The Government of Western Australia is committed to advancing all of the recommendations arising from the Review of Skills, Training and Workforce Development, with many already in place.
The report, which is now available to the public, made 41 observations and recommendations which focus on preparing the workforce for the digital world, furthering new technologies and creating new futures for displaced workers.
It also recommends the building of training capacity in regional Western Australia and ensuring disadvantaged people are supported in their transition to training and the workforce.
The review – which the McGowan Government commissioned in May this year – aims to ensure the WA training system can rapidly respond and prepare Western Australians to get back to work following the impacts of COVID-19.
More than 238 stakeholders were consulted, 74 written submissions received and 10 Ministerial Roundtable meetings held.
The new recommendations align with initiatives that are already in place such as the free and half-price courses now available in work areas linked to State Government initiatives such as the Rebuilding our TAFEs plan and METRONET.
The review report and the State Government’s response to the recommendations can be found on the website.
The Premier of Western Australia stated, “We always knew the COVID-19 pandemic would have a devastating impact on our economy, and the journey to recovery would be challenging.”
The Premier expressed gratitude to stakeholders for their input into the review, at a time when business and community were under enormous pressure, to keep the state strong.
Responding to industry need and expert advice will ensure the state is in a position to recover from the effects of the pandemic, stronger than ever.
WA’s recovery is a joint effort, it’s about government working with industry together. The WA government is managing the pandemic together as a community.
The WA Education and Training Minister stated that the state government knows skills, training and workforce development are critical if it is to ensure a supply of skilled workers across priority industry sectors.
The review has identified practical training solutions in response to COVID-19 to meet industry needs, and ensure maximum opportunities for Western Australians to benefit from employment, skills, training and workforce development during this period of economic recovery.
More than 238 key stakeholders provided input and indicated their support to enhance the training system.
The government has already started to implement many recommendations, and the review will continue to be a useful tool in the coming months as the state moves into the restarting and stimulating phase of the State Recovery Plan.
In addition to getting input from key stakeholders, the Innovation and ICT Minister announced the release the draft Digital Inclusion Blueprint to gather feedback on how to make Western Australia more digitally inclusive.
Digital inclusion aims to give people of all ages, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, abilities, income levels and locations, the skills and tools to access and engage with digital technology and online services.
Every day across the globe, people spend on average six hours a day online, yet 11.6 per cent of WA households do not have access to the internet. Furthermore, 26 per cent of the State’s lowest income earners do not access the internet.
Western Australians will now have the opportunity to share their experiences of using digital technology and provide valuable feedback on the draft blueprint.
The draft blueprint identifies four key priority areas for digital inclusion, focusing on digital connectivity, affordability, digital skills, and the design of online government services.
Feedback will inform ‘Digital Inclusion in WA: A Blueprint for a Digitally-Inclusive State’, which will guide the delivery of digital inclusion initiatives in Western Australia.
Digital and printable copies of targeted surveys, catering to both general members of the public and organisations providing services to digitally disadvantaged clients, as well as the draft blueprint itself, are available on the government website.
