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Industry Skills Councils are playing an important role in addressing sustainability issues within the training sector. In response to the COAG Green Skills Agreement, GSA will have a plan for embedding skills for sustainability into Training Packages by the end of March.
The agreement will result in:
- national standards of sustainability practice and teaching in vocational training
- the re-writing of Training Packages to include sustainability principles and competencies; and
- the up-skilling of VET instructors and teachers in delivering sustainability skills.
The definition of ‘skills for sustainability’ or ‘green skills’:
“The technical skills, knowledge, values and attitudes needed in the workforce to develop and support sustainable social, economic and environmental outcomes in business, industry and the community”.
Industry, government bodies, individuals and policy makers are focused on sustainability issues such as; climate change, water scarcity and carbon trading to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the ‘footprint’ of human activity on the ecological system that supports us.
GSA is undertaking an investigation of current and future sustainability skills needs in its industry sectors. A range of issues are being investigated by GSA to:
- determine if current sustainability units should be included as core units in all or selected qualifications
- identify the need and support for industry specific sustainability skills as core competencies
- establish a qualifications framework for each qualification, contingent on the outcomes of the above
- identify gaps and establish industries support for the development of additional units that provide the skills and knowledge
- identify and establish industry support for current/future sustainability technologies to support the development of skills and knowledge within new and existing units of competency
- review the need for support materials
- consider the accredited courses available in sustainability and the institutions conducting the courses
- identify the need and support for skill sets for environmental sustainability.
GSA's research and analysis will be supported by national consultation with stakeholders from industry, professional associations, enterprises, public and private RTOs, government agencies and appropriate Skills Councils. GSA is in the process of developing a plan to implement the policies on sustainability skills, and to identify and allocate the resources needed to complete the work by the end of 2010.
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