The federal government will invest $402 million over the next four years to establish Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) to help address skills shortages and broader workforce challenges.
Formerly known as Industry Clusters, the new JSCs will have a strong connection to Jobs and Skills Australia, aligning with the government’s vision for new industry engagement arrangements.
Led by industry, the JSCs will bring all parties to the table to find solutions to the workforce challenges currently facing industry sectors across Australia.
Federal Skills & Training Minister, Brendan O’Connor, has confirmed 10 industry groupings will be operational from January 2023.
A grouping has been established for energy, gas & renewables as well as manufacturing. There is also a grouping for building and construction.
“This is an essential first step in determining job roles, skills needs and training pathways, combining industry-specific intelligence with JSA’s forecasting and modelling,” O’Connor said.
“This will be crucial in making sure industry has the right workers with the right skills that Australia needs.
“JSCs will identify skills and workforce needs for their sectors, map career pathways across education sectors, develop VET training products, support collaboration between industry and training providers to improve training and assessment practice and act as a source of intelligence on issues affecting their industries,” he said.