Future Skills Organisation

🌟Generalist and Specialist Skills🌟 Today's insight from our Top 10 Insights 2024 is Generalist and Specialist Skills.   While specialist skills continue to be crucial, there's growing demand for generalist skills like problem-solving, innovation and effective communication.   Our stakeholders have told us there's a need for new benchmarks and recognition systems to validate and promote generalist skills, enabling a more adaptable workforce. 💡Josh Griggs, CEO of ACS (Australian Computer Society) explains: "In today's rapidly evolving job landscape, generalist skills are just as crucial as technical expertise. We believe that the combination of specific technical knowledge and versatile, adaptable skills is what truly drives success." 💡In a case study, software engineering student Daniella Gollotta shared how she developed her 'soft’ skills with Evolutioned. "Now my strong generalist skills will play a pivotal role in my career trajectory, enabling me to excel in collaborative environments and effectively communicate complex technical concepts."   Read more about this insight, including key skills gaps and skills in demand 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gxWne-N7 #FSOTop10Insights2024 #JobsandSkillsCouncil #FutureSkillsOrganisation #FSO #FutureofWork #GeneralistSkills 

🌟Digital Inclusion and the Digital Divide🌟 Today's insight from our Top 10 Insights 2024 is Digital Inclusion and the Digital Divide. With one in four Australians still experiencing digital exclusion, our stakeholders report a persistent digital divide, attributed to factors including affordability, accessibility and ability.    Industry leaders have told us digital literacy is essential for future education, highlighting the importance of equipping young people with digital skills and problem-solving abilities. 📱Jess Wilson, CEO of Good Things Australia shared: "The estimated annual economic benefit of closing the digital divide for highly excluded Australians is $467M/year. This is a conservative estimation and we expect with more detailed research and available data, this number would increase." 📱In a case study, Katie Gatward, Technology Support Officer at Your Library group, emphasised the importance of libraries in helping people build digital confidence: "Libraries offer a safe space where people feel comfortable asking about technology - questions they often hesitate to ask at home, at work, or in public settings." Read more about this insight 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g9GiPfBn #FSOTop10Insights2024 #JobsandSkillsCouncil #FutureSkillsOrganisation #FSO #DigitalInclusion #DigitalDivide #DigitalSkills

Our Director of Engagement & Growth, Ross Raeburn, attended the Learning Creates Australia National Gathering this week, where he joined conversations about the future of education and skilling of young people in Australia.    Events like this play a vital role in shaping our understanding of industry trends and guiding impactful solutions.    See Ross' reflections here 👇    Megan Lilly Chris Harte  Jan Owen AM Hon DLitt   #FutureSkills #Innovation #Education 

🌟Diversity and Inclusion🌟 Today's insight from our Top 10 Insights 2024 is Diversity and Inclusion. Workforce diversity empowers individuals, strengthens businesses and communities and can help to address skills gaps. Our stakeholders have highlighted a growing focus on supporting the diverse needs of all groups and creating inclusive, psychologically safe workplaces where everyone feels valued. Removing barriers is essential to workforce diversity, including addressing the gender pay gap and taking a revised approach to training, recruitment and retention strategies to address low workforce participation of First Nations individuals. 👉Kirstie Wishart, owner of the Starfish Store, shared: "I encourage business owners to consider giving someone with a disability an opportunity. Start with a few hours a day or week, be flexible and open, and you will reap the rewards."   👉In a case study, Dominique Loulie from Ability Works Australia Ltd highlighted the work of OZeWAI and the importance of digital accessibility: "Most companies are starting to prioritise these issues and while progress is being made, there’s still a lot of work to do." Read more about this insight, including case studies and our consultation papers on workforce challenges: https://lnkd.in/g6fX3Kqb #FSOTop10Insights2024 #JobsandSkillsCouncil #FutureSkillsOrganisation #FSO

🌟Policy Change🌟 Today's insight from our Top 10 Insights 2024 is Policy Change. Regulatory and policy changes in areas like tax, fair work, migration and sustainability reporting are reshaping the economic landscape.   Our stakeholders in the finance, technology and business sectors have shared the need to adapt quickly to reforms in order to stay competitive and compliant. This offers potential for innovation and growth and drives a need for new skills and training. ➡️ Amanda Linton, CEO of The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers and FSO Sector Representative Member, says the role of bookkeepers is evolving rapidly due to new policies and regulations. "Many members now focus more on data analysis, compliance and technology integration, moving beyond traditional record-keeping to become strategic advisors in financial decision-making and regulatory adherence," she says. "This has a big impact on the skills today’s bookkeeper needs." Read more about this insight, including key impacts and our related projects here: https://lnkd.in/gg6hGy6g #FSOTop10Insights2024 #JobsandSkillsCouncil #FutureSkillsOrganisation #FSO #ICB 

