Industry, government and training providers collaborating to build a future globally mobile workforce

This week I attended the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) National Conference in Melbourne to see how our private vocational and higher education providers are building on their enormous strengths within Australia and its no. 1 reputation overseas to skill our future workforces domestically and globally.

Representing Agrifood Skills Solutions as one of their business development managers, I had the radar out to glean industry intelligence and learn from colleagues ‘old and new’.

Here I’d like to touch on how Australian industry and training providers have been working with the Australian government to bring Australia’s global pre-eminence in vocational training to address workforce skills needs in the Asia-Pacific rim.

The challenge is to build skills in those countries which are experiencing explosive demographic change – especially with massive urbanising populations and an urgent need to transform traditionally agrarian economies that are systemically weakened by paddock-to-plate waste and poor production, and the haemorraging of their already underskilled workforce base.

Without any rose-tinted glasses on, I felt encouraged to see how Australian industry, education & training providers and government are collaborating with peak bodies, industry and education sectors internationally to support workforce skills development and build future reciprocity as part of that collaboration.

Reciprocity?

That is: what will Australia benefit from building the workforce skills of our overseas neighbours, especially their ability to be part of a future globally mobile workforce?

How do we work these kind of strategic activities back into the kinds of dialogue and activities unfolding around vital trade agreements like the Australia-China Free Trade Agreements?

The work is happening down on the ground. The public opinion narrative has a long way to go. As part of this narrative, I hope this blog may play its part in building a more positive narrative as training providers work with industry in Australia and overseas to build skills and stronger industries and business that benefit us all.