Survey to work out SA’s skilled future

THE State Government has a vision to transform the South Australian economy into the most dynamic in the country.

Mechanical apprentices.

THE State Government has a vision to transform the South Australian economy into the most dynamic in the country.

To do so means listening and responding to the needs of the business community, to build on our strengths, explore new opportunities, and create new careers.

The Training and Skills Commission’s Industry Priority Qualifications survey is a key component in our strategy to generate a competitive, dynamic and business-friendly environment in which local businesses are self-reliant and empowered to grow.

This plan also includes introducing legislation to exempt all businesses with an annual payroll of less than $1.5 million from liability for payroll tax, which is expected to directly benefit more than 3500 small businesses.

We will work to increase our population to ensure the economy grows to provide more opportunity for individuals and businesses. Within a decade, we want the state to have a higher rate of business start-ups than anywhere else in Australia.

To do this, we will encourage a culture that supports local entrepreneurs, beginning in our schools with new business-focused SACE subjects and by establishing four new entrepreneurial high schools, two in the metropolitan area and two in regional areas.

We will invest in infrastructure that drives the expansion of existing industries and unlocks new opportunities for regional businesses and industries.

We’ve also started work on Australia’s largest incubator and start-up hub on the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site.

The State Government wants to encourage more young people to consider a career through a technical qualification as a first option. That’s why we’re investing $100 million to deliver 20,800 new apprenticeships or traineeships over four years, and the Commonwealth is unlocking $87 million through the Skilling Australians Fund to complement our investment.

The South Australian Government has a focus on occupations in demand, such as defence and digital, and in industries and sectors with predicted future growth. We are establishing at least one new technical college in the north-western suburbs of Adelaide, which will be heavily engaged with the defence, shipbuilding and other maritime industries.

The right skills and qualifications are essential both for economic growth and personal opportunity. We will make major investments in skills that lead to real employment opportunities, but to do this we need to give industry leaders a voice in vocational education and training.

To ensure we’re aligning training with employer requirements, consultation is currently under way with stakeholders about potential models for Industry Skills Councils and a revitalised Training and Skills Commission.

Each Industry Skills Council leader will be a member of the Commission, which will develop and maintain strong links with regional representatives and business stakeholder groups to provide advice to the Government on workforce development needs.

To ensure that our skills and training investment is connected to jobs, we need to hear from industry, individuals, employers and anyone who is involved in the vocational education and training sector so we can identify the priority qualifications for each sector.

The survey is open to everyone with a connection to industry and vocational qualifications.

The Training and Skills Commission will use the survey results to inform its Training Priorities Plan, which will in turn advise the Government on our future skills investment.

The State Government wants to create a competitive, dynamic economy that creates opportunity for individuals, small business and industry.

We know we need to give businesses across South Australia access to a skilled workforce so they are better able to invest and expand, and we know that Government investment in training must lead to real career opportunities and a stronger economy.

The survey is open until July 15 and can be accessed at www.tasc.sa.gov.au. I encourage everyone to have their say on the skills and qualifications that are needed so we can direct our

training investment accordingly and create a strong future for South Australia.

David Pisoni is Minister for Industry and Skills.