Aug 21, 2024
Welcome to the August edition of our newsletter
In this month’s newsletter
- Welcome to the new Minister for Skills and Training
- Building the Maritime Workforce
- Project updates
- VET Qualification Reform Project
- Industry Skills Australia announces Board changes
- Final Round Consultation - updating ANZSCO: The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations
- Getting the Inside Story – ISA on the Road
Welcome to the New Minister for Skills and Training
On behalf of the Board and Executive of ISA, the Jobs and Skills Council for Transport and Logistics, we would like to congratulate the Hon Andrew Giles MP on his appointment as Minister for Skills and Training.
The appointment comes at a critical time for our industries, which currently face widespread attraction and retention issues, a tight labour market, and a rapidly aging workforce. At the same time, digitalisation of supply chain operations, big data and AI are revolutionising business models, redesigning jobs, and demanding new skills. Ensuring we support the existing workforce through this period of immense change with targeted upskilling and reskilling opportunities will be critical.
Last week, our CEO Paul Walsh, had the pleasure of meeting with the Minister in Canberra. They discussed the key workforce challenges of the Transport & Logistics industries and the solutions being implemented following the release of our 2024 Workforce Plans. Their discussion also covered ISA’s work in supporting the Government's reform agenda and priorities of the National Skills Agreement. Minister Giles showed he is very interested in our industries, and the importance of increasing diversity to address skills shortages.
We wish Minister Giles every success and look forward to a productive and collaborative partnership.
ISA also congratulates Megan Lilly and Trevor Gauld on their appointments as Deputy Commissioners of Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA).
Both Megan and Trevor bring a wealth of experience, having both contributed significantly to reform in the VET sector to benefit local businesses and Australian workers. Extremely well respected by industry and those in the national skills system, they will provide excellent support to the Commissioner, Professor Barney Glover AO, in delivering JSA’s goal of helping our country meet its present and future skills needs.
Megan has a long standing and ongoing commitment to skills and workforce development. She is currently the Executive Director – Centre for Education & Training at The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group). In this role, Megan has been responsible for the development of all education, training and skills policy, research and advocacy.
Megan is also a co-deputy chair of the Jobs and Skills Australia Ministerial Advisory Board, board member – WorldSkills Australia, and a member of the Qualifications Reform Design Group.
Trevor Gauld is currently the National Assistant Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union. He has held numerous Board Directorships and committee positions, providing strategic advice on skills, training, worker entitlements, immigration, and Australia’s trade agenda as well as detailed analysis of climate and clean energy policy.
He is deeply passionate about the opportunity lifelong learning provides to working people and has been a constant advocate for quality apprenticeships and training, particularly through expanding programs to provide greater opportunity for women and First Nations people.
Building the Maritime Workforce
Shipping moves 99% of Australia’s goods traded by volume, and around 79% by value. By any measure, it’s an industry that’s critical to our nation’s economic sovereignty and security.
The Australian Government is acutely aware of how important it is to maintain a viable domestic shipping industry and has committed to building an independent strategic fleet of up to 12 Australian-flagged and crewed vessels.
Establishing a skilled maritime workforce is critical to building the Strategic Fleet. Australia already faces a shortage of maritime workers including deck officers, engineers, and ratings, with demand already outstripping supply. These shortages are being intensified by the shift to net zero and the demand for maritime workers to support the establishment of offshore wind farms and the decommissioning of oil and gas platforms.
As the Jobs and Skills Council responsible for maritime, ISA has been engaged by the Australian Government to help build a sustainable pipeline of skilled maritime workers to support the Strategic Fleet and the demand for maritime workers more broadly. ISA’s work includes the following projects:
- Establishment of the National Maritime Skills Network that will bring together training providers to build dynamic communities of practice focused on collaboration, innovation, and excellence in teaching, learning, and assessment. Working together will also create a better geographical spread of training options, and improved access for learners.
- Development of a Strategic Fleet Workforce Supply and Demand Forecast to establish an independent and authoritative evidence base on the likely size and composition of the maritime workforce needed over the next 5-10 years. Findings will inform the national skills system, industry, and governments.
- Development of comprehensive Maritime Career Information to underpin the promotion of career pathways for the maritime industry. Part of this work includes mapping and identifying entry and career progression pathways for new and existing maritime sector employees, and potentially transitioning from other industries.
- And importantly, examining potential models to support the Coordination of Sea Time for maritime trainees. The final report will serve as advice to policy makers working to establish the Strategic Fleet.
