Ron Burns

1
NATIONAL SKILL SHORTAGES STRATEGY PROJECTS
INDUSTRY FINDINGS Presentation to National
Skills Forum

• Ron Burns
• Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Training Advisor
• 16 September 2005

2
Skill and labour shortages are an ongoing
challenge for the Australian economy

• ACCI believes that a lasting solution will need
  to involve
• Growing the skilled workforce locally ensuring
  the VET sector is adequately funded and tailored
  to meet the workforce needs of employers
• Encouraging people to move within Australia to
  areas where the jobs and skill shortages exist
  and
• Skilled and semi-skilled migration.
• .

3
ACCI NSSS PROJECTS

• 2004-05 ACCI coordinating 11 NSSS projects
  involving 12 National Industry Associations
• Identification of industry skill needs,
  investigation of new pathways to VET
  qualifications and accelerated apprenticeships
• Identification of people best suited to careers
  in specific industries and development of
  recruitment tools to assist employers and
  employees
• Development of promotional vehicles to attract
  new employees to careers in specific industries
  and to promote employment of apprentices to
  employers
• Interaction of employers with the VET system in
  specific industries and their use of web based
  information on training and
• Impacts of new technology on licensing and
  training.

4
FINDINGS

• Training needs to reflect changed realities of
  workplaces and the organisation of work
• Specialisation means that the full trade skills
  are not always utilised
• Just in time production and the reduction of
  down time means reduction in opportunities for
  on the job training and
• Employers are developing a preference for
  training in specific competencies or groups of
  competencies to meet specific workplace needs
  rather than full qualifications.

5
FINDINGS (Cont)

• There are so many careers materials in schools
  that only the most interesting are being used
• Information that emphasises long term careers is
  not necessarily what young people are interested
  in
• Web sites do not necessarily meet the needs of
  either employers or potential employees
• Training organisations, governments, recruitment
  agencies and employers still concentrate on the
  youth market
• RPL is not meeting the needs of either industry
  or employees

6
POLICY IMPLICATIONS

• Development of new VET qualifications at
  Certificate II through to Advanced Diploma to
  create new pathways with government support
• Industrial relations arrangements may need to be
  be amended to reflect new qualifications in some
  industries
• Alternative labour sources must be addressed with
  resources equivalent to those allocated to youth
  markets and
• RPL restructured to provide viable alternative
  pathways.

7
NATIONAL SKILL SHORTAGES STRATEGY

• Why do we need it?
• Provides a vehicle for government and industry to
  work together to achieve industry developed
  outcomes.
• Addresses employment issues, the VET system and
  the New Apprenticeships Programme to encourage
  integrated solutions for industry
• Facilitates across government engagement between
  industry and relevant departments