Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) has this month released its inaugural Jobs and Skills Report for 2023. The report is a key document in meeting JSA's role as a catalyst in activating the potential of Australia’s human capital to meet present and future skills needs.
JSA is seeking to support three high level objectives: minimising unemployment; increasing productivity, real wages, participation and sustainable economic growth; and increasing equity and reducing disadvantage. Supporting these objectives will involve anticipating how jobs and skills need to evolve to achieve these objectives, helping the national skills system deliver the skills people will need.
The new report serves as a comprehensive review of Australia’s skills, education and training landscape, considers the emerging reform agenda, and sets up the parameters for a national jobs and skills roadmap. It looks at megatrends shaping the economy and the workforce, including digital transformation, clean energy and the net zero transformation, and the growth of the care and support economy. It analyses current skills shortages that remain elevated, and employment projections for the decade ahead. It shows that demand for VET and higher education graduates is expected to grow strongly.
The report notes the strengths of our VET and higher education sectors, however it points to a number of challenges faced by each sector. A new National Skills Agreement will aim to address these issues within the VET sector, while the current review of higher education to establish a Universities Accord promises to reinvigorate higher education.
Importantly it calls for a more joined up tertiary education system (VET and higher education), migration systems reform, and to ensure that these three key pillars of the national skills system effectively complement each other and flexibly respond to skills and workforce needs. Underpinning this there must be a lifelong learning system that enables individuals to continually develop their skills to meet the needs of a dynamic economy and changing labour market.
The next step for JSA is to develop a national jobs and skills roadmap in partnership with Jobs and Skills Councils, states and territories, business and unions and the education and training sector. The roadmap will take the analysis of jobs and skills pressures in the report to map out the reforms required, and then implement policies to achieve the objectives set. Monitoring and feedback will lead to further refinement of the strategies adopted.
The report lists 14 potential roadmap opportunities. JSA will undertake projects and consult stakeholders during 2023–24 in order to provide insights into the roadmap opportunities.