We’re honoured to play such a pivotal role in delivering rewarding careers for individuals at the same time as building Australia’s economic sovereignty.
Stay up to date on progress of these projects by registering for updates here.
Project updates
Transport and Logistics Training Package – Chain of Responsibility Project Webinar
Industry Skills Australia (ISA) invites you to be part of a webinar to explain changes to training products that have been aligned with Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) regulations relating to Chain of Responsibility requirements.
The training products were endorsed by Skills Ministers last month and are now available on training.gov.au.
The webinar will be held on Thursday, 5 September 2024 1.00pm - 2.00pm AEDT, and will include a panel comprising an NHVR representative and ISA managers.
Register for the Chain of Responsibility Project Webinar
We look forward to you joining us at the webinar and encourage you to share this invite with your relevant networks.
Aviation Rescue Project
Draft training products, aimed at enabling broader applicability across different sectors such as emergency services and defence, have been developed and are now available for stakeholder feedback.
The products, drafted by a Technical Committee of subject matter experts, will enable more air crew and rescue crew officers to access nationally accredited training, whether they use rotary or fixed wing aircrafts, to conduct search and rescue operations in different contexts. The updates will enhance the usability of the qualifications and are expected to lead to increasing enrolments and greater workforce mobility.
New Projects
The following projects have commenced, after approval by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. You can find more information about these and other projects on our website.
Maritime - Autonomous Maritime Systems
This project will enable greater flexibility and efficiency in skills development for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) and Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) operators.
In response to requests from industry, the Certificate III in Autonomous Maritime Systems will be reviewed and updated to remove barriers for learners and allow for wholistic delivery of training and assessment.
VET Qualification Reform Project
ISA held a webinar on 6 August 2024 covering the proposed VET Qualification Reform model and two ISA projects to trial the purpose-led model approach to qualification reform. The first is a demonstration project to show how a qualification could be formed using the new approach. The second project aims to categorise 42 of our qualifications into one of three purposes.
A recording of the webinar can be found our project page.
Webinar Highlights
- Qualification Reform: The proposed model and the importance of feedback in its future development.
- Purpose-Driven Approach: How ISA applied a preliminary categorisation and what that categorisation means.
- Demonstration Project: The trial of a new qualification to support mobility and transferability of skills across different occupations and contexts.
You can still participate in ISA Qualification Reform projects by:
- Completing the Purpose Categorisation Review Survey or by
- Expressing interest in our Demonstration Project
Industry Skills Australia announces Board changes
ISA welcomes two new directors to our Board, Emily McMillan and Alex Claassens, following the departures of Nick McIntosh and Mark Diamond from the Board.
Both Emily and Alex are highly regarded by their peers and bring unique insights that will undoubtedly contribute to Industry Skills Australia's strategic direction and success. We welcome Emily and Alex to the Board and look forward to their contributions as we continue to address the evolving needs of our industries and support the development of a skilled and diverse workforce.
Emily is the National Assistant Secretary of the Transport Workers Union; she is the first woman and First Nations woman to hold that position at the TWU. A union official for 21 years, Emily has a deep understanding of supply chain industries and the importance of safety and skills for workers.
Prior to her election to National Assistant Secretary, Emily spent eight years leading the TWU’s national campaigns.
Alex is the National Secretary of the Australian Rail, Tram, and Bus Industry Union (RTBU), and has been in the rail industry for all of his working life. He began his career driving trains on the NSW rail network, became an elected union official, and was the RTBU NSW Branch Secretary prior to his election as National Secretary this year.
He has a passion for the transport industry and is involved in the NSW Freight Transport Advisory Council, as well still driving passenger trains and heritage steam locomotives on a regular basis.
Alex is an experienced board member, serving in the Mutual Credit Union sector, on the Board of Australian Mutual Bank, and State Super. He has also held an extensive range of Board sub-committee roles during this time. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and the Super Members Council (SMC), and an Elected Director & Deputy Chair of Transport Heritage NSW and is also the Chair of its Safety Committee.
ISA Chair Tony Wilks, and CEO Paul Walsh, acknowledged departing Board Directors, Nick McIntosh and Mark Diamond. “Nick and Mark, together with their fellow Directors, have seen the organisation through its establishment as the Transport and Logistics JSC, providing their advice, expertise and support. On behalf of all of us at ISA, we thank them both and wish them well in their new roles.”
