Participate in Job Quality Focus Groups

Researchers from the Australian Catholic University (ACU) and University of Sydney (US) are seeking businesses’ views on how to create ‘good’ quality jobs in Australia that improve worker wellbeing and organisational outcomes. The outcomes of the project will produce two specific toolkits. The first will support and enable employers to create and sustain job quality….

Congratulations to the Australian Training Awards Finalists

The Hon Andrew Giles MP, Minister for Skills and Training, has announced the finalists for the ​2025 Australian Training Awards​. Among them are individuals and organisations making significant contributions to industries we support. Finalists include Lewis Italiano from Western Australia, recognised for excellence in cabinet making; Hamish Genrich from Queensland, who is using his Certificate…

National Agriculture Day – Grow you good thing!

On Friday 21 November we celebrate the people, passion, and possibilities that keep Australia growing. Agriculture is not only the heart of our food system—it also drives industries that clothe us, house us and support our daily lives, from fibre and furnishing to food production. It’s a hub of innovation, technology, and skilled careers shaping…

Play your part in strengthening the VET workforce

The VET Workforce Project now commences work on two co-designed strategies to boost attraction and retention in rural, regional, and remote areas. You are invited to join roundtable and networking events both online and across the country from early 2026. These fully participatory sessions will gather vital input to develop a Workforce Development Framework tool…

New Skills Insight projects

Skills Insight has recently initiated the following projects. To receive relevant project updates, check your ​subscription preferences​. Mapping animal care and management licensing and regulatory considerations  This pilot will assist registered training organisations (RTOs) to navigate licensing, legislative, regulatory, and certification requirements when delivering animal care and management training. The project will produce a detailed…

Skills Insight responds to Revised Apprenticeship Priority List Methodology Discussion Paper

Skills Insight has responded to the discussion paper on a Revised Methodology for the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List. Our submission, informed by engagement and research, highlights concerns that the proposed methodology could systematically disadvantage essential industries and the communities they support. Notably, sixteen additional occupations within Skills Insight’s coverage risk exclusion from the Priority List if…

Jobs and Skills Australia publications and consultations

Australia’s labour market is undergoing significant structural change, with growing demand for higher-skilled roles and emerging technologies reshaping work. Through our engagement with industry and training leaders, we continue to hear the pressing need for improved matching between the skills Australians bring and the opportunities available to them, particularly for underrepresented groups. The Jobs and…

Update on progress of Veterinary Nursing Review

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Skills Review that was undertaken to analyse current and future practices in veterinary nursing across a range of species and contexts. Your insights have provided a strong foundation for reshaping training package products to better reflect real-world skills and knowledge. A Technical Committee has now been established…

New project to map animal care and management licensing and regulatory considerations

This pilot will assist registered training organisations (RTOs) to navigate licensing, legislative, regulatory, and certification requirements when delivering training. While qualifications and units outline key requirements, they can’t capture all state-based or less obvious obligations, which can create challenges for RTOs and learners. For instance, a program may require a driver’s licence or animal ethics…

New Textiles, Clothing and Footwear Skills Mapping Project

The textiles, clothing and footwear industry combines traditional craftsmanship with emerging skills that drive innovation, embrace new technologies and adjust to changes in consumer preferences and evolving environmental regulations. This project will map skills and occupations across the industry to identify current and future skill needs, career pathways, transferrable skills, and gaps in training provision…

Still time to contribute to the Furnishing Apprenticeships Guidance Project

Work is underway to create best practice guidance materials for employers in the furnishing industry, to assist them in their role supporting apprentices and trainees. A draft Best Practice Guide Framework is available for feedback on the project webpage.  Your input is encouraged to help refine the structure, content and format of the guide so…

Final draft window furnishings and shade sails qualifications and units available for feedback 

To keep up with the evolving needs of industry, the Certificate III in Shading and Security Screens, four skill sets and 29 units of competency for installers and manufacturers are being revised in consultation with stakeholders. Final drafts are now available for comment as part of the consensus gathering stage of the project. Feedback at this…

Australia’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

The Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is calling for stakeholders to have their say on the implementation plan for Australia’s Strategy for Nature. Consultation is open until 15 October 2025. The plan will guide how governments, communities, businesses and individuals can work together to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by…

Update on recent submissions (Oct 2025)

Skills Insight has recently contributed to several important national consultations, supporting the voices of our stakeholders to be heard in policy and decision-making. Submissions incorporate the relevant feedback you’ve shared with us and insights in our Workforce Plan. Productivity Commission inquiries As part of the Productivity Commission’s Five pillars of productivity inquiries, Skills Insight provided a formal submission…