- Submission received
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Q1: Are there other design considerations that could further strengthen Jobs and Skills Australia's ability to provide advice to government?
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Response:
Scope The scope of considering economy wide broader factors should include the role of secondary education in that it prepares people to make decisions about work, about their study pathways and also establishes their learning behaviours over a lifetime. this is where the foundations for productivity, innovation and growth in the workplace are established. There are also direct links in that secondary students are participating in the VET sector at school. 'Broader factors' should also include addressing skill deficiencies that present a barrier to societal / community inclusion especially literacy numeracy and digital inclusion. Volunteer "workforce' skills should be considered - these are foundational for many industry sectors. Design Industry training councils (WA) or ITABS (NSW) should be included in the stakeholder list - they will play a critical role in providing industry intelligence, information about the workforce development and emerging learning/ skilling typologies. Tripartite body as above should include the secondary education sector should include expert advice on the future 'at work' life long learning needs of all industry sectors as occupations evolve. including changing educational typologies to meet the needs of complex cognition in the workplace as well as supporting diverse multi generational workforces.
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Q2: What principles could be used to guide Jobs and Skills Australia's priorities, and the development of its workplan?
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Response:
Principles to guide workplan A strategic vs reactive approach to the workplan would be helpful. Adopting the principles of the Boyce review which called for a non- binary and non- hierarchical post secondary sector that is fluid and agile in its response to emerging workforce national (and global ) priorities. promote skills development that develops innovation, entrepreneurship and business ownership, generates intellectual property especially in the technology and creative sectors. Australia needs to drive economic and social growth through generative industries and occupations.
Q3: How could Jobs and Skills Australia seek broader input into the development and refinement of its workplan?
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Response:
Broader input can be gathered through the entities that State and Territory governments currently work with to gather workforce development information or more directly through relationships that the Jobs and Skills Councils have with these organisations.
Q4: How could Jobs and Skills Australia engage tripartite partners, experts, and other interested parties in its major studies?
- Are the different needs of industry and learners effectively considered in designing qualifications in the current system? What works well and why?
- Are there issues or challenges with the way qualifications are currently designed? What are they and what could be done to address these?
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Response:
Create a value proposition for engagement by providing useful, relevant and new information back to interested parties to build a stronger understanding and culture around workforce development. it needs to be a circular interaction rather than all the information flowing to government with no recognisable impact.
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Q5: What new information should Jobs and Skills Australia be collecting through its engagement to build a stronger evidence base?
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Response:
Information that could be collected to inform a stronger evidence base includes looking beyond; existing literal linear models equating qualifications to jobs, recognising that emerging education models will need to provide skills and knowledge for transferability and labour market mobility look at international models where 'trade', service sector and knowledge occupations interact in a non hierarchical way information about workforce diversity and measures to address disadvantage at work including the gender pay gap investigate occupational scarring resulting from the pandemic, how do industry sectors begin to create an authentic, credible brand for their sectors that builds attraction digital exclusion, falling literacy and numeracy and the impact this may have on Australia's digital transformation across all sectors.
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Q6: How can Jobs and Skills Australia expand its engagement with a broader range of skills and industry stakeholders in its work?
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Response:
Create a strong conversation about Australia's strategic workforce development that links to contemporary data about how people are working, learning, and the meaning of work beyond renumeration Use inclusive, language - make the conversation interesting rather than top down, big end of town didactic jargon. ensure people in all levels of work feel included, eg entry level workers, self employed freelancers. listen to why people are making decisions about work and education and training and link into those motivating factors if possible to reach more diverse stakeholders.
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Q7: What types of outreach could Jobs and Skills Australia use to increase visibility and use of its products and advice?
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Response:
a multi pronged approach, well resourced National campaign about the future - including opportunities about growth sectors eg renewables, technology use state and territory workforce development agencies to disseminate information
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Q8: How could Jobs and Skills Australia present its data and advice to aid stakeholders in informing their needs? What formats could better inform your work?
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Response:
the advice needs to be as real time as possible transparency about data to do with migration would build trust in the government's commitment to workforce development.
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If you would like to add any further comments before submitting, please add them below.
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Response:
This is a very exciting time to elevate the conversation and policy settings beyond a narrow definition of the value of education, training and the meaning and future of work. it is a contested space in which powerful well resourced voices sometimes dominate to the detriment of creative and strategic ways of thinking and solutions. Really talking to marginalised groups and listening to their needs and aspirations is important. if the entire workforce is not developed and supported Australia will not realise its full economic potential. workforce can be paid and unpaid. jobs and skills lead to social and cultural outcomes of benefit to all in addition to economic growth. the most successful economies and societies seem to be those that develop creative, innovative ways of thinking that lead to new products, sectors and businesses. so investment in science and technology, the arts and the humanities that don't always have a defined job outcome are critical. thanks for the opportunity to comment. Julie Hobbs Chief Executive Officer, FutureNow.