The Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) legislation has now passed both houses and will soon receive Royal Assent.
This is a key initiative of the Government's agenda to invest in skills to drive future economic growth.
This Bill gives effect to the Australian Government’s commitment to establish a new statutory body that will provide independent advice and establish genuine tripartite partnerships with state and territory Governments, industry, business peaks, unions and training providers to ensure the training system is fit for purpose and to address the skills crisis in this country.
This first tranche of legislation outlines the interim settings, allowing JSA to start responding to the critical and evolving skills needs that workers and employers are facing. It will do this by bringing together national leadership and expertise, and cutting-edge data analytic capability, to better understand Australia’s skills, labour market and workforce environment.
Using its data, evidence and analysis, it will play an active role in workforce planning to provide a long-term view of Australia’s workforce needs and map the supply and demand of skill requirements. In addition, JSA will deliver other products such as capacity studies for new and emerging industries and occupations to ensure Australia can clearly identify where and when skilled workers will be needed.
One of the first tasks the new agency will undertake is a clean energy workforce capacity study. This will look at the occupations needed for a low carbon economy and their geographic distribution, undertake a transitions analysis, and a study of existing workforce capacity.
Establishment of JSA is a significant milestone for the Department, including the staff at the NSC who will transition to the new agency, and who have done exceptional work since the NSC was established.
More information
- Media release Minister for Skills and Employment, Brendan O’Connor MP
- Explanatory Memorandum
- Second Reading Speeches
- Key dates for legislation