The Commonwealth Government released its Employment White Paper on Monday 25 September 2023. The paper covers a wide range of employment-related issues including achieving full employment, job security, wage growth, productivity growth and overcoming barriers for people to access employment opportunities.
There is an education and training theme throughout the White Paper, recognising its centrality in meeting the Government’s objectives. Some of the key themes it discusses are higher apprenticeships, an idea pioneered by Ai Group, accelerating the establishment of Centres of Excellence and introducing a National Skills Passport.
The paper notes there will be more growth in jobs that need higher-level skills, which means workers will require higher levels of post-school education and training. Projections produced by Victoria University for Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) show that over the next ten years, more than nine out of ten new jobs expected to be created will require post-secondary qualifications, with that requirement split between VET and higher education qualifications. The sectors expected to have the greatest jobs growth are in health care and social assistance, digital and technology, and jobs needed for the transformation to clean energy.
The White Paper announces the Commonwealth Government’s intention to provide additional funding to fast track the establishment of up to six TAFE Centres of Excellence, highlighting the priority placed on TAFE to play a key part in reforms. TAFE Centres of Excellence ‘will enrich students’ learning experience through applied research and work directly with industry to respond to immediate and future demand. These new TAFE Centres of Excellence add to a rich and growing ecosystem of innovative tertiary models in Australia – building a strong institutional platform to support the future labour market.
TAFE Centres of Excellence will be used to facilitate higher apprenticeships in partnership with local universities, which will help encourage greater collaboration between the two sectors. Higher apprenticeships will combine structured on the job training with degree-level study, with a focus on target areas including net zero, care and support, and digital.
The paper discusses implementing a National Skills Passport as a way to facilitate lifelong learning. A National Skills Passport would combine a person’s qualifications across VET and higher education including recognised micro-credentials. This could be used to demonstrate a person’s skills to employers.
The education and training agenda throughout the White Paper mirrors a range of initiatives promoted by Ai Group for at least two decades.
