Search Results

The national strategy for vocational education and training 1998-2003 expresses the collective commitment by Australian governments, in partnership with Australian industry, to vocational education and training (VET). The strategy analyses economic, industrial and social forces for change and their implications for vocational education and training over the next five years. It sets out a vision for VET, aligned with five key objectives. These objectives are: (1) equipping Australians for the world of work; (2) enhancing mobility in the labour market; (3) achieving equitable outcomes in VET; (4) increasing investment in training; and (5) maximising the value of public vocational education and training expenditure. Show less

In 1988, the then Minister for Employment, Education and Training, the Hon J. S. Dawkins, released a discussion paper, 'Industry training and Australia: the need for change' (indexed at TD/LMR 85.664). The aim of this paper was to provoke debate on measures both to improve the quality of training and to increase the amount of training being undertaken. The Employment and Skills Formation Council (ESFC) of the National Board of Employment, Education and Training (NBEET) was charged with providing an interim report by 5 May 1989 on the outcomes of the consultations to date.

This interim report aims to both summarise the views expressed during the consultation process and highlight the reforms which ESFC believes are required in the training system. The structure of the report is as follows. Chapter two provides a summary of the discussion paper and establishes the context in which the report was written. This includes a discussion of the pressures necessitating reform of the training system. Chapter three summarises the main issues as expressed in the written submissions and discussions, and assesses recent developments in industry training. Chapter four presents ESFC's advice on the direction of future reforms. Issues discussed include measures to improve the quality and responsiveness of the education and training system, measures to improve access to training for women and disadvantaged groups and the funding of an expanded and improved training system. Conclusions are presented in the final chapter.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

This examination of labour and employment policy in Australia was undertaken by the OECD at the request of the Australian Government. It is part of a series of country reviews designed to provide an opportunity for all OECD countries to benefit from each other's experience in this field. The examiners visited Australia in 1973 to discuss policy formulation around aspects identified as important by the Australian Government. The report is structured around these major areas: country background; forces confronting Australia in a world of change; labour utilisation in the context of economic growth; and a selected approach to Australian problems related to labour and industrial relations policies. A background paper, prepared by the then Commonwealth Department of Labour, was prepared to inform this discussion. Show less

This Senate Committee report is based on the premise that employers, unions and educators agree that Australia is facing some serious skills shortfalls which are set to worsen over the next decade without appropriate action. The first chapter gives the background to the report, the terms of reference of the enquiry and an overview of the issues. Chapter two looks at skills shortfalls and future skill needs, concluding that there is a necessity for the development of a more integrated approach to collection and dissemination of information on current and future skill needs. Chapter three looks at whether current policy is promoting the development of both high level and intermediate level skills, the nexus between the labour market and skill formation and the Job Network. The chapter concludes that the present approach to skill formation is not well suited to labour market conditions. Chapter four focuses on the current vocational education and training (VET) policy settings, funding arrangements and institutional framework for meeting Australia’s current funding levels and future skill needs. Of concern is that the current funding models and reporting and accountability functions of the VET system are not compatible with the objectives of development of a high skill workforce, promotion of innovation and the development of a quality, responsive system that can provide diverse responses to skill needs. Chapter five suggests that multiple training pathways are important to cater for diversity in both the individual and the work environment and examines some of the current arrangements for providing individuals and industries with seamless pathways for skill formation. The final chapter has two main themes: (1) the role of industry in identifying and responding to the skill needs of its workforce; and (2) the need for a policy framework that promotes greater industry responsibility for training its workforce, touching briefly on the need for consultative arrangements within the training system to include the full range of stakeholders. Show less

On 17 March 2005, the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry was asked by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Hon Warren Truss MP, to inquire into rural skills training and research. The terms of reference for this inquiry were to inquire into: the availability and adequacy of education and research services in the agriculture sector, including access to vocational training and pathways from vocational education and training to tertiary education and work; the skills needs of agricultural industries in Australia, including the expertise and capacity of industries to specify the skills-sets required for training, and the extent to which vocational training meets the needs of rural industries; the provision of extension and advisory services to agricultural industries, including links and coordination between education, research and extension; and the role of the Australian government in supporting education, research and advisory programs to support the viability and sustainability of Australian agriculture. In February 2007, the Committee presented its results from the review and found that severe skills shortages exist in rural industries and there are significant gaps in the capacity to respond to those shortages. The Committee made 29 recommendations for the government to consider and they included: the development of a national strategy on rural skills training, encompassing the school, vocational education and training (VET), and higher education sectors; making the regulatory framework surrounding VET more flexible and responsive to industry needs; rationalising training providers and reinvigorating vocational education and higher education in agriculture and forestry; revitalising agricultural colleges across Australia; providing agriculture and forestry courses at Australian Technical Colleges; developing a national extension framework to revitalise extension services; linking research funding to the provision of extension services; providing a greater security of funding for rural industry related Cooperative Research Centres; and developing a ‘skills passport’ to encourage the transfer of skills within and between rural industries. Show less

In 1986, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) initiated a fact-finding mission to a number of European countries that had addressed similar problems to those being experienced by Australia. In particular, the ACTU was interested in visiting those countries which had overcome balance of payments constraints in ways which produced low unemployment, low inflation and economic growth that was more equitably distributed. The mission's report examined, and made recommendations about, macroeconomic policies, wages, prices and incomes, trade and industrial policy, the labour market, industrial democracy and strategic unionism. The report also made appropriate recommendations for action. The section of the report on 'Labour market and training policies' was of particular importance to education and training. It stated that 'one of Australia's overriding concerns must be its deficient skills base as Australia's future international competitiveness would depend largely on how successful it is in creating advantages based on its ability to exploit up-to-date knowledge and skills-intensive products and processes. Success in a world of rapidly changing technologies will require a constant effort to acquire and develop state-of-the-art skills'. This view underpinned Commonwealth Government policies and programs for the next decade. Show less