Final Round Consultation - Updating ANZSCO: The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations
ANZSCO describes all occupations in the Australian and New Zealand labour markets and is used to inform and shape educational pathways, skilled migration programs and workforce strategies that equip Australians with skills to get jobs and stay employed.
The ABS is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) to reflect the contemporary labour market and better meet stakeholders’ needs. The final round of consultation will allow users to provide feedback on the full set of proposed structural changes, including the placement of new occupations within the classification.
The report identifies where occupations have been merged, split or changed in title, Skill Level or Major Group. Links are also provided to navigate between current and draft classifications for further exploration.
Provide your feedback through the ABS Consultation Hub by Friday, 6 September 2024.
Getting the Inside Story – ISA on the Road
Released in July, our 2024 Workforce Plans were the culmination of ongoing conversations with each of our four key industries. Whether it’s site visits, running industry roundtables, participating in conferences, or meeting key stakeholders in one-on-one meetings, ISA is constantly on the road listening to the needs of those who run the business and do the jobs. Only through these conversations can we reliably represent the views of industry on the skills development and workforce planning challenges they face, and the solutions they want to see in place.
Hot on the heels of releasing the Workforce Plans we’re already back on the road. Read more about some of our latest engagements below:
- Leidos Australia site visit. Leidos conducts aerial border surveillance and search-and-rescue
- Team Global Express site visit. TGE is one of Australia’s largest logistics companies employing over 8,500 people
- Road Freight NSW Conference which is the peak industry organisation for road and freight in NSW
- Refrigerated Warehouse & Transport Association of Australia Conference
- 2024 Australasian Rail Industry Awards
- Engagement with key stakeholders in WA
- Regional Australia Institute’s National Summit with over 60 speakers and 400 delegates
We’ve been very humbled by the overwhelming feedback on the Workforce Plans. But we also know that there are more issues to capture and that the same issue can manifest itself differently between jurisdictions, and across urban, regional, rural, or remote Australia.
So if you haven’t already had a chance to check out the 2024 Workforce Plans, please head across to our website and take a look, and tell us did we get it right? Are there emerging issues you want to see reflected? Are there specific solutions you’d like to see in place? We’d love to hear from you!
Upcoming Industry Events
| Date | Conference | Location |
| 20 August | QTA Road Freight Forum | Townsville |
| 26 August | Developing Northern Australia Conference | Karratha WA |
| 27 August | Women in Aviation Canberra Summit | Canberra |
| 28 August | Tasmanian Transport Industry 2024 Conference | Devonport |
| 29 August | Aviation Australia | Sydney |
| 12 September | NatRoad Connect 2024 | Coffs Harbour |
| 18-19 September | MegaTrans | Melbourne |
| 23 September | Asia Pacific Fuel Industry (APFI) Forum | Brisbane |
| 27 September | Australian Institute of Marine Surveyors Conference | Brisbane |
Leidos Australia conducts aerial border surveillance and search-and-rescue operations across the country. Mori Hajizadeh, our Aviation Industry Engagement Manager, recently visited the Leidos office at Essendon Airport in Melbourne.
Using a fleet of Challenger jets equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, Leidos Australia conducts fixed-wing search-and-rescue (SAR) missions over land and sea on behalf of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). Their operations cover a region of almost one-tenth of the Earth’s surface, with a team of highly trained pilots, aircrew, and rescue crew officers delivering life-saving equipment like life rafts, water pumps, and food supplies to people in distress.
Leidos Australia provides highly specialised training for mission aircrew. ISA is currently reviewing Certificate IV in Aviation (Air Crew Officer) and Certificate III in Aviation (Rescue Crew Officer) to enable more aircrew and rescue crew officers to access nationally accredited training, whether they use rotary or fixed-wing aircraft, to conduct search and rescue operations in different contexts.
Camilla Elmes, the ISA Transport and Logistics Industry Engagement Manager, was lucky enough to be given a site tour of TGE’s impressive Bungarribee depot. She was joined by representatives of the NSW Department of Education and students from Seven Hills High School.
The tour was a fabulous opportunity to gain insights on the many and varied industry career pathways to promote to the students who are completing a Certificate II in Supply Chain Operations at the School’s purpose-built Vocational Innovation Centre.
As a bonus, they met with participants of Team Global Express’ Women in Transport Program who are being trained in a Certificate III in Driving Operations and will obtain their Heavy Rigid licence upon completion. The enthusiasm shown by the girls and the support offered by Team Global Express to enable this pathway, is a true inspiration for future generations of women.
