Search Results

The aim of this report is to help industry, government policy makers and training providers better understand the drivers of skill needs in the agrifood industry and identify the options for meeting those needs. This report provides the findings of a high level review of the skills and workforce issues confronting the agrifood industry and its five industry sectors: food processing, meat, seafood, racing, and rural and related industries. The key drivers of skills needs for the agrifood industry are: development of the regions; worker attraction and retention; demographic change and employment arrangements; consumer and customer service demands; competitiveness and productivity demands; business compliance; innovation; and globalisation. The relationship between these drivers and skill requirements are analysed and conclusions are developed on how changing drivers may impact on the skills base. Participation, attainment and expenditure trends in vocational and technical education are also discussed. Strategies addressing a broad range of issues driving current and future skills and workforce needs, with a focus on the role of training are recommended. Some of these strategies include: utilising existing industry champions to promote the agrifood industry as a preferred career choice for people in regional and urban areas; the provision of incentives such as higher remuneration, better working conditions and flexible arrangments to encourage older and experienced workers to remain on the job longer; developing skills in international business management; creating partnerships with government, industry and communities to strategically invest in infrastructure development; education of the industry on the challenges and opportunities of globalisation, the importance of research and innovation, and the effecient use of new technology in the global marketplace; developing and distributing tools and resources relating to environment, food safety, occupational health and safety risks and sustainability; adopting a futures approach to the development of training packages to better link research and development to competencies; and providing clear information about career paths and job opportunities that enable informed employment and education choices. Show less

This report provides an overview of three major projects which add to the knowledge of the skills needed to ensure social and economic prosperity in Australia, and the skills currently available. The first section, 'Overview of industry skills reports', synthesises nine individual industry reports, which involved a comprehensive identification of common and unique factors that will drive future skills needs and skills shortages. It examines the impact on industry of changing participation rates, market pressures, technological change and regulatory compliance. It then discusses strategies for industry, government, training providers and individuals to respond to these issues. Section two, 'Skill ecosystems', argues that expanding the supply of qualified people is only a partial solution to the skills issues. The skill ecosystems report demonstrates how changes such as industry restructuring, intensified economic competition, new forms of business and industry organisation, have an effect on skill needs and business performance. The final section, 'A well-skilled future: tailoring VTE to the emerging labour market', outlines a research program that aims to improve the understanding of how the labour market is evolving, and how the vocational and technical education (VTE) system can play a role in developing skills levels and matching supply to demand. The National Institute of Labour Studies (NILS) at Flinders University and the Centre for Post-compulsory Education and Lifelong Learning (CPELL) of the University of Melbourne have been commissioned through the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) to undertake the research program. Show less

The National Skills Shortages Strategy (NSSS) was launched by Brendan Nelson, the Minister for Education, Science and Training, in April 2004. It aims to address current and future skills needs of industry, particularly in the traditional trades. The strategy, in the form of a website, includes the following initiatives: innovative skills shortages projects; regional skills projects to look at skills needs on a regional basis; further work on the National Industry Skills Initiative to ensure best practice strategies are communicated across sectors; a focus on science and technology; labour market forecasting; and, a New Apprentices Roundtable. Show less

In 1999, the Australian Government acknowledged skills shortages as a critical issue for the national economy with Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) surveys showing skills shortage as a major concern for its member industries. In response, the Government approached skills shortages on an industry by industry basis through the National Industry Skills Initiative (NISI). This industry-led process, designed to identify how an industry-government partnership could address the issue of skills shortage in Australian industry, also involved the Australian Industry Group (AIG) and the Business Council of Australia (BCA). Skills shortages in specific industries were investigated by industry working groups that would inform an action plan to minimise skills shortages for each industry. The four main objectives of the road freight transport industry action plan are to: (1) improve employment outcomes, particularly the recruitment and retention of skilled employees; (2) enhance the image and profile of the trucking industry to promote greater awareness of its important role and ensure that it is seen to offer attractive job opportunities and career paths; (3) develop and support a credible and effective training culture within the industry to encourage the skilling of employees, strengthen employment outcomes, enhance regulatory compliance and meet broader legal requirements; and (4) review and improve existing training structures to promote easier access to the industry and provide better skilling of employees and trainees. Show less

In 1999, the Australian Federal Government acknowledged skills shortages as a critical issue for the national economy. Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) surveys showed that skills shortages had become a major concern for its member industries. In response, an industry-led process designed to identify how an industry-government partnership could address the issue of skills shortages in Australian industry was instituted by the Government, the Australian Industry Group (AIG) and the Business Council of Australia (BCA). This strategy involved an investigation of skills shortages in specific industries by industry working groups which would inform an Action Plan to minimise skills shortages for each industry. The Action Plan would be implemented by an industry Task Force over a period of two years. This final report documents the progress of the National Industry Skills Initiative in electrotechnology. It outlines the achievements and next steps for these electrotechnology industry objectives: the establishment of the Task Force; increased marketing and promotion; increased flexibility and choice in training pathways; evaluation of barriers to New Apprenticeships; and a streamlined response to demand for new skill sets. The report emphasises the positive outcomes since the Action Plan was agreed upon in July 2000. These include an increase in: engagement by industry stakeholders in addressing recruitment and training for the future; communication between stakeholders in recruitment and training; knowledge on which to base decisions; and understanding of where resources can best be used.

