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Skills

Yesterday

Canva made all staff down tools to spend a week learning AI

An intensive bootcamp is being used by businesses to help staff overwhelmed by the latest technology and the breakneck pace of change.

This Month

Changes to student visa rules are taking effect, but concerns have been raised maybe the government is going too far.

Immigration clampdown may have gone too far, experts warn

Temporary migration has fallen from historical highs of the past two years, but experts are concerned the screw has been turned too tightly.

Over the next decade, new entry pathways into much-needed, jobs such as healthcare will be necessary.

The jobs of the future that don’t require uni degrees

Growth jobs of the next decade will include management and professional roles, but many will not require university degrees to gain the skills required.

June

After the column ran, Microsoft gave Bing a lobotomy, neutralising the chatbot’s outbursts and installing new guardrails to prevent more unhinged behaviour.

AI changes your brain. Some experts are asking whether it matters

New research from MIT showed a cognitive decline in people who relied solely on the use of a large language model like ChatGPT.

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Andrew Giles, announces a new ministerial directive on Friday.

Labor wants 50/50 split between universities and VET

The move would mean pushing tens of thousands of prospective university students towards TAFE and other vocational courses.

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IDP Education’s business is bearing the brunt of anti-migration reforms in its key markets.

IDP Education blown off course by global migration headwinds

The Melbourne-based company said student numbers were likely to be 28 to 30 per cent lower than expected amid policy changes in the US, UK and Canada.

Carolyn Evans, vice chancellor Griffith University.

Unis rake in record foreign student revenues ahead of crackdown

New figures reveal record highs in both the number of overseas students enrolled in 2024, as well as the cash flowing to some universities from tuition fees.

May

Two months into her graduate role at law firm Gadens, Kalarni Orr is “loving it”.

How graduates are finding an edge in a tightening employment market

New data shows hiring is slowing down, but those who take their destinies into their own hands still have a bright future.

A student working on the finer details, Salemi Ceramics, Sicily.

Need a skillcation? This ceramics workshop will spark creativity

Learn to spin clay in Sicily’s burgeoning ceramics hub.

How this exec transferred her skills from luxury retail to health

Holly Masters used to run a luxury brand business. Now she is the CEO of the McGrath Foundation. The two jobs are not as different as you might think.

The Coalition under Peter Dutton estimate they will raise an extra $3.5bn from overseas students.

‘Cynical ploy’: Coalition’s student maths gets a fail mark

The Coalition stands accused of creative maths after claiming it would raise $3.5billion from overseas students in taxes and visa fees, despite slashing numbers.

April

Nursing student Michaela Agmata from The Philippines says she would not have come to Australia if she had to pay a $2000 visa application fee.

Canada’s collapse a warning as international students baulk at fees

Half of all prospective international students say an increase in visa fees of the magnitude promised by Labor and the Coalition would make them reconsider studying in Australia.

Labor will hike student visa fees, again, this time to $2000 if reelected.

Foreign students slugged with visa fees seven-times higher than rivals

Student visa fees are set to rise, again, this time making them seven times more expensive than the United States, one of Australia’s closest competitors.

A new wave in graduate work visas is about to land as the surge in post-COVID graduates complete their courses.

Migrant surge to persist as graduates bring in families

A glut of Indian and Nepalese graduates bringing out family members while they work on post-study visas will wreak havoc with election promises on migration.

The companies building workforces of ‘power users’ today are developing the organisational DNA needed to thrive in an AI-native future.

The one human skill no algorithm can replace

It is adaptability that allows us to recognise the signals of change, adjust to fresh conditions, and apply innovative thinking to new problems.

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March

Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton has conflated permanent and net migration.

Dutton’s migration cuts are ‘not a game changer’

The opposition leader is conflating temporary and permanent migrants to criticise Labor’s immigration track record and his cuts won’t free up housing, experts say.

February

The average cost to taxpayers for the 96 staff at Queensland Venue Co that completed their training was about $101,000.

Pub chain got $9.7m taxpayer funds to fully train just 96 staff

In new evidence of widespread wastage in a Coalition training scheme, a pub group backed by Coles got $100,000 per worker to learn basic hospitality skills.

Jobs and Skills Australia says we will need an additional 30,000 electricians by 2030 for the net zero transition alone.

Why businesses are key to fixing Australia’s skills gaps

Cutting-edge training and education is happening in Australia’s largest employers. If we are to meet our national skills challenge, we must encourage more of it.

Sharon Pickering, Ian Narev, Bran Black and Guy Chalkley ahead of the roundtable discussion in Sydney on Friday.

How careers counsellors could help plug the skills gap

Encouraging teenagers to complete high school and giving them access to careers counselling are key to plugging the yawning skills gap.

January

After the column ran, Microsoft gave Bing a lobotomy, neutralising the chatbot’s outbursts and installing new guardrails to prevent more unhinged behaviour.

Will AI make you dumber?

It’s a question that some HR bosses are pondering, albeit in less dramatic terms. And an academic paper might hold some answers.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/skills-1nh4