Labour market issues

The Department of Education, Training and the Arts is focused on assisting mature aged Queenslanders to get training and gain formal recognition of the skills and qualifications required to help them find meaningful employment in their chosen industry.

In an environment where the Australian workforce is ageing, fewer young people entering and larger numbers of the existing workforce becoming mature aged, combined with the significantly restricted growth in the labour force, skill shortages are emerging. A key to addressing these shortages will be the participation of older people in the labour force, their ability to secure employment and the number of hours they are able to work. The challenge is to increase the labour force participation and employment of older workers.

“The vocational training and education sector has a role to play now to educate and train those men and women who are currently aged 25 to 44, in anticipation of when they reach the problematic 50 to 64 year age group.” NCVER 2003 – Australia's ageing population and its implications for the future.

This combined with the changing nature of work patterns of Australians and the globalisation of the marketplace has a significant impact on the employment outlook for Queenslanders .

“Some of the seventy percent of older Australians who have saved for their retirement (at various levels) will return to post-compulsory study to either compliment existing or new work practices, possible institutes by further revolutions in information communication technology. Their motivations will be diverse but one could make a fair guess, based on some of the statistical information and projections provided, that economic security will be a prime driver.”

Article - Boomers will learn more to earn more – Campus Review 25/08/04

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research cites the important role that vocational education and training plays in addressing these issues. “Continued improvement in education and skills level also encourages labour force participation. Over the past 20 years, unskilled workers have not been involved in the labour force as their more skilled counterparts. This applies to both men and women. Improving skills levels – particularly for the low skilled – is a key element of improving overall participation levels – NCVER 2003.”

The services offered by Skilling Solutions Queensland have been developed to clearly address these labour market issues.