Government enters into historic pact with employers and unions

In a historic move, the federal government has agreed a Digital and Tech Skills compact with unions and technology employers, which was concluded at the recent Jobs and Skills Summit, a media release by the minister for skills and training, and the minister for industry and science said.

The move was highly-anticipated, as HRD reported on the latest research, which suggests that the virtual workplace will be “the future of the work sector”.

HRD further explored the latest social and industry forecasts, emphasizing that technology-based skills are much needed in the workplace in the future.

Hence, with technology’s increasing demand as a booming sector, the government set its commitment to deliver 1.2 milion tech workers in Australia by 2030, as reported by HRD. Learn about how the government plans to actualize its goal.

What does the pact mean for Australia’s future?

The government noted that the historical pact asserts the commitment of industry, government, and unions to help resolve the nation’s skills shortages and boost the tech sector, particularly the goal to achieve 1.2mil tech-related jobs by 2030.

With the help of industry, unions, and training organisations, the government said it would establish a model pilot scheme to assist workers joining the tech industry with a combination of employment and training.

“We have made it clear that the Jobs and Skills Summit is the just start of a process to re-equip Australians with the skills we need,” Minister Ed Husic said. “This compact will help us get on with that work.”

Moreover, the government said that the agreement facilitates establishing a working group, represented by industries, unions, and the training system, which will create proposals for the White Paper process.

“Digital skills are now core foundation skills for Australians of all ages and essential to jobs now and in the future,” Minister Brendan O’Connor said.

“A robust skills and training sector is critical to driving a productive workforce – this will deliver a stronger economy and more affordable goods and services,” he added.

What do business and labour groups have to say?

According to the government, the compact builds on the suggestions laid out in the summit by the Australian Council of Trade Union (ACTU) and the Tech Council of Australia. 

For Tech Council CEO Kate Pounder, the historical compact, which includes providing more reskilling and training opportunities, is crucial as it will help create and keep more tech jobs for Australians.

Meanwhile, ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said the union welcomed the government’s investment, noting that “for Australia to be competitive, we must invest in skills and training, particularly in growing industries like digital and tech.”

During the Jobs and Skills Summit, among the main proposals put forward included “modern Australian digital traineeships and building inclusive pathways into tech jobs across the economy.”