They were loaded up on the Treasury Website before ‘Jobs and Skills’ Summit participants had even made it to the post Summit Party.
The Outcomes(Pdf).
The outcomes with substance in the short term are
A better skilled, better trained workforce
Immediate actions
The Government and states and territories agreed to:
- A $1 billion one-year National Skills Agreement that will provide additional funding for fee-free TAFE in 2023, while a longer-term agreement that drives sector reform and supports women’s workforce participation is negotiated
- Accelerate the delivery of 465,000 additional fee-free TAFE places, with 180,000 to be delivered next year, and with costs shared with the states and territories on a 50:50 basis The Government will:
- Legislate Jobs and Skills Australia as a priority based on tripartite governance
- Establish the Jobs and Skills Australia work plan in consultation with all jurisdictions and stakeholders, to address workforce shortages and build long term capacity in priority sectors
- Task Jobs and Skills Australia, once established, to commission a workforce capacity study on the clean energy workforce
Your short term takeaways are.
180k new free TAFE places next year. Depending on where and what courses are provided free, and if many others are subsidised, then this is a definite positive. It will give many kids scope to think about taking up some training fees and position availability is likely to be denying them up to now.
A new public sector entity to be called Jobs and Skills Australia to work with stakeholders etc to develop longer term skills needs. One assumes that if the ALP loses government in 3 years then it vanishes.
Addressing Skills Shortages and Strengthening the Migration System
Immediate actions
The Government will:
- Increase the permanent Migration Program planning level to 195,000 in 2022-23 to help ease widespread, critical skills shortages
- Provide $36.1 million in additional funding to accelerate visa processing and resolve the visa backlog
- Increase the duration of post study work rights by allowing two additional years of stay for recent graduates with select degrees in areas of verified skills shortages to strengthen the pipeline of skilled labour in Australia, informed by advice from a working group
- Extend the relaxation of work restrictions for student and training visa holders until 30 June 2023 to help ease skills and labour shortages
- Widen the remit of the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, making up to $575 million available to invest in social and affordable housing. The funding can be used to partner with other tiers of government and social housing providers, and to attract private capital including from superannuation funds.
Your short term takeaways are.
The Population Ponzi is back bigger and better than ever before. 195k this financial year (plus Humanitarian intake, which will get it over 200k) ‘to help ease critical skills shortages’ which nobody can identify except in sectors of the economy paying peanuts or are heavily contracted out. That may help in sectors such as aged care and potentially nursing, but will do nothing for incomes in any sector.
The circa 1 million awaiting visa processing will be expedited. Student visas here will be allowed to stay an extra 2 years if they have requisite skills as advised by ‘a working group’. Restaurants and convenience stores are no doubt elated, but this too will do sweet FA for incomes anywhere.
$575 million for affordable social housing. Well 195k this year plus 1 million awaiting visa processing adds up to circa 1.2 million. Either we have targeted the elite of corruption beneficiaries offshore with our visa grants, or we really should be telling some of those queuing up to bring a tent or swag. That $575 million isnt going to go far anywhere in Australia. We should presume that the Jobs & Skills Summit is placing sticks of gelignite underneath Australia’s Housing Affordability Problem.
Boosting Job Security and Wages, and Creating Safe, Fair and Productive Workplaces
Immediate actions
Business, unions and Government committed to work proactively together to:
- Strengthen tripartism and constructive social dialogue in Australian workplace relations
- Revitalise a culture of creativity, productivity, good faith negotiation and genuine agreement in Australian workplaces
- Establish a tripartite National Construction Industry Forum to constructively address issues such as mental health, safety, training, apprentices, productivity, culture, diversity and gender equity in the industry
The Government will update the Fair Work Act to create a simple, flexible and fair new framework that:
- Ensures all workers and businesses can negotiate in good faith for agreements that benefit them, including small businesses, women, care and community services sectors, and First Nations people
- Ensures workers and businesses have flexible options for reaching agreements, including removing unnecessary limitations on access to single and multi-employer agreements
- Allows businesses and workers who already successfully negotiate enterprise-level agreements to continue to do so
- Removes unnecessary complexity for workers and employers, including making the Better Off Overall Test simple, flexible and fair
- Gives the Fair Work Commission the capacity to proactively help workers and businesses reach agreements that benefit them, particularly new entrants, and small and medium businesses
- Ensures the process for agreement terminations is fit for purpose and fair, and sunsets so called ‘zombie’ agreements
The Government will also update the Fair Work Act to:
- Provide proper support for employer bargaining representatives and union delegates
- Provide stronger access to flexible working arrangements and unpaid parental leave so families can share work and caring responsibilities
- Provide stronger protections for workers against adverse action, discrimination, and harassment
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations will commence detailed consultations with business and unions on these matters next week.
Your short term takeaways are.
