This short paper outlines the key issues for migration policy in the context of Australia’s labour market including: • The labour market outcomes of migrants, including the occupations in which temporary migrants and Australian workers are engaged; • Historical evidence of the positive impacts that migrants have had on the Australian economy, citing CEDA studies … Continue reading
The number of qualifications and competencies The present array of over 1400 qualifications and almost 17,000 units of competency on offer has been described as bewildering by the Productivity Commission. It is important to recognise, however, that these key features of the design and content of the train- ing system are in fact very much … Continue reading
Where next for skills? COVID-19 has triggered unprecedented change in the workforce. How can business-led upskilling drive productivity and growth in the workforce. What can businesses do to give employees the right skills for the future of work? To enable a Business-led upskilling effort government need to; Work with business to deliver more responsive upskilling … Continue reading
WHY THIS GUARANTEE? Many young people successfully navigate their way from education to employment and independence, but many get left behind. This Inquiry by the National Youth Commission Australia (NYCA) was prompted by our concern that an increasing number of young people are struggling to make this transition. It also addresses the lack of any … Continue reading
All jurisdictions have signed a Heads of Agreement for Skills Reform. The Agreement sets out immediate reforms to improve the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector and an approach and priorities for developing a new National Skills Agreement to replace the National Agreement on Skills and Workforce Development. The priorities in the Agreement are aimed … Continue reading
Key Features of the Digital Literacy Skills Framework The Digital Literacy Skills Framework describes the core skill across three interactive dimensions: • four levels of performance: Pre Level 1 Stage A and Stage B; Level 1; Level 2; Level 3 • four Performance Variables that may influence a person’s performance at any time: Support, Context, … Continue reading
The JobKeeper Payment is one of the largest fiscal and labour market interventions in Australia’s economic history. The JobKeeper Payment was developed in the second half of March in response to a steep deterioration in economic activity and employment. JobKeeper had three objectives: supporting business and job survival, preserving the employment relationship, and providing needed … Continue reading
Changes in the qualification profiles of workers is one indicator of changes in the supply and demand for education and training. Using Australian Census data on highest qualification held (which may understate the incidence of VET qualifications if they were obtained after completing higher education) this project analyses how tertiary qualification profiles in occupations changed … Continue reading
For many PhD graduates entering the employment market with recent research training under their belt, a career in research and higher education would seem to be the obvious choice. After all, that is the kind of work they have been trained to do. However, with the steep rise in PhD graduations in recent years, and … Continue reading
Mature aged people account for one in six workers in the Australian workforce, a share that has steadily increased over the past decade. Australia’s population is ageing as a result of historically low fertility rates (which have recently recovered to an approximately 30 year high) and increasing life expectancy. As this trend continues, the share … Continue reading
Millennials are often held up as the face of the new world or derided as symbolic of our current world’s problems. They are praised for being more socially minded, willing to challenge the status quo and able to use rapidly evolving technology to solve the issues that face them but, at the same time, they … Continue reading
The Local Government Workforce Development Group (LGWDG) comprises representatives from each state and territory Local Government Association and provides advice on workforce matters to the Australian Local Government Association. The LGWDG undertook this study to identify the current and emerging skill needs of Local Government to better position the sector for the future. The way … Continue reading
A range of measures show a significant slowing in wage growth in Australia over the past five years. The Wage Price Index (WPI) grew at an annual average of 2.2 per cent in the five years to December 2018, which compares with average annual growth of 3.3 per cent in the previous five years to … Continue reading
On 28 November 2018, the Prime Minister announced an independent review of Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) sector to examine ways to deliver skilled workers for a stronger economy. The review was led by the Honourable Steven Joyce, a former New Zealand Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment. Mr Joyce delivered the final … Continue reading
In July 2018, the Department of Jobs and Small Business (the Department) commissioned the Social Research Centre to review and analyse the submissions received in response to the Discussion Paper, ‘The Next Generation of Employment Services’ which was released for public comment in late June 2018. Over 450 responses were received from individuals, employment service … Continue reading