Search results

The training available to the food sector must provide the specific skills and knowledge needed by the food safety regulations to support the system working as intended. The training needs to be specific and relevant to the industry sectors involved, but flexible across the range of industry sectors, and flexible in terms of the range of training options available for people to obtain adequate skills for their particular jobs. This paper explains how the Victorian Department of Human Services [DHS] went about specifying the specific skills and knowledge needed for food safety and determining what the [vocational education and training] VET system had available to meet these needs. It discusses the range of strategies used by the DHS to engage with the VET system to bring about change in the training provided. It highlights the challenges and lessons learnt from these activities. Conclusions: government regulations, industry needs and workplace shortages impact on the demand for and content of training. Regulators, industry and the VET system can work together to develop training that is congruent with all stakeholders needs and that assist industry in meeting their regulatory obligations, however working together is no simple matter.