Policy influence in the skills arena

Through the NSW Business Chamber’s Workforce Skills Policy Committee, we are consistently engaged in policy interaction with State and Federal Governments regarding education, training and skills issues, providing high level input and recommendations to support employers’ engagement in a range of workforce skill development programs.

One of the Workforce Skills Committee’s key priorities is to reduce barriers to employer uptake of Australian Apprenticeships in NSW.

The following objectives are a central focus in 2011:

• Increase the level of incentives to support small businesses taking on trade apprentices.
• Improved and increased targeting of incentives across all qualifications, but not at the expense of lower entry level qualifications.
• Greater flexibility and mobility for general access to apprenticeships
• Improved consistency nationally across all jurisdictions within a common framework to maintain quality
• Continue to invest and build on direct mentoring initiatives already in place at State and Australian Government levels
• Improved communication frameworks that directly engage employers in the VET system.
• Simplifying the system – wider responsibility – fewer players
• Streamlined and simplified processes for businesses taking on employees and trainees, including electronic processing of claims and incentives.