Your input is encouraged on a round of new projects to update and develop national qualifications and skills standards across a range of job roles.
Several of the new projects relate to consumer trends and the shift in skill requirements as industry adapts and innovates. The Australian Native and Bush Food Project seeks to define the skills standards of a burgeoning sector, consulting on the unique skills required to plant, harvest, process, and promote Australian native and bush foods. The Permaculture, Organic Production & Composting Projects will revise skills standards for a range of job roles that draw on traditional skills and the latest technology and methods to grow and farm sustainable produce.
Some projects have come about due to recommendations and findings out of recent government inquiries, research and initiatives. The Water Allocation & Entitlement Skills Project responds to finding from the Keelty report showing the need for farmers to have the skills and knowledge to navigate Australia’s water markets. The Trainers of Assistance Dogs Project aims to capture the skills required for animal trainers to specialise in assistance dog training, in response to increased use of assistance dogs for a range of conditions and the expansion of assistance dogs into fields covered by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and other health streams.
The bushfires of 2019-20 have impacted many of the industries we work with and influenced the skills needs of some. The Small Companion Animal Incident Management Project seeks to address recommendations made in the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements for the need for a national approach to skills standards to care for small companion animals and their owners in the case of disasters caused by natural events. The Responding and Assisting in Bushfires project looks at the skills required forestry operators to assist with fire mitigation and firefighting, as well as clean up following a fire.
Some of the core skills of the industries we work with are also being updated, so that they can best support learners and industry as a whole. Consultation is taking place to update essential skills used broadly across job roles as part of the Ag & Horticulture Core Skills and Meat Processing, General, Quality and Safety Skills projects. Meanwhile, the skills required in niche professions will be reviewed as part of the Pig and Poultry Farming, Pharmaceutical GMP, Sugar Milling, and Sawmilling and Timber Processing projects.
Skills Impact is seeking to connect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as part of the Respect for Country Job Skills Project, about whether qualifications and stills standards for respecting Country accurately reflect the skills and knowledge for this work, and to hear about any improvements that can be made.
How to get involved
If you have experience in any of these areas and are interested in participating providing feedback, draft qualifications and skills standards will be made available for feedback on the Skills Impact website. News of this will be shared through news alerts, the Skills Impact website and social media channels throughout the duration of each project. To stay informed, please check your subscription preferences to make sure they are up to date.
Responding and Assisting in Bushfires Project (webpage available soon)
Sawmilling and Timber Processing Project (webpage available soon)