Road Freight NSW held its annual conference in Sydney recently and our Transport and Logistics Industry Engagement Manager, Camilla Elmes, welcomed the opportunity to attend and connect with NSW industry representatives.
Speakers highlighted some of the key challenges industry is facing, including increasing costs, workforce shortages, lack of heavy vehicle rest areas, pathways to decarbonisation, application of new technologies and the need to focus on cyber security measures.
There were also encouraging stories of how operators are incorporating strategies into their workplace to assist with the attraction and retention of workers.
Congratulations also to all the winners and finalists of the 2024 RFNSW Awards, a fantastic celebration of industry best practice and achievement.
ISA recently attended Refrigerated Warehouse & Transport Association of Australia’s 2024 conference which focused on navigating Australia's cold chain viability. Given challenges such as geopolitical unrest, food insecurity, environmental changes, and regulatory updates, maintaining robust and sustainable cold chain operations is more crucial than ever.
The conference fostered dialogue among industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders, focusing on collaborative solutions and innovative approaches to bolster supply chain sustainability.
Key themes discussed included policy changes and compliance, technological innovations, food security and wastage, and skills shortages.
RWTA Chairman Graeme Harvey of New Cold, emphasised the industry's role in addressing these challenges and ensuring food security.
ISA Board Directors Ron Devitt and Alex Claassens, CEO Paul Walsh and industry managers joined over 600 people at the 2024 Australasian Rail Industry Awards which recognised and celebrated the achievements, innovation and successes of those working in the rail industry.
Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Chief Executive Officer and ARI Awards judging chair Caroline Wilkie said, “the degree of talent and innovation in the rail sector is incredibly impressive and the individuals and projects highlighted tonight are testament to the hard work and dedication at every level of the industry.”
“The extraordinary contribution of this year’s nominees illustrates a very bright future for the rail industry as it delivers a once-in-a-generation $155 billion pipeline of construction to expand rail across our passenger and freight networks.
“I am incredibly impressed by the achievements showcased at this year’s ARI Awards, which highlight commitment to a high-quality rail network that is safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable.”
The 2024 awards featured 16 categories recognising individuals, organisations and rail projects in the areas of diversity and inclusion, sustainability, passenger, infrastructure, innovation, supply, customer experience, freight, signalling and systems engineering and safety.
Read about the ARI Award winners here: Rail industry announces ARI Award winners - Australasian Railway Association (ara.net.au)
ISA CEO Paul Walsh and our General Manager – Operations, Erin Knudsen, were in Western Australia last month. They met with stakeholders from the Department of Training and Workforce Development, Logistics and Defence Skills Council, Transport Workers Union, TAFE and Western Roads Federation to discuss the unique challenges that affect the regions. Paul and Erin also joined in a workshop on collaboration and how the Transport and Logistics industry will be connected with the new Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence.
As a wrap up for the week in Perth, Paul and Erin visited the Rio Tinto Control Room that allows the remote operations centre to manage Rio Tinto’s trains, trucks and drills over 1,300 kilometres away in the Pilbara, an amazing display of how technology is changing how we work.
With nearly 10 million people now calling regional Australia home, regional Australia is at the forefront of our nation’s future. City to regional movement is 20% above pre-pandemic levels, and regional job vacancies have doubled in the past five years. This requires new thinking and action on how the services, housing, and skills landscape will develop across the country.
ISA’s Regional Engagement Manager, David Forbes, attended the Regional Australia Institute’s National Summit 2024 in Canberra last week. ISA has a strong commitment to working with our sectors in regional, rural and remote Australia to assist in meeting various challenges and opportunities that are on the horizon.
Liz Ritchie, CEO of Regional Australia Institute, is also a member of ISA’s Industry Advisory Council which drives genuine cross-industry collaboration with the single goal of building a resilient and agile supply chain workforce. Liz spoke passionately about empowering regional communities.
The Summit, themed ‘The New Frontier’, was a nation building event bringing together thought leaders across all sectors of government, industry, academia, and most importantly regional communities.
The importance of access to childcare, housing, technology, education, training and medical services, combined with opportunities in renewable energy, skill and labour shortages, building of long-term infrastructure, safer roads and sustainable supply chains were common themes throughout the summit.
JSA commissioner Prof Barney Glover AO, was part of a panel on realising the ambitions of regional Australia where panel members from business, community and government shared their insights on how to supercharge meaningful change towards rebalancing the nation. He also took the opportunity to launch JSA’s “Atlas” About Jobs and Skills Atlas | Jobs and Skills Australia.