Industry Skills Australia’s Supply Chain Leaders’ Summit Sparks Vital Conversations on Workforce Transformation

Our Supply Chain Leaders’ Summit brought over 150 participants to Parliament House, including industry leaders, union representatives, parliamentarians and government officials, to explore the current and future workforce planning and development challenges facing Australia’s supply chain sectors.

With many critical issues common across aviation, maritime, rail, transport and logistics, this landmark event recognised that much could be achieved through collective action.

The event was opened by ISA Chair Tony Wilks, who emphasised that building a world class supply chain workforce has never been more important - or more challenging:

“It is the first critical step in building collaboration to support our workforce through the transformation of our ‘brilliant, complex, and critical industries that are quite literally the arteries of our nation’s economy”.

Throughout the day, participants engaged in discussions about workforce priorities, development bottlenecks, and high-impact solutions to ensure sustainability and adaptability in Australia’s supply chain industries. ISA CEO Paul Walsh underscored the significance of a unified approach “The Supply Chain Leaders’ Summit was an important first step in bringing businesses, unions, government, and the skills sector together to build the future of our workforce. We face complex challenges, from attraction and retention issues, limited diversity, and an ageing workforce to the impact of digitalisation and AI.”

Insights from Key Industry Leaders

The Summit featured the Hon. Catherine King, Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Local Government, who discussed the National Infrastructure Plan and set the scene for the future, emphasising the key focus areas: productivity, sustainability, and reliability.

Christine Holgate, CEO of Team Global Express, and Ken Morrison, CEO of the Bradfield City Authority, shared impactful insights on transformative opportunities and the future impact of the industry. 

Christine highlighted the growth and transformation ahead, emphasising that only by embracing greater workforce diversity can the industry overcome chronic skills shortages:

“The Summit highlighted that the workforce challenges we face in the supply chain sector cannot be solved in isolation. Today, we took a crucial step in uniting leaders from every corner of the industry to build collaborative solutions that respond to digital disruption, evolving business models, and the skills our sector will need in the coming years.”

Ken Morrison focused on the Western Sydney Aerotropolis currently under development, outlining the unprecedented opportunities it will create for Australia’s supply chain industries and the critical importance of cultivating a local, highly skilled workforce.

Panel Discussions on Workforce Needs

The Industry Leaders’ Panel represented the tripartite concept on which Jobs and Skills Councils are conceived.

The Industry Leaders’ Panel comprised (from left to right):

• Mark McKenzie - CEO of the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association
• Catherine Walsh - Chief People Officer of Qantas
• Videlina Georgieva - Managing Director of Svitzer Australia
• Michael Kaine - National Secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union
• Natalie James - Secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

In a lively debate, the Panel explored the factors re-designing business models, their impact on jobs and skills, and the blockages to building a sustainable pipeline of talent.

Reflecting on the collaborative spirit, Videlina Georgieva remarked:

“It is so encouraging to see the passion in the room and how much in common we have across industries when it comes to challenges, opportunities, and the desire to collaborate on solving those ‘wicked problems.’ Looking forward to continuing the conversation and being part of the solutions.”

Next Steps

The national 2024 Workforce Plans are a powerful tool for the industry to create a cohesive, evidence-based strategy for the future of work and impactful decision-making. Paul Walsh urged every organisation present to actively participate in the plan’s development to ensure their business challenges and priorities are accurately represented. “As many of our parliamentary guests will attest, there are few things more powerful than when industry leaders, unions, and governments come together with one voice,” Paul reflected.

Stakeholders are now invited to contribute to the 2025 Workforce Plans by sharing their insights through the Supply Chain Workforce Survey. The survey explores key issues such as:

• Top industry disruptors
• Impact on job roles
• Skills development bottlenecks
• Desired actions

Join the conversation today and help shape the future of Australia’s supply chain workforce. Take the Survey Here.

For more details and to participate in shaping the future workforce, visit Workforce Plans 2024.