New skills body takes up the manufacturing case
16 September 2004
Australia’s most valuable industry—our multi-billion dollar manufacturing sector—has a new body to tackle its skills issues.
The new Manufacturing Industry Skills Council will be the voice of 75,000 businesses, employing almost a million Australians, and an agent for linking the range of government activity, programs, strategies, and research, on manufacturing skill needs.
The council 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 Paul Byrne says Australian manufacturing, which encompasses everything from heavy engineering to textiles, has faced extraordinary pressures over the past decade to stay competitive - reduced tariff protection, increased competition from imports; an ageing workforce; an image problem turning off new recruits; tougher occupational health and safety and environmental regulation, and more advanced technology.
“Manufacturers and their workforce have responded by changing work practices and adopting new technology, and with it, new skills,” he says.
“The pressure for change will continue, with ongoing issues like the ageing workforce and skill shortages, and the skills council will be able to work with industry and governments to build broad-based solutions to these pressing skill issues.”
The council will be involved with at least 11 cooperative research centres, as well as a range of Australian Government industry action agendas and skills shortage strategies.
The council will:
- assist industries, enterprises, and their workforce to integrate skill development with business goals, and
- support high quality, nationally recognised training products and services.
The council takes the tally of new industry skills councils to nine, with the Construction and Property Industry Skills Council, Agri-Food Skills Council, Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council, ElectroComms and Energy Utilities Industry Skills Council, Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council, Resources and Infrastructure Industry Skills Council, Service Industries Skills Australia, and TDT Australia, covering transport and distribution.
For more information visit http://www.anta.gov.au/vetAdvisory.asp
Media inquiries:
Jan Martin (07) 3246 2412 / 0418 875 547
Lisa White (07) 3246 2368