The furnishing industry has a wide range of career opportunities available, with apprenticeships and traineeships in areas like cabinetmaking, flooring installation, and glass and glazing. Supporting completion rates across these programs is a priority for the industry, to promote a skilled and sustainable workforce.
Click across the tabs to view active and completed project stages. Consultation takes place at every stage of the project.
As the furnishing industry is made up predominantly of small businesses without dedicated human resources roles, many employers experience barriers to providing the full range of support learners require to complete their training. This includes difficulty navigating the apprenticeship system and shifting expectations around hybrid learning and working models.
To empower employers in their role supporting trainees and apprentices, Skills Insight and FurnishingWorks (a division of ForestWorks) are undertaking this project to develop best-practice guidance materials in consultation with stakeholders.
The materials will be designed to:
A Steering Committee will be established to provide advice throughout the project, including the development of initial draft materials. The project team will contact a range of stakeholders for participation in the committee, including employers, industry associations, unions, Apprenticeship Connect Australia providers, and peak associations that represent priority cohorts.
There will be opportunities for stakeholders to contribute throughout the project. This will include the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the draft materials.
Once the guidance materials have been revised and finalised, they will be made freely available for employers to use.
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Project team
Tim Cleary
Stakeholder Engagement Manager
FurnishingWorks
[email protected]
Belinda Tierney
General Manager
ForestWorks
[email protected]
Australian Cabinet and Furniture Association
Project Delivery Partner
[email protected]
Timeline
| Planning | August 2025 |
| Development | September 2025 |
| Broad Consultation | October 2025 |
| Consensus Gathering | November 2025 |
| Finalisation | February 2026 |
| Publication of materials | March 2026 |
This stage has not yet commenced.
This stage has not yet commenced.
At the broad consultation stage, we present and discuss potential solutions, collecting feedback from a wide range of stakeholder across the country. It follows consultation with various stakeholders that has already taken place throughout the project.
This stage has not yet commenced.
As part of consensus gathering, we check our work with stakeholders to confirm that solutions are in line with expectations.
This stage has not yet commenced.
At the finalisation stage, final checks are conducted and the outcomes of the project are submitted to the Department for consideration. Following this, outcomes are published or enacted.
FurnishingWorks, a part of ForestWorks, is providing support for the management of this JSC project as part of their collaborative partnership with Skills Insight. ForestWorks has an enduring and strong connection working with the forestry, timber, paper, fibre and furnishing industries and have been engaged by Skills Insight to deliver this project in partnership.