SKILLS NEEDED IN THE WORKFORCE

National Skills Forum - September 16 2005                          

The Department of Education, Science and Training convened A National Skills Forum on 16 September 2005 to provide an opportunity to exchange information on impediments and success factors for attracting and retaining workers, particularly in trade occupations experiencing skills shortages. 

The forum highlighted current issues including the ageing workforce, skilled migration and the duration of apprenticeships.  Click here to view the presentations.

Skills shortages occur for a variety of reasons:

• strong economy with low rates of unemployment;
• growth of new industries with few ready-skilled tradespeople available;
• relocation of new industries into different regions with a different skills base;
• reduced interest in particular industries among potential job seekers;
• location of industry, or project-based work, in rural or regional areas with a small skills base;
• technology changes within an industry, especially production, resulting in new methods and therefore skills needs; and
• changes in underpinning skills needs to successfully undertake trade training for example, Year 12 mathematics for some trades.

States & Territories

Skills in Demand Lists State and Territories – 2006   identify shortages and demand in trade, professional and information technology and communications occupations. 

National Skills Shortages Strategy

Since 1999, the Australian Government has approached skills shortages on an industry by industry basis through the National Industry Skills Initiative (NISI) and its successor the National Skills Shortages Strategy (NSSS).

Since the commencement of the National Skills Shortage Strategy the Australian Government has committed to assist the Electrotechnology, Engineering, Retail Motor, Food Trades, Rural, Building and Construction, Emerging Technologies, Retail, Road Freight Transport, Aerospace and Marine Manufacturing industries to analyse their skills needs and identify and implement actions to attract and train new entrants into each industry.  See links below for information on these industry projects.

Improving the image of industry and their recruitment practices, engaging employers in training, and developing careers education materials are some of the strategies developed under NISI to address difficulties in attracting and retaining people to industries experiencing skills shortages. 

Some of the industries that have participated in the NISI and NSSS programmes include: 

Nature and Causes of Skills Shortages  RTF file (10Mb)