Skilled
The Skilled pillar is about building and evolving the breadth and depth of Victoria’s talent pool to provide individuals and organisations with the requisite skills and human capital required to succeed. There is a strong focus on fostering lifelong learning, which starts in early childhood, continues through school and tertiary education and into the workforce.
To unlock Victoria’s potential we need to address Victoria’s current and future skills shortages, better match workers with employers and continually develop our skills base. Skills encompasses both the acquisition of new skills and knowledge, as well as upskilling and reskilling through training and education. Focusing on skills will boost the capability and capacity of our workforce and support Victorians to develop the skills they need to fully participate in the economy and society. Supporting access to education and training is critical to boosting participation rates and generating a range of positive outcomes associated with meaningful employment.
Victoria must offer a world-class, evidence-based education curriculum to ensure a solid foundation for further skills development. Victoria also requires stronger collaboration between government, universities and industry to produce more job-ready students. To ensure young people are occupying jobs in key growth areas, students need adequate careers advice and on-the-job training to set them up for success. Continual skill development, lifelong learning and reskilling are also essential to keep the labour force up-to-date and ensure it is prepared for the jobs of the future.
In addition to developing domestic talent, this pillar also considers ways in which Victoria can attract more overseas and interstate talent. Attracting international students and migrant workers is critical to Victoria’s economic, social and cultural prosperity. Victoria would benefit from recognising a variety of different skills and qualifications, as well as better facilitating entrance into the State for skilled and unskilled migrant workers.
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