Government Skills Australia

An agreement has been reached by the states/territories at COAG for existing workers thruogh the Productivity Places Program.  Through this Agreement (and a separate agreement with Victoria), the state/territories agreed to deliver an additional 506,750 qualifications for job seekers and existing workers over four years.

Funding by the commonwealth government will remain at 100% for Job Seekers and 50% for Existing Workers. The states/territories have agreed to fund 40% of the cost for Existing Workers with a 10% contribution from the enterprise. The National Program will commence on January 1, 2009 and finish on June 30, 2012. Click here for a link into the official communiqué.

The current LGA04 Local Government Training Package continuous improvement project will be complete early in 2009, which will enable the next stage of continuous improvement to commence.  A Project Steering Committee will review the feedback received from local government and training stakeholders to determine the key priority areas for the next project.

Government Skills Australia’s expanded role in workforce development aims to improve the functioning of the government and community safety workforce through addressing the systems and structures that shape it. Working at an enterprise level, GSA’s national Workforce Development Advisors will focus on identifying training and other current and future workforce issues, their levels of impact and on providing solutions for those issues, with the ultimate goal being to ensure a sufficient pool of skilled workers for the future.

The workforce development team will work with employers, employment service providers, training providers and government to broker government funded training places and offer a holistic service to industry in providing workforce development advice free of charge.

Headed by Nick Dudley, GSA’s Branch Manager for Workforce Development, the team consists of four Workforce Development Advisors, Nick Crosling, Amy Kiesel, Kath Curry and Tamara Shinners, all of whom bring considerable knowledge and experience to the role as a result of their extensive backgrounds in Vocational, Education and Training (VET) and business development.

The WA Police Academy is the focal point of education and training for all police officers and WA Police employees. The Academy offers around 20 training programs as well as a range of courses at a variety of levels. More than 130 internal trainers are stationed at the Academy to ensure all new employees receive skilled training in the areas they are assigned to.

Version 7 of the PUA00 Public Safety Training Package (PSTP) will be submitted for endorsement to the National Quality Council (NQC). This submission forms part of the full Phase II Review of the PUA00 PSTP and will only incorporate new material that has undergone national consultation and validation.

Version 7 of the Training Package covers sector specialist occupations and has developed new qualifications, units and skill sets for Defence, Fire, Police and State/Territory Emergency Services, and provides a revised Introduction related to this new content. This update will not involve any changes to current Version 6 PUA00 PSTP material.

Government Skills Australia is facilitating a number of National Industry Consultations, with the view to developing units of competency for those working in fields which involve Radiation Protection and Safety.  The outcomes of these consultations will be submitted to the Radiation Health Committee of ARPANSA.

First consultation forums have been held in Sydney and Adelaide and we thank those who gave up their time to provide initial input to the ptocess. Draft units are now being developed covering a range of roles from radiation workers to Radiation Safety Officers on industrial sites. These units will be placed on GSA's Feedback Register during December so those who have not been able to attend will have the opportunity to comment. Consultation/validation forums will be held in Mackay, Perth and Melbourne during February 2009. First responders will have separate consultation forums.

GSA invites you to have your say in a national skills survey to help shape government policy and funding

What is in it for you and your organisation?

• Better understanding of employer/employee needs of your Industry at National and State level
• More responsive Training Package content
• Increased ability to identify current and projected skills requirements of your sector critical to your business plan or service delivery
• Increased likelihood that critical skill shortages currently experienced within your industry will be acknowledged by Commonwealth
• Targeted Career information resources to support recruitment and career development.

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will host a conference from 2 to 5 March 2009 which will address the best way to meet future skills needs in a globally competitive world.

The ‘Big Skills Conference’ is the first major national conference on skills and training hosted at the Federal level since the year 2000, and it has the support of many organisations and individuals involved in tertiary education and training. It is timely to reinvigorate further education and identify how skills and training can help address the big challenges of productivity, participation and social inclusion.

The conference will be forward looking and it will bring together major national and international players to debate issues, think differently and stimulate change in the Australian tertiary sector.

Andy met with the Hunter Council's Local Government Training Institute Director, Bob Wiltshire, and the team in Newcastle to discuss a range of issues that will influence the structure and content of qualifications and skills sets contained within the Local Government Training Package.  Discussions continued regarding the Australian Government's Productivity Places Program and future developments for the Local Government Training Package.