New jobs – new skills: a training and higher education system enthusiastic about innovative enterprise and partnership with industry
The Smart State vision relies on a skilled and flexible workforce that can respond to the needs of business and industry, both now and in the future. Science and technology make significant contributions to our economy, and we will continue our investment in these fields. For example, we will promote more students pursuing higher education study and careers in the sciences such as physics, chemistry and mathematics, as well as in engineering and technology. However, only a small proportion of workers are scientists or engineers: all sectors of our workforce need to be knowledgeable, skilled, inventive and enterprising to achieve the Smart State vision.
With Queensland’s exceptional economic expansion in recent years we have to work harder than ever to expand our local supply of skills as well as attract skilled workers to the State.
Through Smart Queensland, we will establish stronger links between business, industry, higher education, and skills providers to get a better match between workplace needs and training. This includes encouraging the exchange of knowledge and expertise between traditional disciplines such as science and business to reflect a converging world.
The Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector is critical to the State’s prosperity. A sector that is in tune with the latest technologies and responsive to industry’s needs will best serve Queensland.
The Queensland Government will:
- commence a comprehensive review of Queensland’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) system and develop a range of strategies to make it flexible and responsive to the rapidly changing skills needs of the economy, and deliver up-to-date training to more Queenslanders. The strategies will include:
- raising the skills and qualifications level of Queensland’s population
- reforming and modernising the trade apprenticeship system
- targeting vocational education and training to address skills shortage areas and the needs of industry and business
- developing a new system of providing information and guidance to people of all ages about the full range of job options available and the skills needed to obtain them
- developing a world-leading professional and para-professional workforce
- upgrading the skills of existing workers
- modernising the role of Queensland’s 15 Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes and other public providers
- developing new relationships with private registered training providers to better meet Queensland’s skills needs
- developing measures to encourage and assist employers to develop new strategies at the enterprise level to develop and retain the skills needed
- getting a new engagement between the government and employers to address skills deficits in an integrated, collaborative way
- addressing the training and skills needs of rural and regional Queensland
- developing measures to raise labour market participation across the population to raise living standards and offset the impacts of the ageing population
- developing specific and targeted active labour market and skilling initiatives for older people.
The Review will be undertaken in consultation with Queensland’s VET sector, public and private training providers, industry, workers and the community.
- promote Smart State University Internships, in partnership with the State’s universities, business and industry. The Queensland Government will provide funds to support the establishment of new internship programs for undergraduate university students in priority areas such as science, technology, commercialisation and engineering. This will encourage students to increase their technical and commercial skills through work placements and benefit future employers by producing work-ready graduates.
Stoddart’s Skills Success
Stoddart Metal Fabricators has been manufacturing a diverse and inventive range of stainless steel products for over 40 years. As the business grew it experienced a dwindling number of quality apprentice applicants. Managing Director Bill Stoddart made a strategic decision to put skills attraction and development high on the company agenda and abandoned traditional recruitment in favour of an innovative campaign.
Stoddart reaches into the high schools to promote the careers options available to apprentices, to students and their parents. Stoddart works closely with Rochedale and Marsden State High Schools to get the message out to young people that manufacturing is a great career option.
After struggling to get 15 apprentices in 2002, Stoddart received a much larger pool of 90 determined applicants to select from in 2004. The new intake will take the total number of apprentices currently working at Stoddart to 65.
- continue to implement Skilling Solutions Queensland – innovative and unique one-stop-shops for training and career advice to help address skills shortages in industries. For people wanting to upgrade their skills or find a job, Skilling Solutions will offer free access to up-to-date information about training and career prospects. The Queensland Government has committed $10.7 million over three years to the initiative with shop fronts being set up in the Logan Hyperdome, Loganlea, Woodridge and South Brisbane.