Update as of 14 June 2023
Professor Peter Dawkins, interim director of Jobs and Skills Australia, delivered exciting developments at the ITEC23 Conference. He unveiled the 10 Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs), one of the significant milestones in the ongoing vocational education and training (VET) reform.
These councils are set to play a pivotal role in reshaping and revitalising the VET sector, fostering collaboration between industries and training providers, and addressing the evolving skills needs of the workforce.
Introducing the New Jobs and Skills Councils
Following months of planning, here are the new jobs and skills councils introduced and the responsible organisations and committees overseeing them:
- Skills Insight for Agribusiness by Skills Impact – covers primary production, including plants and animals, textiles, clothing, and footwear. It extends its scope to forestry, timber, and furnishing industries. Skills Insight also addresses emerging sectors related to natural resources security and environmental management.
- WorkforceEQuipped for Arts, Personal Services Retail, Tourism and Hospitality by the Australian Retailers Association – covers essential human services on the ‘high street,’ such as hairdressing, floristry, travel, and hospitality. The council also supports the creative economy, including fine art, ceramics, music, dance, theatre, and screen industries.
- Energy, Renewables, and Emerging Technology for Energy, Gas and Renewables by Master Electricians Australia – covers key industries crucial for energy production, including electricity, gas, renewable energy, and energy storage. The council also focuses on actively addressing emerging sectors like hydrogen, recognising its growing significance.
- A new institution for Finance, Technology and Business by the Digital Skills Organisation – covers professional services essential for supporting successful businesses, including marketing, accounting, human resources, digital literacy, information and communication technologies. The council also covers emerging industries like cybersecurity, financial technologies, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things.
- Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance for Manufacturing by Innovation and Business and Skills Australia – covers traditional and light manufacturing sectors, including pharmaceuticals, print, food, and advanced manufacturing. The councils also address emerging industries such as defence and space technologies.
- Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance (AUSMASA) for Mining and Automotive – covers industries engaged in mineral exploration, extraction operations, and the automotive sector. The councils focus on addressing the needs and challenges of these industries and emphasise emerging industries related to driverless automotive technologies.
- Industry Skills Australia for Transport and Logistics by the Australian Industry Standards – covers industries involved in warehousing, distribution operations, and various modes of transport, including rail, maritime, aviation, logistical support, and supply chains. The councils actively address emerging industries such as omnichannel logistics and distribution, air and space transport and logistics.
- A new institution for Public Safety and Government by the Public Safety Industry Committee – covers industries directly engaged in public service, including local government, police, corrective services, and public safety.
- HumanAbility for Early Educators, Health and Human Services by the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association – covers industries that provide essential community services and support, including aged care, disability services, mental health, early childhood education and health, and sport and recreation services.
- A new institution for Building, Construction and Property by Build Skills Australia – covers industries that offer property services, including small and large-scale construction services, traditional building practices, and large-scale civil infrastructure services.
Enhancing VET through Jobs and Skills Councils: A Significant Government Investment
The Jobs and Skills Councils primary objective is to enhance vocational education and training by playing a crucial role in developing RTO training materials and fostering collaborations between industries and training providers.
The government has dedicated a substantial investment of $402 million to establish the jobs and skills councils over the next four years. This funding will be utilised to establish the Jobs and Skills Councils, which will replace the current 67 Industry Reference Committees and six Skills Service Organisations (SSOs).
Update as of 06 February 2023
Addressing the Skills Crisis With the Help of Jobs and Skills Councils
The Australian government has proactively addressed the skills crisis by establishing Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs), formerly known as Industry Clusters. The JSCs will ensure the country’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector delivers better outcomes for learners and employers.
The new councils will work to identify skills and workforce needs for their respective sectors, create career pathways, develop VET training products, and promote collaboration between industry and training providers. They will also serve as a source of information on issues affecting their respective industries.
Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), the governing body overseeing the JSCs, will take an evidence-based approach to plan and identify trends and growth opportunities to shape the country’s future of education and training. By working with state and territory governments, employers, unions, universities, and the VET sector, JSA will provide high-quality, independent advice to the government on skills, the labour market, and workforce needs.
Learn more about the reform by visiting the Australian Skills Quality Authority.
The Case for Reform: Understanding the Need for Jobs and Skills Councils
Australia’s VET sector faces various challenges that require a strategic and collaborative approach to ensure that employers and individuals have access to the right skills at the right time. The role of industry in driving reforms is crucial to achieving this objective.
To reinvigorate the VET sector, the industry needs a strong and unified voice to address strategic workforce challenges and ensure that qualifications are updated and developed promptly to meet the changing needs of the industry. This is where JSCs come into play.
JSCs are being established as a national network of industry-owned and industry-led organisations to provide strategic leadership and drive high-quality outcomes for the VET sector, learners, and businesses. These councils will identify skills and workforce needs, map career pathways, and collaborate with industry and training providers to improve training and assessment practices.
By drawing on JSA workforce analysis and projections, JSCs will create a consistent understanding of the skills landscape and help address skill gaps. This will support individuals in re-training and re-skilling to find and stay in work, providing them with courses that build on their experience and training.
A Quick Reminder
In line with the proposed new qualification model, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations invites you to participate in a survey on a proposed VET training product. Your feedback is essential in ensuring that the model meets the needs of all stakeholders in the VET system.
Answer the survey here before it closes on 17 March 2023.
