Welcome to the first e-update on Skills Organisations, an initiative of the Australian Government to strengthen the role of industry in the vocational education and training (VET) sector. The purpose of this update is to keep you informed and up to date with the latest news and developments.
About Skills Organisations
Skills Organisations place industry at the centre of the Government’s measures to strengthen Australia’s VET system. Industry-led Skills Organisations focus on delivering improvements to the VET system to ensure it is responsive, adaptable and capable of providing the right skills and training to support business and help build the nation’s economy.
Skills Organisation Pilots have been established in three key industries; human services, digital and mining. The pilots are trialling new ways of working to shape the national training system to be more responsive to the skills requirements for those industries - from the identification of skills needs, to qualifications development, through to improving the quality of training delivery and assessment.
Digital Skills Organisation
Demand for people with advanced digital skills is projected to increase by an additional 71,000 workers by 2024. The Digital Skills Organisation (DSO) is working to shape the national training system, testing innovative solutions to ensure that digital training meets the skills needs of employers.
The DSO Board is connecting with employers, training organisations, learners and technology communities to connect different parts of the vocational training system with industry, build Australia’s digital workforce and provide the competitive edge needed in the global market.
The DSO has commenced its first project which aims to train 1,000 Data Analysts across Australia. As one of the largest in-demand skills, the DSO is using Data Analytics as a key pillar to prove the industry engagement model. Find out more on the DSO website.
Human Services Skills Organisation
The Human services sector will support an increasing number of Australians in the coming decades, with demand for care-related occupations expected to increase by over 100,000 jobs in the next five years alone.
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed significant pressure on this industry and the Human Services Skills Organisation’s (HSSO) priority is to support efforts to ensure Australia has enough skilled workers to deliver the care and support these essential sectors need.
In response to the pandemic, the HSSO led the development of a new entry into care roles skill set to provide job seekers with entry level skills for faster entry into these sectors. The skill set has three competencies and has been developed as a pathway skill set that leads directly into the Certificate III in Individual Support for people to undertake further training in the future.
Mining Skills Organisation
Mining continues to be one of the largest employers and areas of GDP growth for Australia. The mining industry is at the forefront of industries undergoing large-scale skills shifts as a result of changing technologies and future global demands. The Mining Skills Organisation Pilot (MSOP), is leading the national training system response to these changes to meet the skills needs of employers within the mining sector.
The MSOP is working on several key projects including a national training qualification for mining automation, a new accelerated apprenticeship program pilot and a new data-based workforce planning model. Find out more on the Australian Minerals and Energy Skills Alliance website.
Reforming the System
On 5 August 2020, the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments agreed to a new Heads of Agreement for Skills Reform. The agreement recognises that Australia’s VET system will play a critical role in supporting Australia’s future growth including the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
All jurisdictions have committed to progressing a set of immediate reforms that will deliver a stronger VET system for students, employers and industry. The reforms include the introduction of improved industry engagement arrangements which will be informed by the work of Skills Organisations. We will continue to provide further information on this work as it progresses.
To find out more visit the Skills Organisation website.