Recognising the value of industry-driven skills  

There’s nothing wrong with a job where you come home with your hands dirty and sweat upon your brow, plenty will tell you of the fun to be had in physical work and indeed many trades can be very financially rewarding.

Chair of the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC), John Pollaers, today called for greater recognition of the value of industry-driven skills in meeting the needs of both businesses and workers.

Responding to the Right Skills. Right time? report by SkillsIQ, a national not-for-profit Skills Service Organisation (SSO), Mr Pollaers said the report raised important issues about the way skills, and vocational education and training (VET), are viewed by students, parents, schools and employers.

“With many high school students now completing their studies and making decisions about their future education, this report by SkillsIQ is timely,” Mr Pollaers said.

“I urge students and parents to consider VET as a pathway to a rewarding career, and one that provides the practical skills and knowledge that is needed by industry.

“The AISC is working closely with industry to make sure national training provides students with the job ready, future-focussed competencies that employers demand,” he said.

Mr Pollaers called for a cultural shift, with a greater emphasis on having the right skills for the job.

“As Chair of the AISC, I am determined to foster a responsive and agile system which prepares all workers, from young people through to older workers, for the opportunities ahead. This includes having employees with appropriately matched skills for the job. This is not to say that higher level qualifications are not necessary – but they should be in response to the actual skills and knowledge required, and appropriate to the stage of an individual’s career.

“I welcome this report from SkillsIQ as it is building the evidence base in this important area. To further this work, I encourage businesses – large and small – to get involved in their Industry Reference Committee (IRC) so they can have a direct say in the skills they need – now and in the future.”

The AISC draws on advice from its network of Industry Reference Committees (IRCs), which are made up of people with experience, skills and knowledge of their particular sector. They work across their industry to ensure their advice reflects the needs of employers and the modern economy. IRCs are supported in their work by professional service organisations called Skills Service Organisations (SSOs). SkillsIQ is one of six SSOs servicing 64 IRCs.