On 25 November 2020, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash and Assistant Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeships, The Hon. Steve Irons MP, announced three new skills project hubs to support better, faster training for the mining sector.
The three new hubs will deliver better training and faster assessment to ensure the mining sector has access to the skills, training and workforce it needs to continue playing a key role in Australia’s economic future.
The hubs are an initiative of the Mining Skills Organisation Pilot, which is helping improve Australia’s training system to respond to industry skills needs.
The Mining Skills Organisation Pilot is comprised of employers and skills experts working to respond to the existing and emerging workforce challenges identified by the mining industry.
Minister Cash said the pilot will help new and existing workers to upskill and reskill, so they can have a rewarding career.
“Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) sector will play a crucial role in our economic future, ensuring a pipeline of skilled workers is available to industry,” she said.
Assistant Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprentices, the Hon. Steve Irons MP, said Australia’s mining industry is critical and the Mining Skills Organisation Pilot is working hard to address the future workforce challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the sector.
“The pilot and new skills project hubs will help to modernise apprenticeships and respond to the changing skills needs of the mining industry, which is part of our plan to deliver a more responsive and flexible VET system,” he commented.
The three project hubs are:
- An apprenticeships hub with an initial goal of at least 5000 new apprenticeships to modernise trades training, education and development, with an initial focus on in-demand Heavy Duty Diesel Fitters and developing content, delivery and assessment models that better align industry need and apprentice knowledge.
- A digital transformation hub for faster delivery of training products for automation and the application of digital technologies, with the goal of integrating existing automation training products into Australia’s training package framework.
- An attraction and retention hub to identify and test strategies that make a career in the industry attractive to those with partial or transferable skills and qualifications by aligning the skills necessary for a successful career in mining with those in other industries through a Mining Fundamentals skill set.
Interim chair of the pilot and CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), Tania Constable, said they are working closely with the VET system, so it is better aligned with industry needs.
“This will ensure the industry has access to the skilled talent it needs to continue creating highly-skilled, highly paid jobs and making a significant contribution to the national economy,” Ms Constable said.
The Australian Government has allocated $50.8 million to support the implementation of Skills Organisations pilots in mining, digital and human services.
More details about the Mining Skills Organisation Pilot can be found at https://www.employment.gov.au/mining.
