Policy & Projects

Australian Industry Group represents members' interests to government and researches your needs to develop training solutions to skills issues facing industry today. We are represented on a broad range of government decision making bodies, making sure that the voice of industry is heard at all levels of Australia's vocational education and training system. 

Ai Group is also very well represented throughout the Industry Training Advisory Board (ITAB) network. We sit on a number of ITABs to develop Industry Competency Standards, agree on how apprenticeships and traineeships should operate in each industry, develop training packages and advise government through Industry VET Plans where skills shortages are emerging. 

Australian Industry Group regularly makes submissions to governments at all levels on matters to do with the vocational education and training system. We develop and publish policies which are designed to ensure that Australia's vocational education and training system is led by industry and is focussed on the needs of industry. In addition, Ai Group is regularly contracted by government to undertake projects within the vocational education and training framework.

Some recent examples of policy, projects and submissions:

• Investing Wisely: a statement on meeting Australia’s skill needs by the National Skills Policy Collaboration (2009)
  Ai Group combined with the ACTU, the Australian Education Union, the Dusseldorp Skills Forum and Group Training Australia to outline an approach to reform of the national training system.

• A Guide to Managing the First 100 Days of an Apprenticeship (2007)
  A practical guide for employers developed in conjunction with Ai Group Training Services.

• It’s Crunch Time: a Discussion Paper on raising youth engagement and attainment (2007) A joint paper with the Dusseldorp Skills Forum including research on young people and proposing reforms to increase their engagement and achievement in education and training.

• Ai Group's Submission to the Inquiry into Combining School and Work (2009) outlined a series of measures to support effective combinations of school and work.

• National Workforce Literacy Project (current): an investigation into employer views and workplace trialing of approaches to workforce literacy and numeracy.

• Skillls Utilisation (current): an investigation into how effectively existing workforce skills are used by companies.

• Faster, Smarter, Higher Trade Training Outcomes (2008 – 2010) - Final Project Report: a range of trial programs conducted with enterprises and training providers to more effectively deliver trade qualifications.

• Emerging Technologies (2008 – 2009); an examination of the skilling issues for industry around the introduction of new technologies.

• Skilling the Existing Workforce Project (2007 – 2008): a research project focused on what skills are delivered to the existing workforce with extensive trial site and case study reports.

• World Class Skills for World Class Industries (2004 – 2006): a research project focused on what skills are needed and delivered from the viewpoint of employers.