Jobs and Skills Councils explained

The new Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) are a network of not-for-profit organisations established to bring together employers, unions, educators and industry leaders to identify the skills needed for local industries and to develop strategies to meet those needs.

They are part of the government-led skills reforms to provide industry with a stronger, more strategic voice in ensuring Australia’s vocational and educational training sector delivers improved outcomes for learners and employers. The new JSC structure will move beyond the lens of training package development to address system-wide barriers from a labour market perspective.

The Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance has recently been established as the Jobs and Skills Council for the manufacturing industry. The manufacturing JSC will cover areas of general manufacturing and engineering, light manufacturing (including pharmaceuticals, print and food), advanced manufacturing and emerging industries, including defence and space technologies.

It will deliver a collaborative, tripartite arrangement that brings employers, unions, and governments together to address skills shortages and broader workforce challenges. It also recognises the key role of training providers. This includes supporting industry and training providers to improve training and assessment practice, mapping career pathways across education sectors and acting as a source of intelligence on issues affecting the sector.

The activity of the manufacturing JSC will be based on actions of the JSC’s four key functions: workforce planning; training product development; implementation, promotion and monitoring; and industry stewardship.

We are looking forward to deepening partnerships between industry, unions, learners, and education providers to support quality, inclusive training delivery and skills development.

 Sign up here to engage with the new Jobs and Skills Council for manufacturing.