Related reports are indexed at TD/TNC 67.202, TD/TNC 67.371 and TD/TNC 70.288. This National Industry Skills Initiative document is copyright Commonwealth of Australia reproduced by permission. Show less

The Australian Government has announced its plans to establish 24 Technical Colleges around Australia, with the aim of providing a high level of vocational and academic education for students in Years 11 and 12. The proposed time frame will see commencement of the first colleges in 2006, with all 24 fully operational by 2008. The colleges will focus on a number of traditional trades which are currently experiencing skill shortages, including: automotive, electrotechnology, commercial cookery, building and construction and metal and engineering. Students attending the colleges will gain relevant skills through a School-based New Apprenticeship, culminating in a nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET) qualification, while at the same time achieving their Year 12 certificate through the completion of academic subjects. This discussion paper aims to inform organisations and/or consortia about the colleges, and calls for expressions of interest and requests for tenders. It is suggested that the colleges need not be new institutions, but could be based on, and share the same site as, existing schools or registered training organisations (RTOs), including TAFEs and universities. The paper also emphasises that the success of the colleges will rely largely upon the support of local businesses and communities, and a strong interaction with industry. Show less

Thirty seven organisations, known as New Apprenticeships Centres, are currently contracted by the Australian government to deliver New Apprenticeships Support Services (NASS) to 22 regions across Australia. The current contract will expire on 30 June 2006, and the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) is seeking feedback from interested parties on what the government should be purchasing and how the services should be purchased in terms of fee structure, contractual terms and conditions. This discussion paper is presented in three parts: the first part provides background information on the services being provided under the current contract as well as information about the vocational education and training environment (VET); part two outlines the issues for considerations and contains a range of questions relating to what services the Australian government should be purchasing in terms of the mix of services provided, and how these services should be purchased in terms of fee structure, contractual terms and conditions; and the final part contains an indicative timetable for the NASS tender process. Show less

The Education, Science and Training Portfolio has been allocated $89.6 billion dollars over the next four years in the 2005-06 Budget. This document outlines the allocation of this sum to the programs and initiatives within the education, science and training systems. In terms of training, the document highlights reforms to the vocational education and training (VET) system. The funding for 2005-06 includes: an extension of entitlement to the Youth Allowance, Austudy and Abstudy to New Apprentices; a tool kit for each New Apprentice starting an apprenticeship in specific trades from 1 July 2005; the establishment of 24 Australian technical colleges in locations suffering skill shortages to provide quality education and trade training for senior secondary students; and scholarships for New Apprentices in a small to medium sized business who successfully complete the first and second years of a New Apprenticeship in trades with skill needs.

'Backing Australia's skills at a glance: reinvigorating the vocational and technical education system' is indexed at TD/AG 81.04. Show less

The National Review of Nursing Education 2002 was initiated in April 2001 to examine the future nursing educational needs of the health, community and aged care system in Australia and to provide advice on appropriate education policy and funding frameworks. The terms of reference included initial registered nurse preparation, enrolled nurse education, education for specialisation, continuing education and the relationship of nursing with other groups in the health workforce. The Review commissioned a wide range of research and six literature reviews. This report contains the literature reviews. They are as follows: Australian aged care nursing: a critical review of education, training, recruitment and retention in residential and community settings / Alan Pearson, Rhonda Nay, Susan Koch, Catherine Ward; Mental health nursing education and the health labour force: literature review / Michael Clinton, Stephanie du Boulay, Michael Hazelton, Barbara Horner; Knowledge and skills required by rural nurses to meet the challenges of a changing work environment in the 21st century: a review of the literature / Karen Francis, Scott Bowman, Michael Redgrave; Models of nursing education and training: a systematic review of the literature / Sharon McKinley, Leanne Aitken, Gordon Doig, Jin Zhu Liu; Midwifery education: literature review and additional material / Nicky Leap, Lesley Barclay, Elizabeth Nagy, Athena Sheehan, Pat Brodie, Sally Tracy; Aspects of nursing education: the types of skills and knowledge required to meet the changing needs of the labour force involved in nursing / Robyn L. Aitken, Robyn Faulkner, Tracey Bucknal, Judith Parker.

Individual literature reviews are indexed from TD/TNC 71.174 to TD/TNC 71.179.

The final report of the National Review of Nursing Education 2002 is indexed at TD/TNC 71.180. Show less

The Australian Industry Group’s (Ai Group’s) major report ‘World Class Skills for World Class Industries’ highlighted the importance of workforce skills to the competitiveness and responsiveness of Australian enterprises and to the productivity of their employees and the Australian workforce. Based on interviews and case studies of over 500 firms, the report revealed that many of those firms saw skills and workforce development as amongst their most important strategies to remain competitive. The report also concluded that enterprises would require skills at higher levels, that individuals would require broader skills and that they would need to be updated more often. The report also demonstrated that Australian firms were increasingly looking to their existing workforce as a significant source of new skills. There is a growing emphasis in international and national education and training policies, and in research literature, on the importance of skilling the workforce to increase participation in, and the productivity of, the workforce. The Skilling the Existing Workforce Project aims to address this issue. The Ai Group has now commenced a project funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training to identify and address the skills needs of existing workers. As an initial step the Ai Group has commissioned background research to: consider recent key national and international policy developments concerning the skilling of the workforce; consider the nature and forms of workforce skills; examine the patterns of and influence on participation in workforce skills; consider how existing workers learn and acquire skills; and determine the strategies required for skilling the existing workforce.

Excerpt from publication.

The final project report is indexed at TD/TNC 95.224. Show less