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COAG Skills Agenda
SkillsShortages
BETTER SKILLS INFORMATION
MORE RAPID SKILLING• Apprenticeship duration • Enabling school-based
apprenticeships • New entry and exit
points in training• Better skills recognition
OVERSEAS QUALIFICATIONS
IMPROVING IMPROVING WORKFORCE WORKFORCE
MOBILITYMOBILITY
STRENGTHENING REGIONS
• New collaborative initiative
IMPROVING TRAININGQUALITY
EXAMININGNEXT STAGESOF REFORM
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Improving Workforce Mobility
• Workers’ mobility is restricted by licensing differences between jurisdictions
• This is despite– a longstanding Mutual Recognition
Agreement and supporting legislation across jurisdictions
– a national vocational education and training (VET) system
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Restrictions on Mobility
• Mobility Restricted by– Inconsistent use of the VET system by
jurisdictional regulators– Partially regulated occupations– Significant differences in the licensing
arrangements between jurisdictions
• Duplication of skill requirements between licensing and national qualifications systems
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COAG Decision• Governments will cooperate to develop
more effective mutual recognition arrangements across jurisdictions for occupational licenses
• This will be achieved through– Licence rationalisation and harmonisation– Removal of duplication of skills requirements
• Focus is on occupational licenses– Does not include pure business licenses
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Removing Duplication
Training Packages
Customer Product Supplier
Industry Regulators
Assessment Process
Skill & KnowledgeRequirements
Training DeliveryControls
VETSector
Assessment Process
Competency Standards
Registration & Audit
Licence Responsibilities
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Recognition of Overseas Skills
• COAG Agreement also involves recognition of overseas qualifications
– Streamlined system to be developed– Will use the national skill standards
determined through the mutual recognition initiative
– Will result in “single” assessment of skills
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Implementation
• Governance– The COAG Skills Recognition Steering
Committee– Occupation Action Groups
• Timetable– Action Groups to develop Action Plans by
August 06– Ministerial Agreement on Action Plans by
September 06– Full implementation by 30 June 07
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Baseline Report
• Purpose is to
– Outline COAG initiative– Describe current licensing environment– Describe current status of Training Package – Identify current regulator use of Training
Package
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Licensing
• Large number of licenses – 93 across 8 jurisdictions– Most jurisdictions have single regulatory body
• Broadly common licensing model– Contractor licences
Can contract directly with public Operates unsupervised
– Trade Cannot contract with public Operate under supervision of contractor
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Broad Licence Classes ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA
Plumber
Drainage
Sanitary
Water Supply
Fire Systems
Mechanical Services
Roofing
Urban Irrigation
Gas-fitting
Gas-fitter – LPG
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Licensing Variations
• Key licensing variations
– Number of licence types/classes– Personal versus entity licensing– Restricted licensing options
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Licensing Eligibility
• Trade licenses involve– Competency based eligibility requirements– Experience requirements
• Contractor licenses involve– Competency based eligibility requirements– Non-competency based eligibility
requirements– Experience requirements
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Mutual Recognition
• Incomplete information on approaches by jurisdictions under Mutual Recognition arrangements
• Status of Mutual Recognition of license types/classes between jurisdictions needs to be clarified
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Regulator use of VET system• Plumbing and Services Training Package
has been endorsed
• Significant progress achieved through NPRF
• National agreement on inclusion of regulator requirements in Training Package– Implementation strategies– National training and assessment resources
• Implementation stage underway
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Issues for Action Group
• Validating baseline information• Solution for improving mutual recognition
– Model for licence rationalisation and harmonisation– Removal of duplication of skills requirements
• Validation/communication of outcomes• Implementation plan• Managing risks
– Stakeholder– Legislative and industrial– New system / old system– Equivalence and multiple pathways