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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

The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) funded a project in 2001 to analyse and report on industry requirements for 'employability skills'. This project was jointly managed by the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was completed in March 2002. Employability skills were defined for the purposes of the project as 'skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve one's potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions'. The project was commissioned to provide: (a) advice on possible new requirements for generic employability competencies that industry needs, or will need in the forseeable future, since the development of the Mayer key competencies; (b) clear definitions of what Australian industry and enterprises perceive as employability skills and the terminology being used to describe them; and (c) a proposed suite of employability skills and assessment and reporting options. The project also investigated industry reactions to the proposed suite and reporting options and undertook case studies involving a number of large enterprises and focus group research with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This document reports on the case study research undertaken with 13 large enterprises to determine individual enterprise's views on necessary employability skills, approaches to developing, monitoring and assessing these skills, and how education and training providers could contribute more effectively to the development of employability skills. Analysis of the findings produced a possible model for the consideration of these skills within the wider environment of the organisation and determined a priority set of employability skills and personal and interpersonal skills and attributes. The model embraced four areas: the context in which the skills are applied; a focus (i.e. organisational goal); the skills themselves; and core personal and interpersonal values and attributes. The report describes each of these areas using examples from the case studies. It then addresses three issues: training within companies; ways in which enterprises track and assess employee skills; and a summary of employers' views on how the education and training sector could better support the development of employability skills.

The project final report is indexed at TD/TNC 70.178. The literature review is indexed at TD/TNC 70.179 and the report on the SMEs research is indexed at TD/TNC 70.181. Show less

This report highlights the ways in which the early childhood education and care sectors could be more closely aligned through provision of career pathways and articulation from vocational and technical education (VTE) qualifications to higher education courses in early childhood education. The report provides: an overview of the policy context of early childhood education and care; a summary of current early childhood higher education courses and childcare qualifications; and details of State and Territory regulatory and licensing frameworks. The study investigates current practices in articulation between the VTE and higher education sectors for early childhood education and care qualifications. It identifies both the barriers and the innovative models of practice in articulation from VTE to higher education in this field.

Published abstract. Show less

The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) funded a project in 2001 to analyse and report on industry requirements for ‘employability skills’. This project was jointly managed by the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was completed in March 2002. Employability skills were defined for the purposes of the project as ‘skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve one’s potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions’. These skills are also referred to as generic skills, capabilities or key competencies. The project was commissioned to provide: (a) advice on possible new requirements for generic employability competencies that industry needs, or will need in the forseeable future, since the development of the Mayer key competencies; (b) clear definitions of what Australian industry and enterprises perceive as employability skills and the terminology being used to describe them; and (c) a proposed suite of employability skills and assessment and reporting options. The project also investigated industry reactions to the proposed suite and reporting options and undertook case studies involving a number of large enterprises and focus group research with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This project final report provides a contemporary perspective of Australian industry on employability skills. It contains: an overview of the Australian economy and the role that skill development plays in supporting economic growth; an overview of the literature review undertaken; an overview of the research undertaken with industry; key findings in relation to an employability skills framework; project findings in relation to developing and assessing employability skills; and conclusions and recommendations.

Three supporting research documents were produced by the project. The literature review is indexed at TD/TNC 70.179, the report on detailed case studies with large enterprises is indexed at TD/TNC 70.180 and the report on the SMEs research is indexed at TD/TNC 70.181. Show less

The aim of this report is to help industry, government policy makers and training providers better understand the drivers of skill needs in the services industries and identify the options for meeting those needs. This report presents profiles of wholesale, retail and personal services, tourism and hospitality, and sport and recreation industries. It also provides an overview of employment trends, drivers of skill needs and vocational and technical education trends in these industries. The main drivers of the services industry skill needs are: consumer and customer service demands; competitiveness and productivity demands; market expansion; employment arrangements and worker attraction/retention; globalisation; demographic change; technology and e-business; increasing awareness of risk; and regulatory compliance. As the dynamic nature of these industries presents significant skills challenges for both employers and employees, this report highlights a number of high level strategies essential to meeting those challenges in the service industries. The strategies recommended are broadly represented in four areas: supporting skill acquisition - an ongoing, incremental process driven by continuous change in the workplace and possibly influenced by work organisation, recruitment policies and practices, employee relations and job design; consolidation and refinement of industry training packages - an immediate challenge is to consolidate and refine 14 training packages, identifying and drawing together common skills and competencies, whilst still incorporating sector-specific requirements; developing partnerships - new partnerships and enhanced existing partnerships need to be developed; understanding industry skill requirements - continual research into the drivers for skills demands and resulting implications is needed and the research should be practical, evidence-based and results focused. 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 on the activities of the National Retail Motor Industry Task Force was prepared at the conclusion of its formal operations in August 2002. It states that continued work is required by the industry, which is affected by a shrinking youth base and a perception of reduced value by the community on automotive trade based apprenticeships. The Task Force identified key issues limiting the intake of new apprentices into the industry and developed strategies to reduce the impact of these limitations. The report highlights shortage of entrants, retention rate issues, new technology, and the necessity to market the industry and attract workers as the main challenges facing the industry. A proposal for a pilot project to deliver skills in automotive retail service and repair is outlined.

This National Industry Skills Initiative document is copyright Commonwealth of Australia reproduced by permission. An interim report on skills shortages in the retail motor industry is indexed at TD/TNC 67.200. 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

This report contains the key points from a research paper (indexed at TD/TNC 89.190) of the same title commissioned by the Minerals Industry National Skills Shortages Strategy (NSSS) and funded by the Department of Education Science and Training (DEST). The research resulted from the recommendations of an earlier paper titled ‘Prospecting for skills: the current and future skill needs in the minerals sector’ (indexed at TD/TNC 83.200), which aimed to provide research evidence on the current and future skill needs of the minerals industry. This current research aimed to determine what, if any, barriers to employment and training exist in the Australian minerals industry by examining issues that affect the training of apprentices and trainees. The study revealed that there are a number of fast-track models already available under the competency-based approach to training and skills progression. It is recommended that employers make full use of these models for early completions. Also highlighted is the need for training contracts to be flexible to provide for learners who have the capacity or experience for fast-tracking and for those who need additional time and support. Some of the time durations in some trades need reviewing to ensure that they still meet industry requirements. The study found that there are very few structural barriers to addressing the challenges to employment and training of traditional apprentices and trainees in the minerals industry. Significant progress has been made by the industry in providing innovative solutions to attract, train and retain apprentices and trainees. Based on the findings, strategies to reduce barriers and increase the uptake and completion of traineeships and apprenticeships are recommended, including: industry to further embrace fast-track options and to continue to support such options for the completion of apprenticeships; continued promotion of apprenticeships and traineeships to existing workers to actively engage in recognition of prior learning (RPL); promotion of the industry and career options available through apprenticeships and traineeships; continue to work with Indigenous communities, to ensure access and participation is enhanced; liaise with Federal and State Governments in exploring strategies for making the delivery of training more ‘flexible’; work with Federal and State Governments to support and enhance systems relating to RPL assessments; work with Federal and State Governments in reviewing nominal term durations for apprenticeships; and increase industry participation in school-based apprenticeships and traineeships. Show less

The focus of this discussion paper is on the current supply and demand for science, engineering and technology (SET) skills. It forms the basis for a national consultation process that will be a major part of a SET skills audit. This audit will examine the trends in the supply of SET skills, and determine whether industry needs are being adequately met. The contents are: Science, engineering and technology in Australia; Why an audit?; Terms of reference for the audit of science, engineering and technology skills; Key themes to be addressed through the audit; Scope of the audit; Where to from here? 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