Albanese pinpoints first policy goal: skills

Anthony Albanese has unveiled his first major policy commitment, pledging to address Australia’s skills crisis.

Anthony Albanese in Perth on Tuesday. Picture: AAP

Anthony Albanese has unveiled his first major policy commitment, pledging to address Australia’s skills crisis and strengthen the ­vocational education and training sector.

The Opposition Leader also flagged a “creative economy” summit to be hosted by Labor in the first half of 2020 to look at ways to expand the architecture, ­design, software, digital content, advertising, marketing and arts ­industries.

In his first “values” speech, Mr Albanese said a future Labor government would bring together business, unions, government and regional stakeholders to ensure young Australians were equipped with the skills to meet the future needs of the economy.

A key focus would be skills in areas of high demand where the government is the major funder, including health and aged care.

The Labor leader said if elected, he would legislate to ­establish a body called “Jobs and Skills Australia” and it would be modelled on Infrastructure Australia.

“I see Jobs and Skills Australia as the basis of a new compact,” he said. “The Coalition has taken steps in this direction with the proposed establishment of a national skills commission, but this is a late and inadequate response from a tired government now in its seventh year. As infrastructure minister, I established Infrastructure Australia. And it worked. I envisage a similar model for Jobs and Skills Australia — a collaborative model to guide investment in human capital, just as Infrastructure Australia guides investment in physical capital.”

Skills Minister Michaelia Cash responded by saying Mr Albanese had produced a “carbon copy” of the government’s skills agenda. “Their major announcement was the re-creation of the already existing skills commission and merely renaming it Jobs and Skills Australia,” she said. “A major function of the skills commission will be labour market forecasting.”

Mr Albanese took aim at the Coalition’s record on skills and training, saying it had issued half a million visas to foreign workers and the labour market was characterised by a mismatch ­between what workers had to offer and what employers needed.

“We should be, wherever possible, training Australians for current and future jobs,” he said.

“A logical place to start would be to support workers today in accumulating the skills and capabilities that assist them personally, but also support industry to expand its potential.”

Mr Albanese said his proposed “creative economy” summit would bring together key players from across the creative industries to “chart a course for an expansion of this important sector”.

“The creative industries are of strategic importance to Australia, but are being held back by cuts, lack of investment and outdated policy settings,” he said.