| Queensland Skills Plan 2008 » | |
Queensland Skills Plan 2008 Launched
 The State Government’s new blueprint to address the state’s skills shortages – the Queensland Skills Plan 2008 – was launched on 29 August.
Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said the new blueprint would build on the considerable progress made since the original Queensland Skills Plan was released in March 2006, when the State Government introduced the most significant reform to Queensland’s vocational education and training system in 40 years.
The Queensland Skills Plan 2008 focuses on the five key areas of:
• skilling existing workers and apprentices
• training the unemployed and under-employed
• helping young people move into further education, training and employment
• upgrading the VET sector, and
• recruiting for targeted professions.
“To increase Queensland’s labour force participation rate the new Plan includes expansion of the Skills First program to encourage recognition of prior learning and a new Skills Bank for records of qualifications,” Mr Welford said.
"New programs will help people in areas of disadvantage, skilled migrants, Indigenous Queenslanders and 18 to 24-year-olds and will promote careers in nursing, engineering and ICT.
“We will fund 450 training places for engineering associate professionals, 30 scholarships and 30 fellowships for vocational health educators, a new Nursing Clinical Education Best Practice program and we’ll bring together schools, VET, the higher education sector and industry to promote a more positive image of ICT,” Mr Welford said.
“The Plan includes a dedicated Indigenous Employment and Training Strategy to boost the state’s employment and training of Indigenous people.
“Assistance for young people will include paid work placements, expansion of the Get Set for Work program and a new electronic resource, the Youth Career Information Framework.
“Under the new Plan modernisation of TAFE facilities will be accelerated with an investment of $280 million over the next four years, including $54.7 million in 2008-2009 for the four SkillsTech Australia campuses throughout the state.”
Mr Welford launched the Queensland Skills Plan 2008 at the opening of the state’s first construction industry one-stop-shop career and skills service, the Workforce Solutions Centre, at Salisbury on Brisbane’s southside.
To publicise the Plan to regional industry and training organisations, information sessions were held at a number of regional centres including Mackay, Mt Isa,Townsville, Cairns, Rockhampton and Hervey Bay.
Download a copy of the Queensland Skills Plan 2008 at
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| wwww.deta.qld.gov.au/skillsplan | | |
| Engaging unemployed and under-employed people » | |
 New Opportunities for Unemployed and Under-employed
The Queensland Skills Plan 2008 has a number of initiatives to increase job opportunities for unemployed and under-employed Queenslanders.
A Skilling Assistance Package for Skilled Migrants has been developed to help lift this group’s workforce participation.
The initiative will help improve the way the State Government informs migrants about job opportunities and assist them through gap training and bridging programs.
It will include increased support for work experience and English language training, as well as making sure migrants can access opportunities for recognition of prior learning.
Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said that women and Indigenous people continued to be under-represented in the trades.
“Through the Queensland Skills Plan 2008 we will actively promote trades training to these groups,” he said.
The Plan will offer pathways into mining sector employment for 240 Indigenous Queenslanders through subsidised pre-vocational training.
Indigenous people are increasingly gaining jobs in the mining industry and helping ease critical labour shortages and a new skilling program has been developed to assist more to move into the industry.
Mr Welford said the skilling program was a partnership between the State Government, the Queensland Resources Council and its member companies.
“During the next two years it will prepare Indigenous students for vocational training in areas such as mining, civil construction, hospitality and business services,” he said.
“As is usual with these programs, training providers will be required to offer culturally appropriate support, both during training and for a short period after job placement.” |
| www.deta.qld.gov.au/skillsplan | | |
| Building Bridges to the Professions » | |
 Shortages in Key Professions Tackled
The Queensland Skills Plan 2008 addresses skills shortages in priority professions such as nursing, engineering and information and communications technology (ICT).
The Plan aims to increase participation in higher education leading to professional qualifications.
In the engineering field, 450 training places will be created over four years for associate professional occupations.
This program is currently being developed in close collaboration with employers.
Enrolments in nursing courses are failing to keep pace with retirements from a profession that is already feeling the impact of an ageing population.
The State Government will offer 30 scholarships and 30 fellowships for vocational health educators over three years and develop more flexible pathways into nursing, which will lead to a greater range of specialisations.
The Plan will also review and reform access to nursing courses and reform clinical education for nursing and midwifery through a Nursing Clinical Education Best Practice program.
The ICT industry has expressed concern about a significant drop in higher education enrolments in recent years, with women particularly under-represented in the industry. It is estimated there is a shortage of 2,200 computing professionals in Queensland.
With so many industries reliant on ICT professionals, the Plan also supports new skills formation strategies that will bring together schools, the VET and higher education sector and industry bodies to promote a positive image of ICT and the careers available. |
| www.deta.qld.gov.au/skillsplan | | |
| Building the Capacity of the Queensland VET sector» | |
Industry Input Sought on Training
The Queensland Government will spend more than $280 million over the next four years to continue modernising TAFE facilities as part of the Queensland Skills Plan 2008.
The Plan will increasingly involve industry in the development of vocational training programs, including the release of training staff to industry to increase their skill levels.
Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said one initiative was to set up local industry and community forums to offer input into the options for training delivery that is led by industry.
Another initiative will see the creation of a VET Futures program, which will develop innovative training products and research support services to ensure VET teachers have the most up-to-date industry experience and teaching methods.
Mr Welford said the Queensland Skills Plan 2008 would build on the successful Teach Your Trade initiative and introduce a new program to attract and retain TAFE staff.
“Qualified teachers and trainers are fundamental to the VET system,” he said.
“The new strategy will focus on attracting teaching staff in areas of emerging demand such as civil infrastructure and sustainable technologies.”
The Queensland Skills Plan 2008 provides for ongoing investment in TAFE infrastructure, with $54.7 million to be spent on four SkillsTech Australia campuses in 2008-09.
The reform of the TAFE system will continue, with more institutes to convert to statutory authorities following on from Southbank Institute of Technology and the Gold Coast Institute of TAFE. |
| www.deta.qld.gov.au/skillsplan | | |
| Workforce Solutions Centre» | |
 Building Industry Service a National First
The building and construction industry now has its own one-stop skilling shop: the Workforce Solutions Centre on Brisbane’s southside.
The service is a partnership between the Department of Education, Training and the Arts and Construction Skills Queensland.
In addition to the office in Salisbury, a network of regional consultants take Workforce Solutions to the building and construction industry across Queensland.
The new service supports both the industry’s current employees and those who want to move into building and construction, helping these clients to gain skills recognition and offering career advice. It also links clients to available job opportunities.
The Salisbury centre is serviced by specialised industry consultants who will help identify customers’ existing skills and any subsequent training required to find employment in the industry.
Construction Skills Queensland chief executive Rod Camm believes the Workforce Solutions Centre is the first all-inclusive employment and skilling service to be established in any industry within Australia.
After 12 years as a cabinetmaker, Brisbane man Michael Rudzitis was unsuccessful in gaining a firm job offer after deciding to pursue a new career in the civil construction field.
The 32-year-old contacted the Salisbury office hoping staff might put him in contact with a ‘likely’ civil construction company. In just a few days he was offered a traineeship with established family company McIlwain Civil Engineering Pty Ltd in Brisbane.
Mr Rudzitis will take up the traineeship, which leads to a Certificate III in Road Construction and Maintenance, after he completes a probationary period as a labourer.
He hopes that with training and work experience a supervisory or managerial role will open up for him at McIlwain.
For more information about the Workforce Solutions Centre call 1800 798 488 or go to: |
| www.csq.org.au/wfsc | | |
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