Australia adapts jobs strategy to achieve high-skills nation

Australia has introduced a new bill to establish a new statutory body aimed at addressing the nation’s skills crisis.

Jobs and Skills Australia, to sit within the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, is aimed at supporting “productivity improvements, economic growth and creating more secure and better employment opportunities for Australian workers”, said Skills and Training minister Brendan O’Connor. 

The new body will advise the relevant Minister or Department secretary on a range of current and emerging labour market and workforce skills and training issues, to improve employment opportunities for individuals and help drive economic growth, reports Innovation Aus.

“Through the use of data, evidence and analysis, Jobs and Skills Australia will play a proactive role in workforce planning. This will include delivering products such as capacity studies for new and emerging industries to help ensure Australia has a pipeline of appropriately skilled workers,” highlighted the bill’s explanatory memorandum. 

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“This will enable the skills and workforce needs of all participants in the Australian economy to be at the forefront when the government is considering workforce, employment and skills policies and programmes,” it read.