What is an ITAB?
This Victorian ITAB profile is the third in our What is an ITAB Series? Previously we have looked at Western Australia and Queensland ITABs.
In Victoria, the ITABs are called IAGs, Industry Advisory Groups. As with WA and QLD ITABs, the structure of the Victorian IAGs are unique but perform the same fundamental roles. In Victoria, the State Government’s Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) engages ten IAGs to cover all industry sectors and includes representatives from industry, unions and employers. They meet four times a year to:
- engage with industry to understand their industries’ employment and training needs
- advise the government of these needs and insights
- work with the VSA to develop innovative solutions that address issues and priorities across the sector.
IAGs provide VSA with information about their industries. This helps VSA understand the priority growth sectors and existing industries.
There are two organisations that provide support to the Agribusiness, Food, Fibre sectors in Victoria. They are ForestWorks and Food and Primary Skills Victoria.
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ForestWorks
ForestWorks is an industry-owned not-for-profit organisation supporting skills development services for the forest, wood, paper, timber products and furnishing industries.
Sarah Fitzpatrick from ForestWorks provides Industry Advisory Group (IAG) Executive Officer support services, including:
- Working with IAG members and broader industry stakeholders to provide insights and advice on skilling priorities and issues.
- Working collaboratively with the Victoria Skills Authority (VSA), membership groups and training providers to develop innovative solutions that address issues and priorities across the sector.
- Working collaboratively with the VSA to deliver evidence-based data and insights on issues raised by stakeholders and IAG members.
- Actively engaging in promoting Government’s Workforce Training and Innovation Fund (WTIF), Regional Skills Training Fund (RSTF) and other funding streams as they are made available.
- Supporting industry engagement through relevant Department of Education and Training and other government department programs and policies as required.
- Undertaking research in response to issues arising from IAG meetings and issues papers.
- Providing secretariat support for IAG meetings alongside the VSA Secretariat as required.
- Undertaking other tasks to support industry engagement with the training system as requested by the VSA.
“The role of Executive Officer support is very rewarding as we get to see, and be a part of, all of the industry coming together to work through the most current and pressing training issues and to consider appropriate solutions,” said Sarah.
ForestWorks industry advisory responsibilities include activities to identify industry needs and solutions for skills and workforce development; this includes:
- formal consultation as focus groups, industry sector advisory groups, site visits and web forums
- conference and industry forum presentations
- project work with cross-industry collaboration and partnerships.
In addition to this, and to support the industry focused national training system, assistance is provided to develop the following training packages:
- Forest and Wood Products
- Resources and Infrastructure
- Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Industry
ForestWorks has Memorandums of Understanding with other Industry Advisory Groups in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, which provides access to industry information and advice related to these states, working together and leveraging each other’s roles. Learn more about how ForestWorks carries out its role as an ITAB
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Food & Primary Skills Victoria (FPSV)
FPSV is a not-for-profit industry owned association incorporated in Victoria and formed in May 2015 by amalgamating the Victorian Food Industry Training Board (VFITB) and Primary Skills Victoria (PSV).
The FPSV Executive Officer is Nick Juniper, whose industry advisory role includes providing vocational skills and training advice and services for the Victorian primary industry sectors, including:
- food manufacturing and processing
- agriculture
- horticulture and conservation and ecosystem management
- seafood industry
- animal care and management
- racing industry
- Australian meat industry.
Nick said, “It is an exciting time to be working in this space. Through the Victorian Skills Authority (VSA), Victoria is leading the way in terms of producing relevant, quality training outcomes that are valued by industry.” Nick has a diverse history in skills and VET including as a past Training Package Manager for manufacturing and engineering and forest Industries national bodies.
FPSV aims to improve the accessibility of vocational training and promote the benefits to employers and students alike. It works closely with businesses, industry bodies, unions, training providers, students, state government departments and state and national Training Provider Networks to collect intelligence and insights regarding current and future skills, industry needs and challenges for primary industry.
FPSV is contracted by the Victorian Skills Authority to provide executive officer services to the Primary Industries Advisory Group, (IAG) one of ten advisory groups that operate under the VSA’s industry engagement framework. Services include:
- acting as a central coordination and contact point for the IAG
- sharing new initiatives and successes
- working to build an understanding by industry of the skills system
- disseminating and aggregating requests for input made by the VSA and other government departments
- preparing meeting notes after regular IAG meetings and assisting in the organisation of quarterly IAG meetings
- networking with Executive Officers of other IAGs.