The Workforce Plan describes industry identified workforce challenges and skill opportunities across the industries we work with and proposes strategies to address them.

The 2023 Workforce Plan is now available to view below.

Skills Insight’s Jobs and Skills Council (JSC) Initial Workforce Plan draws on the insights and reports provided by industry stakeholders, along with national data and analysis based on the work of Jobs and Skills Australia, state based ITABs, National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Rural Research Development Corporations, Cooperative Research Centres, ABS and IBISWorld data and other research and information sources.

Thank you to all those stakeholders that provided feedback on the earlier draft, or on your industry skills needs more broadly. Your real-word insights are crucial, so we can work with stakeholders to develop skills and training strategies and solutions. The document has been updated to reflect all feedback, including input from the Department of Employment and Workforce Relations.

Each industry snapshot has been expanded using data from Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) and Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), including infographics and insights into the unique skills and knowledge and drivers of workforce dynamics for each of the 16 sectors we work with. We have identified opportunities to improve data to support future workforce planning. Existing industry and government strategies for improving workforce skills have also been identified, with proposals for how Skills Insight and stakeholders can engage and collaborate in these areas.

Workforce planning is a continual JSC process. As the first edition of this annual JSC product, the 2024 edition will build on this. Your comments are encouraged at any time and will inform the next edition of the Workforce Plan.

Phone 03 9321 3526
Email [email protected]

View the Initial Workforce Plan

View the individual industry snapshots:

What is a Workforce Plan?

The Workforce Plan is a key part of Skills Insight’s work and paves the way for the Department’s approval of projects to address skill issues.

The Workforce Plan provides insight into skills gaps and labour shortages, assessing whether training and skills are meeting industry demand. It outlines current and emerging issues impacting skills and training, providing insight into small and niche industries, and jurisdictional variations, as well as larger sectors. The initial version provides a platform for a transition to future editions, which will be based on labour market dynamics and ongoing strategy identification, including mapping of educational and career pathways.

While the focus of JSCs is on Vocational Education and Training (VET), the Workforce Plan is not limited to VET and skills related challenges and solutions. JSCs take a broader approach to the skills system, considering all barriers to meeting the ambitions of a skilled workforce including consideration of pathways from VET for Secondary Schools to VET, and between VET and higher education.

Workforce planning is one of the four key functions of a JSC. It is crucial to establishing the context and strategy for the three other functions: training product development; implementation, promotion and monitoring; and industry stewardship. The Workforce Plan reports on data, engagement, feedback and intelligence uncovered through all JSC functions and will undergo continual development in response to ongoing activities.

The Workforce Plan also informs two other important documents:

  • Activity Proposals identify the priority training product development and implementation, promotion and monitoring JSC activities for the current and forthcoming financial year. 
  • Strategic Plan describes the JSC’s plans for operation and stakeholder engagement. It is a three-year plan which will be updated annually.