Labor Pitches Skills And Digital Literacy Ahead Of Election

May 15, 2019

Labor Pitches Skills And Digital Literacy Ahead Of Election

If elected on Saturday an Australian Labor Government will address Australia’s digital skills gap, establish centres of excellence for AI and blockchain, encourage more startup activity, and reform controversial encryption laws.

Each of the moves has been outlined by Shadow Minister for Human Services and the Digital Economy, Ed Husic, in the lead up to the federal election.

Today, Husic elaborated on several aspects of the Opposition’s digital strategy during an event in Sydney organised by InnovationAus and StartupAus. While Husic has become a regular at the town hall style gatherings LNP representatives have declined the group’s invitations, according to event organisers.

Skills Pitch

To address Australia’s digital skills gap Labor has pledged more vocational training for IT and more requirements that digital roles to be filled by local talent, with an emphasis on diversity.

Labor has promised 5,00 free Tafe places for IT and digital courses. Half of those places are reserved for women to address IT’s diversity problem. Today Husic revealed “where we can” the program would also target older workers transitioning to new roles in particular.

Husic said Labor would promote local talent in the digital economy but leave the door open for migrant workers to “ensure our skills are current”.

Shadow Minister for Human Services and the Digital Economy, Ed Husic speaking in Sydney. *Supplied*.

“We could fill every single vacancy here in Australia with a local and I’d still think there’s a role for skilled migration.

“From my point of view, if people are doing something smart somewhere else in the world and they want to come here or they’re needed here we should bring them here. Because we need to ensure that the knowledge base is continually replenished.”

Husic said Labor’s “smart visas” will mean foreigners with highly needed skills including digital can help bridge the deficit between local talent and industry requirements.

Businesses need to step up too, Husic argued, noting the practice of large corporations relying too heavily on 457 Visa holders for IT needed to stop.

Husic said a Labor Government would require large companies working on digital projects for government to ensure one in 10 of its involved employees are digital trainees or apprentices.

Labor’s shadow minister also reaffirmed the party’s commitment to reform the controversial encryption laws it helped pass late last year.

“This has been an awful bill in the way it has been put through parliament … This is having a devastating impact locally.”

Husic said several international firms are avoiding the Australian market because they believe storing data here is “not worth the risk”. Husic said Labor will push to reform the bill even if it remains in opposition.

However he ruled out repealing the legislation saying the challenge of bad actors misusing digital platforms was real and other jurisdictions were taking similar measures, although not as “hopelessly” as Australia.

Politicians Must Do Better On Tech: Husic

Regardless of which party wins government on Saturday Husic says a better understanding of technology is needed in Canberra.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Husic said of politicians digital literacy.

“I think the reality is parliamentarians are going to have to get across [digital technology] a lot more. Not just in terms of the profound impact of technology broadly but even from a government perspective.”

Every government department will deal with transformation projects, Husic says, and the politicians leading them need to understand the underlying technology to some extent.

“Gone are the days that you could just be there for the announcement and shove the project management to the IT help desk and hope that it just all worked out. That’s not going to work anymore. We’ve seen that through this term of this parliament with a number of digital derailments, some of which have not purely been because of the tech … A lot of it is governance.”

SourceAAP:which-50.com

May 11, 2019

Governments should step up their efforts to give people skills to seize opportunities in a digital world

(Unsplash, 2019)

This article is brought to you in association with OECD.

Governments must urgently step up their efforts to improve their education and training policies to help more people reap the benefits of the digital transformation and to reduce the risk of automation widening inequalities and driving unemployment, according to a new OECD report.

The OECD Skills Outlook 2019, which is part of the Organisation’s “I am the Future of Work” campaign, shows that as job markets evolve in response to technological change, some countries are better prepared than others as a result of the skill levels of their populations.

A new scoreboard in the Outlook finds that only a few countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, are ahead in terms of the skills and effective lifelong learning systems needed to thrive in the digital world.

