Burgeoning services sector gets new voice on training
15 January 2004
Australia’s burgeoning services industry has a new and powerful voice on vocational education and training (VET) - Service Industries Skills Australia (SISA).
SISA’s role will be to channel industry “intelligence" about services industry training needs into the VET system as well as boosting training within the fast-growing industry itself.
SISA will represent the interests of almost 640 000 businesses, with more than three million employees, and more than one million volunteers, across sectors including retail and wholesale, sport and recreation, tourism, hospitality, hairdressing, beauty therapy, and funeral services.
SISA is part of network of 10 councils being formed as part of an Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) drive to boost forward planning for the nation’s skill needs.
ANTA chief executive officer Janina Gawler says SISA will build a closer and more effective relationship between industry and VET decisionmakers and providers.
"Australia’s services industry is the fastest growing area of our economy with forecast job growth of around 5.8 per cent over the next five years," she says.
"The training has to be available in up-to-date industry skills so that people can build careers and employers can get the qualified people they need to grow competitive businesses.
"SISA will be a hotline from industry to governments to ensure that employers, employees, apprentices, trainees, and students have access to the training products and services they need, when they need them."
SISA’s role will be:
- to support high quality, nationally recognised training products and services, including enhancing innovation and efficiency in their development; and
- to assist industries, enterprises, and their workforce to integrate skill development with business goals.
Another element of ANTA’s new system for keeping in touch with training needs is a twice-yearly “think tank” of industry and VET leaders. ANTA will bring business, industry and VET sector leaders together twice a year to consider strategic plans developed from research and advice from the skills councils. The first of these was held in Melbourne late last year.
SISA should be operating by March.
More information about skills councils:
Craig Silva (07) 3246 2465
Media inquiries:
Jan Martin (07) 3246 2412
Lisa White (07) 3246 2368