The second meeting of the Industry Advisory Council

Addressing Skills Shortages through Diversity

Council Member Margaret Harrison, General Manager of Rio Tinto Iron Ore, led a session on how diversifying the workforce can address industry’s skills shortages. Rio Tinto’s initiatives — such as pathways that support women, first nations peoples, and neuro-inclusion, provided the IAC with clear insights into the types of real-world solutions that can be considered. 

The Council discussed the issues that need to be considered before commencing workplace diversity initiatives. This includes the adoption of an intersectional approach to attraction and retention practices, as a longer-term solution. With these in mind, the Council raised a host of potential opportunities for consideration across our industries.

Key Technologies and Automation Redefining Aviation Operations

Catherine Walsh and Reed Tanger from Qantas provided the Council with insights into Qantas’ key technologies and the future of their operations, including key developments in automation. 

In discussing the upskilling required for the workforce, the Council noted how technology advancements across the aviation sector could be applied to other industries. Specifically, its implications for workforce skills, fatigue management, situational awareness and human factors. In addition, Council Members emphasised that humans will be central to the future of work, with roles being augmented rather than replaced. Change management strategies were seen as being crucial to ensuring technology serves as an enabler to worker efficiency.

Flight Training Centre

The meeting concluded with a site tour of Qantas and CAE’s Sydney Flight Training Centre, where the Council had the experience of seeing the cutting-edge training facility now home to five full-flight simulators, three fixed training devices and ten classrooms. Further tranches of training equipment will arrive in the coming years, including Australia’s first Airbus A350 simulator that will train Qantas pilots for ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise flights.

This immersive site tour reinforced the importance of investing in innovation and training to ensure Australia’s workforce remains competitive on the global stage.

Wrap Up

The Second IAC meeting reaffirmed the Council’s role as a high-level tripartite mechanism of industry leaders from across the economy. Their insights and diverse perspectives, in collaboration with our Strategic Workforce Planning Committees, will be invaluable to increasing business productivity, building a resilient economy, and growing sovereign capability.