This report sets out a new direction for labour market policy in Australia. It is the outcome of the work undertaken by the Committee of Inquiry into Labour Market Programs chaired by Peter Kirby, formed in late 1983 in response to government concerns over the deterioration of the labour market since 1970, resulting in high levels of unemployment and a number of groups being disadvantaged in terms of access to employment, including women, young people, those with disabilities, and older workers. This final report documents the Committee’s examination of labour market policy and programs and the context in which they were developed and its recommendations for improvements. The Committee focused on the ‘fundamental philosophical, systemic and structural questions that needed to be resolved to develop a coherent framework for government intervention in the labour market’. The report’s recommendations were designed to foster a labour market policy which would give greater emphasis to the needs of the individual for access to education, training and other support to deal with a variety of labour market conditions. It is also advised that there be less centralisation of administration and more involvement of employers, unions, and community groups in planning, policy formulation and review. The most important recommendation, however, was the proposal for a new structured training system for young people. The Australian Traineeship System (ATS) was introduced in 1985 as the cornerstone of the Commonwealth Government’s Priority One Program for young people. Traineeships would combine broad-based vocational education and training (VET) in education and training institution with work in a related occupation to form an integrated training system. It was also intended that graduates of the scheme would have the opportunity to progress to more advanced areas of education, training or employment if they wanted to. Other labour market programs introduced in 1985-86 in response to the Committee’s recommendations were a general wage subsidy scheme, Jobstart, the adult training program and the community training program. The Committee also recommended changes to advisory structures for employment and training. The report covers current labour market programs and government structures for education, training and employment, approaches to labour market intervention, labour market planning, traineeships for youth, trade training, further training and retraining for adults, the rationalisation of wage subsidy programs, community based programs, and new arrangements for advice and administration.

The overview of the Kirby report and recommendations is indexed at TD/TNC 87.1160. Show less

This report focuses on what jobs and skills Australia will need to develop to ensure its economy continues to grow and diversify. Discussion around jobs often focuses on the here and now. However, if Australia is to maintain a robust economy that is internationally competitive, it must plan now for the changes, challenges and opportunities faced in developing the right jobs and skills for future generations. The report examines: how the next wave of the industrial revolution will fundamentally reshape business activity; the high probability that 40 per cent of Australia's workforce, more than five million people, could be replaced by automation within the next 10 to 20 years; changes that will occur in the five key sectors identified in the Federal Government's innovation plan; jobs of the future and exporting and outsourcing opportunities; how businesses operating on the technological frontier are adapting; what digital disruption means to existing business practices; and what policy levers are available to maximise opportunities.

Edited summary from publisher's website.

The contents are as follows: Section 1, 'Global trends', includes: Chapter 1.1 Reshaping work for the future / Lynda Gratton; Chapter 1.2 The impact of emerging technologies in the workforce of the future / Hugh Bradlow; Chapter 1.3 How next-gen computing is changing the way we work / Belinda Tee and Jessica Xu; Chapter 1.4 The impact of computerisation and automation on future employment / Hugh Durrant-Whyte, Lachlan McCalman, Simon O'Callaghan, Alistair Reid and Daniel Steinberg; Chapter 1.5 Case study: automation and Australia's future workforce / Michael Gollschewski; Chapter 1.6 Digital disruption: what, why and how / Sarv Girn; Chapter 1.7 Megatrends and Australia's future: older and wiser? / Fiona McKenzie. Section 2, 'Australian stocktake', includes: Chapter 2.1 Australia's shifting economy / Tim Bradley; Chapter 2.2 Technological and structural change in Australia's labour market / Phil Lewis; Chapter 2.3 Information technology and the Australian labour market / Jeff Borland and Michael Coelli; Chapter 2.4 Stability of education earnings gaps in Australia / Michael Coelli. Section 3, 'The future worker', includes: Chapter 3.1 Developing the capacity to adapt to industry transformation / Sue Beitz; Chapter 3.2 Closing the gender gap in labour supply / Patricia Apps; Chapter 3.3 Your future employer: yourself / Ken Phillips; Chapter 3.4 Where the jobs are / Phil Ruthven. Section 4, 'Policy response', includes: Chapter 4.1 The strategic imperative: Australia's place in the global labour market / Steven Callander; Chapter 4.2 Future skills, industry policy and a new social contract / Roy Green, Ian Marsh and Christos Pitelis; Chapter 4.3 A brave new world of higher education / Jane den Hollander; Chapter 4.4 Future skills in information technology / Hugh Durrant-Whyte; Chapter 4.5 Northern lights / Andrew Scott. Show less

This White Paper outlines the Government's vision for a dynamic and inclusive labour market. One where everyone has the opportunity for secure, fairly paid work and people, businesses and communities can be beneficiaries of change and thrive. Five ambitious objectives contribute to achieving the Government's vision: (1) Delivering sustained and inclusive full employment; (2) Promoting job security and strong, sustainable wage growth; (3) Reigniting productivity growth; (4) Filling skills needs and building our future workforce; and (5) Overcoming barriers to employment and broadening opportunity.

The White Paper provides a Roadmap to position the Australian labour market for the future. It outlines the practical actions being taken and the further reform directions required to achieve this potential.

Edited excerpt from publisher's website. Show less