From Skills for All to Skills for Jobs

1. Local Government Stimulus program
2. Skills for Jobs in Regions including Career Development Services
3. Building Family Opportunities
4. Skills for Jobs Training Entitlement
5. Retrenched Workers program
6. Expansion of the Government procurement policy
7. Skills in the Workplace with targeted sectors including Resources, Infrastructure (public and private investment), Community services, Advanced manufacturing, Agrifoods, Clean technology and green skills, Defence, Health, Water resources.  Other areas include workforce needs following major construction projects, significant regional employers, and accredited training for legislative compliance.

I would like to see a focus on skills development for job roles where there is growth and/or contraction; where job roles are real priorities – specialised or in shortage occupations; opportunities for skills transferability; Australian Apprenticeships and pathways into Higher Education.

–          One course at Certificate II to Advanced Diploma

–          An unlimited number of priority courses

–          One skill set per annum

201 Skills for All Training providers

Funded Training List – now up to version 7.0 with many qualifications off the list and I expect it to change again soon.

Training guarantee for SACE students – the way this is structured doesn’t seem attractive to students with a School Based Apprenticeship or the completion of a VET qualification whilst at school far more attractive and practical options.

Funding for Adult and Community Education programs as well as Learner Support Services with a broader roll out imminent.

The most significant issue is what’s on or off the list as I can’t clearly see the link with an evidence base from workforce planning, demand and supply forecasting and priority or specialised/in-shortage jobs.  This is particularly evident in demand areas for Australian Apprenticeships and regional priorities that are then not always taken into consideration when decisions are made.

• planning the workforce – strategies furthering business goals by identifying where companies are in their sector, where they want to be, and what workforce changes may lead them there
• recruiting the skills – strategies to attract the right people to bridge capability gaps
• developing existing workers – strategies to up-skill, re-skill, and skills utilisation by embedding a training culture within industry supported by capable and informed management
• retaining workers – exploring job redesign, flexible working arrangements, succession and career planning to reduce costs associated with recruitment, loss of corporate knowledge, and improve job satisfaction and better use existing or new skills
• fostering innovation and change – helping businesses transform to meet the challenges of the future
• improving training delivery – developing innovative learning resources to deliver up-to-date curricula.

See the guidelines and application form.