluded that "the focus in rural skills training should be on skills rather than qualifications". It notes that "the response of industry to the focus on qualifications rather than skills under the current framework has been to design its own training packages to better fulfil its needs" (Commonwealth of Australia, 2007). In addition, the report titled Environmental Scan of Agrifood Industries 'an industry in transition�' acknowledged and supported this position. There is an anomaly within the VET system between how industry obtains its skills and the funding that causes VET to focus towards full qualifications. The report stated " a model which gives flexibility and choice, and enables training providers to legitimately deliver incremental building blocks of skills, as well as full qualifications as paramount" (AFISC, 2008).