The VET era: equipping Australia's workforce for the future digital economy

This report is the product of a joint project undertaken by CSIRO and TAFE Queensland which investigates how the vocational education and training (VET) sector can best support Australia's future workforce in the context of evolving skill needs and forthcoming digital disruption. The VET sector provides Australians with the skills they need to participate in the labour market and Australia's industries with the workers they need to drive the national economy. However, as digital technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous, business models and employment models are being disrupted and machines are developing the capability to perform ever more complex tasks. The impact of such changes on the roles and tasks required of workers are already being seen. As advances in digital technology continue to accelerate, these changes are expected to become more pervasive and rapid, so that workers will need to learn and re-skill in an ongoing manner, either to keep up with new role requirements or re-skill for new jobs (as old jobs are automated). For this reason, the readiness and agility of the VET sector will be critical in determining how well Australian workers transition to participate in a more digital economy and in turn, how well the nation's economy will grow through the opportunities presented by technological change. In response to these needs, this research provides insight into the types of skills and ways of working that are likely to be required in the future. This task was approached from two angles. First, the authors analyse labour market trends and national employment data to identify how the demand for skills is changing with increased uptake of technology. Second, they draw upon the research literature and interviews with key stakeholders (representatives from employers, government, VET providers, technology providers, students and research experts) to consider how greater efficiency, agility and transparency could be achieved through innovative application of digital technology within the VET sector.

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