However, many other countries are lagging behind. Japan and Korea, for example, have the potential to perform well but must make greater efforts to ensure older workers and adults are not left behind. People in Chile, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Slovak Republic and Turkey often lack the skills needed to flourish in the digital world and current training systems are not developed enough to enable them to upskill.

“In our rapidly digitalising world, skills make the difference between staying ahead of the wave and falling behind,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, launching the report in Paris. “To help people, governments will need to find the right balance between policies fostering flexibility, labour mobility and job stability. Businesses have also a key role to play in ensuring that employees upskill and reskill, adapting to the changing demands of the labour market. By improving our skills systems, we can ensure that today’s technological revolution will improve lives for all.” Read the full speech.

Traditional education systems need to evolve into lifelong learning systems, says the OECD. Adults will need to reskill and upskill throughout their careers to keep up with changes in the labour market. Yet, participation in training by low-skilled adults – those most likely to be affected by the changes ahead – is 40 percentage points below that of high-skilled adults on average across the OECD. Countries should create flexible and shorter types of learning opportunities, and technology can help through the development of online resources.

The Outlook says it is also key to improve the labour market relevance of adult learning and design new ways to recognise the level of skills of people who will follow complex learning pathways. It is vital to overcome the lack of motivation, which seems to prevent many low-skilled adults from engaging in training opportunities.

The Outlook estimates the level of training required for workers to change occupation and calculates how much training effort is required to facilitate these transitions. The findings show that more than half of occupations (54%) at high risk of automation will need either a moderate (less than one year) or severe (more than one year) training effort for workers to transition to better-quality and safer jobs.

The magnitude of the challenge is substantial since lifelong learning systems need to provide training for adults throughout their careers, so that they can move to other jobs as automation progresses or avoid being displaced from jobs that will be profoundly transformed. Governments need to put the right incentives and mechanisms in place to engage employers, social partners and other stakeholders to share the costs.

Countries can foster lifelong learning by addressing inequalities in learning opportunities throughout life, adapting the school curriculum to changing skills requirements and providing more effective training to teachers. Technology can play a large role in making education and training systems more efficient, flexible and adaptable to individual needs. To achieve this goal, it is important that teachers receive the support they need to use technology in order to improve student outcomes.

Technology can also help lagging regions catch up, by connecting people with teachers and learning opportunities that may not be available locally.

The OECD Skills Outlook 2019, together with country notes for Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, are available at http://www.oecd.org/publications/oecd-skills-outlook-2019-df80bc12-en.htm.

SourceAAP:europeansting.com

May 8, 2019

Monash Commission recommends a new model for tertiary education for all Australians

The Monash Commission has released its vision for post-compulsory education with three transforming recommendations for the future.

Among them are the introduction of a universal learning entitlement, supported by income contingent loans, and a ‘Lifetime Learning Account’ for all Australians to help students track, credit and verify their training. Each student would have a universal student number to cover all publicly subsidised education and training across their lifetime.

In conducting its inquiry, the Monash Commission canvassed research from scholars, conducted interviews with a wide range of industry representatives, students, and leaders of educational institutions, and tested its recommendations with key individuals who have worked at the forefront of post-compulsory education.

Chair of the Monash Commission, Elizabeth Proust, said the Commission has started a community-wide conversation about the importance of lifelong learning.

“The Commission’s vision for the post-compulsory education system in Australia is one that provides adaptable, capable global citizens who are both job-ready and resilient in dealing with change.”

The inquiry found that while 56 per cent of Australians 15 years and older hold some sort of post-school qualification, 90 per cent of new jobs created by 2023 are expected to require a Certificate II or higher, which will leave many working Australians with poor employment prospects.

To effectively address these concerns, the Commission advocates for major funding reform in the sector, including separate funding pools for research and education, and calling for education and all research to be fully funded by the state and federal governments.

The Commission also recommends the establishment of a statutory agency for post-compulsory education and training, which would advise government and control funding across the sector. It would be the single funding authority distributing the allocated budget for all state, territory and Commonwealth subsidised post-compulsory education.

