Julia Gillard, Minister for Education, Employment & Workplace Relations, today announced the members of Skills Australia, an independent statutory body that will provide advice on workforce development and future skills needs.
Estimates predict that Australia is currently heading towards a skills shortage of around 240,000 skilled workers by 2016. Skill shortages threaten future economic growth, contribute to higher inflation and high interest rates and limit productivity. They also have the potential to reduce the standard of living of all Australians.
The establishment of Skills Australia – part of the Rudd Government’s Skilling Australia for the Future policy, is an important step in overcoming skills shortages. The Government is aiming to ensure a prosperous future through higher and more productive workforce participation.
Skills Australia, to be chaired by former IBM executive, Mr Philip Bullock, will give the Government a comprehensive picture of current skill shortages, provide high quality advice on future demands for skilled labour and establish dialogue with industry stakeholders and State and Territory Governments on labour force issues.
Skills Australia will be comprised of seven experts from a range of backgrounds including, economics, industry, academia and education and training.
Chair, Mr Philip Bullock is currently a Director of Healthscope Limited, a leading provider of hospitals and pathology services in Australia. Mr. Bullock has been an industry leader for many years and was the Chief Executive and Managing Director of IBM Australia and New Zealand.
The 6 other members of Skills Australia are:
- Professor Gerald Burke
- Ms Sharan Burrow
- Dr Michael Keating
- Ms Marie Persson
- Mrs Heather Ridout
- Mr Keith Spence
Skills Australia is an important element of the Australian Government’s policy framework to fight inflation by addressing skill shortages. It is a challenging plan that requires all parties to make an active contribution. It is only with all stakeholders actively engaged in the skills agenda that we can focus on our outcomes – to increase the productive capacity of the economy through a more highly-skilled workforce. The result will be an Australia where the career aspirations of individuals are recognised, nurtured and rewarded.
The first meeting of Skills Australia will be held in May 2008.