The release of the long-awaited Employment White Paper in September revealed an ambition to gear up for technology and decarbonisation challenges and equip the nation for the future. The White Paper sits at the intersection of our social and economic goals – labour supply and the availability of suitable skills, as well as improving opportunity and social inclusion.

The Paper sees that achieving higher sustainable wages growth will require a lift in productivity. It acknowledges our immigration program must be more relevant to the skills our economy needs, and it seeks to broaden access to opportunities for the entrenched disadvantaged.

How will all of this be achieved given the burden of a workplace relations agenda that adds complexity to employment?

The theme of education and training runs throughout the paper. What are the tertiary education and training system reforms proposed to develop the skills required now and into the future? How does the system, both VET and higher education, need to innovate and apply new models of learning for both entry level and existing workers?

Presenters:

Megan Lilly, Executive Director, Centre for Education & Training, Ai Group

Peter Burn, Chief Policy Adviser, Ai Group

Host:

Tony Melville, Head of Corporate Affairs, Ai Group