Monash University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Margaret Gardner AO said the Commission’s findings highlight that in coming decades, Australia’s prosperity will increasingly depend on the relevance of workers’ education and skills, and that no-one should be left behind.

“Access, at any time in one’s career, to relevant and high quality education is critical to Australia’s future. Education inspires citizens to build the future they want, and respond to the continually evolving set of skills needed to maintain a healthy and prosperous society,” Professor Gardner said.

What is the Monash Commission

Formed in April 2018, the Monash Commission brings together Australian and international leaders who are driving policy discussion and decisions.

The Monash Commission is conducting a series of in-depth inquiries that capture the best available evidence and public perspectives to effect major change on vital matters.

The Report ‘Three Recommendations for Renewal of Post-Compulsory Education in Australia’, is the response to the first enquiry into post-secondary education conducted by the Monash Commission.

This was led by industry leader Ms Elizabeth Proust AO, Immediate past Chair of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Nestle Australia and Bank of Melbourne.

She was joined by:

· Professor Ian Chubb AC – former Vice-Chancellor, Australian National University and Flinders University, and former Chief Scientist

· Marie Persson – former Chair, NSW Skills Board Industry Reference Group, and former head of NSW TAFE and Community Education

· Professor Rory Hume – Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Education, and Dean of Dentistry at the University of Utah

· Mette Schepers – Mercer Australia’s client growth leader for the Pacific market, and financial and professional services executive

· Sir Nigel Thrift – former Vice-Chancellor, University of Warwick, and former Executive Director of the prestigious Schwarzmann Scholars international leadership program

/Public Release.

SourceAAP:www.miragenews.com

May 8, 2019

Employers welcome commitment to making regional Australia stronger

Business Council of Australia

Employers welcome the Government’s commitment today to invest in the infrastructure and education services that regional Australia needs to thrive, Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said.

“Today’s announcement is an important step towards unleashing the full potential of regional Australia by providing funding for regional education and giving young people the opportunity to study locally. We have long called for a comprehensive approach to regional planning and to giving Australians in regional areas the opportunities they deserve.

“Employers want to invest more in new projects, new jobs and higher wages, which they can do if the settings are right. We now need a renewed focus on how businesses can work with communities to help build an even stronger regional Australia.

“The best way to ensure Australians in regional areas can get the new jobs they want is by giving them the skills and training they need over their working lives. That needs to include giving regional learners access to both universities and VET providers like TAFE.

“We need to build on the opportunities in our regions, which are the backbone of Australia. We need to make the regions more attractive, and we need to take the pressure off our capital cities, we can do that by investing in the right infrastructure at the right time.

“Over the past 12 months as we’ve travelled to Bathurst, Gladstone, Busselton, Toowoomba, Geelong, Townsville, Cairns, Hobart, Adelaide, Broadmeadows and Penrith the message from regional Australia has been clear, regional Australians want to get the settings right to get businesses investing in regional Australia. That’s why we developed A plan for a stronger Australia to deliver the practical action Australians want to lock in growth for the whole community.”

The Business Council has developed a to do list to make regional Australia even stronger.

The to do list:

 Audit the strengths and weaknesses of key regional areas.

 Target infrastructure dollars to regional centres with the best potential to grow.

 Consider incentives such as fast-tracking planning approvals to encourage businesses to set up shop and invest in regional Australia.

 Make sure regional centres are connected to other cities with good transport links for people and freight.

 Make sure regional Australia has fast and reliable digital connections, including the National Broadband Network.

 Urgently reform the post-secondary education and skills system. Remove the cultural and funding bias against vocational education and training by moving to a single funding model for both VET and higher education.

 Set up a single information platform so students and workers have a one-stop-shop to find out about jobs in demand, potential earnings, what to study, how long it will take, and what it will cost.

 Give every Australian a Lifelong Skills Account to pay for their training and education needs through their working lives, allowing them to choose where, what and when they study.

