Australian Industry Report
English
Governments
Governments hold a wealth of knowledge on skills development, and are increasingly realizing the value of learning from each others’ experiences. Their policy documents, programme evaluations, and research findings contain their experience and ideas on how to better link skills to employment
Anticipating and matching skills needs
Anticipating and building skills for the future is essential to a rapidly changing labour market. This applies to changes in the types and levels of skills needed as well as in occupational and technical areas. Effective methods to anticipate future skills needs and avoid potential mismatches include: sustained dialogue between employers and trainers, coordination across government institutions, labour market information systems, employment services and performance reviews of training institutions.
Career guidance and employment services
Career guidance and counselling, career education and lifelong development of skills for employability are key for success in learning activities, effective career transitions, livelihood planning, entrepreneurship and in increasing labour market participation. They are instrumental in promoting skills utilization, recognition (RPL), as well as in improving enterprise human resource management.
Career development activities encompass a wide variety of support activities including career information and advice, counselling, work exposure (e.g. job shadowing, work experience periods), assessment, coaching, mentoring, professional networking, advocacy, basic and employability skills training (curricular and non-curricular) and entrepreneurship training. It is often an area which is fragmented across different ministries (e.g. education, TVET, employment, youth) requiring an effort to achieve the necessary coordination to provide adequate support to individuals during learning, employment and unemployment/inactivity periods.
Research papers
Working papers, reports, and other publications from international organizations, academic institutions and bilateral agencies. Research findings to stimulate informed debate on skills, employment and productivity issues.
In the report Australian industries resulted to be well placed to adapt to the changing circumstances. The terms of trade are expected to continue to fall, which should exert downward pressure on the Australian dollar, and provide some relief for trade-exposed industries. Productivity is expected to pick up as the economy transitions to the production phase of the Mining sector. Labour market conditions are softening, but due to flexibility in the labour market, this has had the upshot (for businesses) of reducing real wages and skills shortages. Unit labour cost pressures have also been subsiding, and, combined with some depreciation in the exchange rate, this has led to Australia’s cost competitiveness improving moderately over the past two years.
Industrial development
Skills anticipation
Skills mismatch
Trade
Asia and the Pacific
