VET News

New National Workforce Strategy Sets Priorities for 2022-2027

As the economy continues to strengthen and moves from the recovery phase into expansion, it is important that workforce challenges are quickly identified and addressed. Challenges such as skills  and labour shortages, regional mismatch and new ways of working were already emerging due to increasing globalisation, demographic changes, technological advances, and digitalisation.  Many of these have been exacerbated by the  COVID-19 disruption to business operations, trade,  and labour mobility.

Over the medium to long-term, a strategic approach is required to ensure the labour force is better equipped and more responsive to industry needs and future economic opportunities. 

The objective of the National Workforce Strategy is to guide targeted action on workforce development across the economy and realise a new vision for Australia’s workforce through to 2027.  It is intended to be used by Australian Government agencies when developing sectoral or cross-sectoral workforce strategies, or other workforce measures. The National Workforce Strategy will  ensure these strategies are built on a strong evidence base and are coordinated across agencies in line with broader Government priorities and actions. 

To support these objectives, the National Workforce Strategy articulates five principles to guide a coordinated and consistent approach across government: 

1. Use data to create transparency of the current and future workforce 
2. Equip Australians with in-demand skills and focus employment services on outcomes 
3. Remove barriers and disincentives to work 
4. Activate industry to design and drive change; and 
5. Target migration to fill skills and labour gaps.

The National Workforce Strategy also sets out the Government’s workforce policy priorities through three key areas of focus:  ƒ 

• Increasing the workforce participation and economic security of women, Indigenous Australians, and people with disability;  

• Ensuring a skilled workforce is available to support critical sovereign capability; and ƒ

• Growing and supporting the care workforce to meet the needs of the ageing population and people with disability.

The National Workforce Strategy will be achieved through agency-led policy initiatives and sectoral workforce strategies consistent with the three areas of Government focus and the five principles.  

Download the full report (.pdf) here.

Date posted Apr 14, 2022