The Australian Government is proud to announce that Minister for Skills and Training, the Hon Brendan O'Connor MP, is the first Australian skills minister to attend the OECD Skills Summit in Belgium this week. This prestigious summit brings together ministers and senior officials from over 30 countries to discuss the future of skills and training sectors in a rapidly changing world.
The summit provides Australia with the opportunity to share the Government’s achievements in the skills and training sector, including the creation of Jobs and Skills Australia and the landmark $30 billion National Skills Agreement, and the provision of 300,000 Fee-Free TAFE places in areas of the economy with high demand.
The summit:
- will discuss how countries can shape their response to opportunities and challenges posed by the shift to net zero emissions, and digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence
- consider how vocational education and training (VET) can provide people with skills across their lives to equip them for more diverse career pathways
- allow Ministers to share insights into creating inclusive skills sectors that support people, including vulnerable people, to embrace and adapt to workforce changes.
The Australian Government will also receive valuable insights into best-practice methods of addressing skills shortage and strengthening connections between VET and higher education.
Minister Brendan O'Connor stated, “The VET sector is an engine room of opportunity and for creating long-lasting prosperity. The summit will help us fine tune our approach and benchmark our progress against world-leading economies. Australia is investing in evidence-based trials and pilot programs with the goal of being one step ahead of future skills in demand, with a focus on the transition to net zero and the digital transformation.”
The Australian Government is committed to creating inclusive skills sectors that support people from all backgrounds and will be looking to learn from best-practices from other countries in addressing skills shortages and strengthening connections between VET and higher education.
The OECD Skills Summit presents an invaluable opportunity for Australia to collaborate with other countries and shape the future of our skills and training sectors.
To find out more, read the media release from The Hon Brendan O’Connor MP, Minister for Skills and Training.