ACT GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO SKILLS SHORTAGES

The ACT Government is to establish a new mechanism based inside government to promote information-sharing and support collaborative approaches to skills and future workforce issues across the Territory.

The initiative, announced in the May 4 Budget, assigns $105,000 for each of 2010–11 and 2011–12.

While details of the initiative have yet to be released, it is likely to consist of a small number of work groups chaired by lead ACT Government agencies that will be tasked to provide advice and communications support around key issues. For example, one of the most significant challenges facing the workforce of the future is demographic change. Getting agreed and technically robust information on demographic change understood and shared by all stakeholders to the skills issue is an important contribution to informing any future approach. Working groups covering other areas such as attraction and retention, education system players, are being contemplated. The new initiative is likely to support an annual skills outlook conference to share information and provide input to yearly strategic planning exercises.

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