Lots of nebulous words about genuine agreement and good faith. Well seeing as business has the Population Ponzi being returned they will have the whip hand in any negotiation and seeing as Australia has an inward facing uncompetitive economy including the most expensive people, housing, energy and internet on the planet we can presume some of that rejuvenated good faith will take the form of Union officials politely holding their tongues as anything which can be contracted offshore is.
A mild tweak to the Fair Work Commission. That ‘capacity to proactively help workers and businesses reach agreements’ has potential to freak some employers out. Then again so will clarity on roles of union delegates, when those roles should be clear. The DEWR will likely be busy.
Promoting Equal Opportunities and Reducing Barriers to Employment
Immediate actions
The Government will:
- Provide Age pensioners with a temporary upfront $4,000 income bank credit to allow them to work and earn more before their pension is reduced
- Strengthen existing reporting standards to require employers with 500 or more employees to commit to measurable targets to improve gender equality in their workplaces
- Require businesses with 100 employees or more to publicly report their gender pay gap to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency
- Require the Australian Public Service to report to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency and to set targets to improve gender equity in the public service
- Strengthen the Respect@Work Council by giving business and unions a permanent seat at the table, along with government and civil society to support women’s safety and respect at work
- Put in place a Carer Friendly Workplace Framework which includes a self-assessment tool and learning modules, for businesses to be recognised as a carer friendly workplace
- Partner with the Tech Council of Australia to develop and deliver a free national virtual work experience program, which will build awareness of tech careers and support early stage-talent pathways for those who face heightened barriers to employment
- Provide additional funding to the ABS to strengthen information on the barriers and incentives to work through the Labour Force Survey The Government will work to improve disability employment outcomes through:
- A Visitor Economy Disability Employment pilot to deliver place-based employment outcomes by connecting small businesses, employment service providers and jobseekers with disability
- Signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Business Council of Australia to develop an Economic Initiative Pilot aimed at increasing employment and improving career pathways of people with a disability
- Better embedding employment in National Disability Insurance Scheme plans, to ensure participants who want to work are supported to do so
Your short term takeaways are.
Pensioners can earn some more before losing pension. Will be handy for some, but will also do bugger all for incomes, and for the most part is likely to be more part of the unskilled workforce.
More Gender Equity Reporting, including APS Gender Equity Reporting. More carer friendly workplaces. More disability support. The inclusion of the Public Service as a Gender Equity Issue is interesting seeing as according to the most recent APS State of the Service Report (P58, Pdf) the Gender balance of the APS is as below, and every state Public Sector is about the same.
Maximising jobs and opportunities in our industries and communities
Immediate actions
The Government will:
- Implement a Digital and Tech Skills Compact, with business and unions, to deliver ‘Digital Apprenticeships’ that will support workers to earn while they learn in entry level tech roles, with equity targets for those traditionally under-represented in digital and tech fields
- Deliver 1,000 digital traineeships, in the Australian Public Service, over four years, with a focus on opportunities for women, First Nations people, older Australians, and veterans transitioning to civilian life
Companies that sign up to the Compact are expected to commit to employing a proportion of their new employees through a Digital Apprenticeship scheme, once implemented Summit participants supported broader commitments from the business community to boost future technology jobs and training, and commitments to cross-jurisdictional energy transition workforce planning.
The Commonwealth and South Australian Government will co-chair a South Australian Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Taskforce to support delivery of Australia’s defence capabilities, including critical maritime capabilities such as frigates and submarines
Your short term takeaways are.
A Digital and Tech Skills Compact, pitched at women. A thousand digital traineeships in the APS pitched at women. There may not be all that much in that if the economy tanks or if business isnt interested in digital proficiency (or can get that digital proficiency offshore at a reduced price).
All in all the short term upsides are pretty sparse, and completely overwhelmed by the sudden influx of cheap exploitable labour. The surprising thing – though should anyone be that surprised? – is that there is no mention anywhere of crafting an environment where Australian business can actually be competitive (the word is not mentioned anywhere in the outcomes).
There is a longer term commitment to
The Government will conduct a review of the purpose, structure and objectives of Australia’s migration system to ensure it meets the challenges of the coming decade.
which includes,
Raise the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) following broad engagement on equitably setting the threshold and pathway for adjustment
That looks like an easily disposable sop to the Union movement, which has been sold a pup seeing as business has the Population Ponzi back straight away and this will sink incomes.
If debt stress, low incomes, casualisation, and governments which ignore the lived experience, while suggesting you are a bigot or toxic, have been your experience of the last decade then the new government may look marginally different, but you shouldnt touch it, taste it, sniff it, and you should always remember to wash your hands straight afterwards.
Of course if the economy tanks – and that certainly appears to be the RBA course at the moment – they will be heavily reliant on the electorate remembering just how face twitchingly angry ScoMo made them to return another ALP government. They will also need to hope nobody organises another political party crafting real ‘class war’ traction from the political left.