 Create a national apprenticeship system that encourages employers to take on young workers.

Download the Business Council’s Plan for a stronger Australia here.

Read the stories of businesses supporting regional Australia here.

/Public Release. View in full here.

SourceAAP:www.miragenews.com

April 13, 2019

Delivering more apprentices for South Australia

TheMorrison Government will partner with the Marshall Liberal Government to createan additional 20,800 apprenticeships and traineeships in South Australia overthe next four years.

Ministerfor Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education, Senator the HonMichaelia Cash has today announced the extension of the South AustralianSkilling Australians Fund (SAF) to 2021-2022.

Theextended SAF agreement confirms more than $200 million in joint funding towardsnew apprenticeships, traineeships and other employment related training.

MinisterCash said “The Liberal National Government is committed to creating newapprenticeships and traineeships to ensure a pipeline of skilled workers forSouth Australia.”

“I ampleased that thousands of South Australians have already commenced anapprenticeship under the Skilling Australians Fund. Today’s announcement willboost South Australia’s apprentice and trainee workforce over the next fouryears.”

“OurGovernment is committed to creating more apprenticeships and traineeships andthe new funding invested through the SAF aims to do this so that SouthAustralian business and industry have the pipeline of skilled workers they needto grow the economy into the future.”

“Theagreement, signed with the South Australian Government, will see more fundingflow towards specific local projects which have been agreed with theCommonwealth.”

MinisterCash said the SAF is just one measure that supports skills and training inSouth Australia.

“SouthAustralia also receives over $100 million annually in Federal Governmentpayments to support skills through the National Agreement on Skills andWorkforce Development, among other Government initiatives,” Minister Cash said.

“Apprenticeshipsand traineeships have a crucial role in fulfilling the needs of industries inSouth Australia that rely on a skilled workforce to drive innovation andgrowth.”

“Investingin growing South Australia’s skilled workforce is an investment in thefuture.”

/Public Release. View in full here.

SourceAAP:www.miragenews.com

April 6, 2019

Labor’s commitment to VET funding should be focused on outcomes

The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) welcomes Labor’s commitment to invest in

providing Australians with the skills to support a growing economy.

Providing the existing workforce and those entering the workforce with the skills that allow Australians to be meaningfully employed in the jobs of the future is a noble objective.

“If Labor is elected, ACPET looks forward to supporting them to create a tertiary education sector that delivers the outcomes that students and employers are looking for. It is the independent tertiary education sector that will help a Labor Government achieve this at a lower cost than the public TAFE colleges” said Troy Williams.

“The data here is clear, it is independent providers and not the public sector that have a track record of achieving higher completion rates, higher starting salaries and higher post-training employment rates” Mr Williams said.

Independent providers play the most significant role in the delivery of VET in Australia, with some 4.2 million students choosing to study with an independent VET provider, representing 60 per cent of all Vocational Education and Training (VET) students nationally, whereas TAFEs deliver to 16 per cent of all VET students.

In 2017, just 27.7 per cent of the $2.1 billion of government funding invested into VET was awarded to non- TAFEs. In a training system where 60 per cent of students choose to study with an independent provider, there is clearly a mismatch in funding support to students.

“It is important that student choice be preserved. The priority for the next Australian Government should be on allowing students to access public funds with high quality providers, by harnessing market forces to achieve the best possible outcomes in the most effective and efficient way,” Mr Williams said.

ACPET represents the nation’s independent tertiary education system that encompasses higher education, vocational education and training sectors.

/Public Release.

Source:www.miragenews.com

April 5, 2019

Labor’s commitment to VET funding should be focused on outcomes

The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) welcomes Labor’s commitment to invest in

providing Australians with the skills to support a growing economy.

Providing the existing workforce and those entering the workforce with the skills that allow Australians to be meaningfully employed in the jobs of the future is a noble objective.

ACPET represents the nation’s independent tertiary education system that encompasses higher education, vocational education and training sectors.

/Public Release.

Source:www.miragenews.com

Tag: Government