Jobs and Skills Australia has released the annual Occupation Shortage List (OSL), for 2025. According to this year’s list, 29% of occupations were in national shortage, down from a peak of 36% in 2023. The OSL identifies which occupations are in shortage and where, providing information to inform government decision making and support. It includes…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Attracting and retaining staff is a key priority for the industries Skills Insight supports, with a large proportion of the workforce in regional, rural and remote Australia. A web resource is being drafted to equip employers with tools to improve their attraction and retention strategies. It has been developed in consultation with the project working…
Our Stakeholder Forum recently met face-to-face to discuss Jobs and Skills Council work priorities. The Forum brings together a group of industry leaders who together represent more than 70 unique sub-sectors across agribusiness, fibre, furnishing, food, animal and environment care. The group discussed productivity, regional and remote priorities, and skills leadership to help guide Skills…
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the draft blinds, awnings, security screens and grilles qualification and units available for feedback from 25 June to 28 July, and again from 19 August to 19 September 2025. With your input, the qualification and units are being revised to improve their flexibility and relevance to the skill needs in…
Consultation is underway to develop best practice guidance materials for employers in the furnishing industry, to assist in their role supporting apprentices and trainees. A draft Best Practice Guide Framework is now available for feedback on the project webpage. Your input is encouraged to help refine the structure, content and format of the guide so…
Skills Insight is working with industry stakeholders to strengthen the appeal of agriculture careers by mapping pathways across roles in the AHC Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package. Visible career pathways are vital for attracting and retaining workers. Research and consultation indicate that job titles, levels and pathways vary greatly across sub-sectors,…
Skills Insight has released its Workforce Plan 2025–2026. The plan sets out a shared vision of workforce priorities and strategies to address key challenges and skill needs across the agribusiness, fibre, furnishing, food, animal and environment care industries. The Workforce Plan was formally launched by the Hon Andrew Giles MP, Minister for Skills and Training, at Skills Insight’s…
Supporting apprenticeship and traineeship completion rates is a priority for the furnishing industry, to promote a skilled and sustainable workforce. Many employers in the industry are small businesses and experience barriers to providing the full range of support learners require. To assist with this, Skills Insight and FurnishingWorks (a division of ForestWorks) are undertaking a…
Australia’s food system is essential to Australian life, culture and the economy. It is dependent on a skilled workforce to keep it secure, resilient and productive. The Australian Government is developing Feeding Australia: A National Food Security Strategy, with aims to boost the productivity, resilience and security of our food system. For the industries we work with, this…
Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) is undertaking consultation on the 2025 Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL), which identifies occupations to be included under the employer-sponsored temporary Skills in Demand visa as part of the national migration strategy. Skills Insight has identified the occupations identified in the CSOL that relate to the industries we work with, which includes…
