New Jobs and Skills Councils & The Future of Food, Beverage & Pharmaceutical in the Australian Skills System

Our Role Establishing Skills Insight JSC

Skills Impact held a Skills Service Organisation (SSO) role between 2016 and 2022. In 2023 we established one of ten Job and Skills Councils (JSCs), after a submission to move into the role was backed by over 200 letters of support from a broad range of industry stakeholders. This new JSC, Skills Insight, has a broader scope to deliver outcomes that support a responsive VET system and a skilled and resilient national workforce. The industry coverage of Skills Insight is similar to our past coverage as a Skills Service Organisation.

Today, Brendan O’Connor, Minister for Skills and Training announced the establishment of 10 Jobs and Skills Councils, to provide industry with a stronger, more strategic voice in ensuring Australia’s VET sector delivers stronger outcomes for learners and employers.

Jobs and Skills Councils will replace the current Skills Service Organisation (SSO) and Industry Reference Committee (IRC) structures. They will begin operating in the new year and will have different industry coverage to SSOs. The food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries will now be supported by IBSA, who will be responsible for establishing the Manufacturing Jobs and Skills Council. It follows the requests of several key industry organisations to be a part of manufacturing, in particular to recognise the role of advanced manufacturing in food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, and the need for Government to ensure a balance of industries across all 10 Jobs and Skills Councils.

Over the past seven years, the Skills Impact team has had the privilege of meeting and working with many of the wonderful people who make up Australia’s food, beverage and pharmaceutical industry. Our team will be working with IBSA to ensure a smooth transition for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industry. Thank you for all the time and expertise you have offered to improve the national skills standards and qualifications for your industry over the past seven years.

Over the duration of the SSO program, together we have:

managed 14 training package projects for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical (FBP) industry
reviewed and developed 34 qualifications
reviewed and developed 41 skill sets
reviewed and developed 542 units
presented research on industry skills needs and proposed projects via seven industry specific reports, including Skills Forecasts, Updates to Skills Forecasts, Four-Year Work Plans and Industry Skills Reports.

We will continue to hold a role supporting the agribusiness, furniture and fibre industries as part of this new system under a new organisation named ‘Skills Insight’.

Our Role Establishing Skills Insight JSC

Visit the Skills Insight website

New Jobs and Skills Councils & The Future of Food, Beverage & Pharmaceutical in the Australian Skills System

Skills Impact Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation with a charitable purpose of Advancing Education. Skills Impact acknowledges the previous support of the Commonwealth which assisted in establishing this website.