The team from Microsoft Global visited our Melbourne office last week to discuss the importance of an AI enabled economy.🌐 To thrive in this environment, the Australian workforce must quickly develop new skills. This will necessitate a nimble and scalable approach to upskilling and reskilling across all sectors of the economy, which must be enabled by a coordinated response from Australia's government, industry and education sectors. This links closely to the research we have led during 2024, to understand the impact of generative AI on workplace skills and training needs in the finance, tech and business sectors. Read our AI research here 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g2uxnswg   Thanks to Microsoft Global Head of Philanthropies Kate Behncken, Skills and Social Impact International Lead Somanna Palacanda, Asia Corporate Vice President for Small, Medium and Corporate Rachel Bondi, General Manager Corporate External and Legal Affairs John Galligan and ANZ National Skills Director Tim Allen, for meeting with our CEO Patrick Kidd OBE OAM and Chief of Staff Alison Wall. #GenAI #AI #MicrosoftANZ #MicrosoftGlobal #MicrosoftAI #JobsandSkillsCouncils #FutureSkillsOrganisation #FutureofWork

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists who were recognised at the 2024 Australian Training Awards! 🎉 Our team enjoyed celebrating the success of outstanding vocational education and training (VET) students, teachers, training organisations and employers at the gala event in Canberra last week. In particular, we recognise those contributing to the finance, technology and business sectors, including: 🌟 VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year: Dr. Adam Bignold, who teaches Cyber Security and Information Technology Federation University Australia. A passionate educator, Adam designed inclusive training resources and uses real-life hacking scenarios to inspire his students. 🌟 Large Training Provider of the Year (Gold): TAFE SA, which has strong industry partnerships and works with education providers across Australia to share information and resources. 🌟 Large Training Providing of the Year (Silver): Charles Darwin University, which re-established CDU-TAFE as distinct offering, immediately resulting in a 22% rise in VET enrolments in 2023. 🌟 Industry Collaboration Award (Silver): Palm Island Digital Service Centre, a collaboration between TAFE Queensland, MEGT (Australia) Ltd, Advance Queensland, Palm Island Community Company Limited and the Queensland Government, offering Business courses and employing residents to deliver call centre support for Telstra. 🌟 School Pathways to VET Award (Silver): Thebarton Senior College, a senior secondary college and RTO which offers courses including IT and Business. 🌟 Large Employer of the Year Award (Gold): VACCA - Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency, which upskills employees in courses including Leadership and Management. See all the winners and finalists here: https://lnkd.in/gU9NEJtr #ATA2024 #VET #CyberSecurity #JobsandSkillsCouncils

🌟Pathways🌟 Today’s insight from our Top 10 Insights 2024 is Pathways. As job roles in the finance, tech and business sectors evolve, our members and collaborators have told us there's an increasing need for clearly defined learning pathways and accessible employment. With the rising cost of living and need for contextualised learning, stakeholders have also highlighted the growing demand for earn-while-you-learn training and work options. 🛤️ Glenn Campbell, CEO, The College, Western Sydney University explains: "Western Sydney University and The College have a focus on creating and increasing pathways for students from different backgrounds and skill levels. There is lots of potential for growth and demand in this space if the right pathways are created to show they lead to meaningful career outcomes."   🛤️ In a case study, Queenslander Charlotte Ross shared how after trying university and various jobs, she found success as a trainee at ONGC Systems while studying a Certificate IV in Information Technology. "I never really felt as comfortable as I am with vocational education and training. I decided I wanted to pursue work and study together and I was introduced to the idea of taking an on-the-job traineeship in IT.” Read more about this insight, including case studies and how we're transforming insights to action: https://lnkd.in/gxAQwUhJ  #FSOTop10Insights2024 #JobsandSkillsCouncil #FutureSkillsOrganisation #FSO #VET #VocationalEducation

🌟Cyber Security🌟 Today’s insight from our Top 10 Insights 2024 is Cyber Security. We’ve heard from our stakeholders that there continues to be a cyber security skills gap, particularly in mid to high-level skill levels of the cyber workforce.   Entry-level roles are also challenging due to unclear pathways and a high demand for practical experience. 🛡️Andrew Shea, Managing Partner at cybersecurity firm Tesserent | Cyber Solutions by Thales and FSO Cyber Security Taskforce Chair, says: "Transferable abilities like problem-solving, critical thinking, and attention to detail can be just as important as technical prowess and recognising these abilities can also support a greater diversity in the applicants being considered." 🛡️CyberChef Ben Riles, a Security Analyst at Coles Group agrees: "Most people already have transferable skills suited to a cyber role, the challenge is recognising and using them."   Read more about this insight, our AI research and a case study about Ben’s career change from cheffing to cyber security 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gkDDstNY   #FSOTop10Insights2024 #JobsandSkillsCouncil #FutureSkillsOrganisation #FSO #CyberSecurity #BeCyberWise 

We recently brought the FSO team together to reflect on our Top 10 Insights for 2024 and to plan for an exciting 2025. Thank you to both Institute of Applied Technology - Digital (IAT-D) and Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative Ltd. for hosting us and sharing the incredible work they are doing in digital skills and First Nations education. Institute of Applied Technology - Digital provides industry-specific digital training programs designed to meet the evolving needs of employers by developing practical skills and real-world knowledge. Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative Ltd. is Australia's oldest independent Indigenous education provider, creating a space for community connection, Aboriginal-controlled education and social action for Indigenous peoples since 1957. These interactions are an important reminder that meaningful, authentic connection and collaboration are critical for real, beneficial impact. #Collaboration #FutureSkills #FutureWorkforce #JobsandSkillsCouncil