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The Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC), an advisory committee to Commonwealth and state and territory skills ministers, has put the call out to industry to have their say on the membership of a new Naval Shipbuilding Industry Reference Committee (IRC).
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Chair of the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) and former naval officer John Pollaers, has asked employers, employee representatives and industry experts to put in submissions to the AISC's shipbuilding reference committee to help contribute to the education and training of the industry.
"The Naval Shipbuilding IRC will be established by the AISC to ensure the vocational education and training (VET) system is meeting the specific skill needs of the industry," said Professor Pollaers.
"Industry needs to get behind this new IRC to ensure it sets the competency standards in training packages that will build the skilled workforce to deliver the Australian government’s Naval Shipbuilding Plan, which includes 12 regionally superior conventional submarines, nine future frigates and 12 offshore patrol vessels."
The new IRC will be designed to complement, and work with, the Naval Shipbuilding College, established by the Australian government. As well as examining and updating training package qualifications and skillsets, the IRC will consider new approaches to career structuring and identify opportunities for collaboration across VET, higher education and industry sectors.
"There is strong demand within the naval shipbuilding industry for workers in traditional trades, as well as workers with higher technical skills attained through a mix of vocational and higher education studies," said the professor.
The Naval Shipbuilding Plan, which was released in 2017, will lead to about 5,200 new shipbuilding jobs and more than double that number in sustainment, in less than a decade.
The new IRC membership and structure is currently open for public comment until COB Friday, 4 May here.
