The Australian government has created three new Jobs and Skills Councils (JSC) to help address skills shortages and broader workforce challenges in manufacturing, transport and logistics, mining, and automotive industries.
JSCs serve as a platform for employers and unions to collaborate with governments and the education and training sectors to find solutions to workforce challenges and the skills shortage currently facing industry sectors across Australia.
One of the JSCs established is the Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance, which will work to help modern manufacturing and associated industries get the right workers with the right skills, ensuring Australia’s manufacturing sector continues to grow through advanced manufacturing and innovation.
Meanwhile, transport and logistics JSC Industry Skills Australia will bring together employer and union leaders from the transport and logistics industries to support workforce planning and skills needs for Australia’s core supply chain sectors.
The federal government also established the Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance, which will work closely with employers and unions to address workforce challenges and skills gaps for industries critical to Australia’s economic and environmental future.
The JSCs will have a strong connection with Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) to align workforce planning for their sectors. This will combine the JSCs’ industry-specific intelligence with JSA’s forecasting and modelling to help determine job roles, skills need, and education and training pathways.
“JSCs like Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance, will help inform and advise both tertiary sectors about the existing and emerging skills needs of our economy,” said Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor.
“These new JSCs will act as a source of intelligence on issues affecting their industries and provide valuable leadership and advice in addressing skills and workforce challenges.”
A total of $42 million is set to be invested over the next four years to establish 10 Jobs and Skills Councils. The remaining councils are in the process of establishment and more announcements are expected to be made in the coming weeks, according to a media release issued by O’Connor Wednesday.
