Ten Industry Advisory Groups (IAGs) consisting of representatives of industry, unions and employers were formed last year to provide advice to the the Victorian Skills Commissioner (VSC), Neil Coulson, on matters including skill demand pressures and future industry skills needs. ForestWorks has been contracted by the Victorian Government to provide secretariat support to two of the new IAGs: Resources, Forestry, Paper and Pulp and Construction including Construction Technologies and Civil Construction.

Both IAGs have recently held their second meeting. The following items were discussed at these meetings:

  • The updated Victorian Funded Skills List.
  • New Department of Education and Training funding programs: The Workforce Training Innovation Fund (WTIF) and the Regional and Specialist Training Fund (RSTF).
  • The reintroduction of Trade Papers for people that complete an apprenticeship.
  • The IAG work plans including the establishment of Sector Advisory Groups (Safety Leadership in the harvesting and haulage sector)
  • The drafting of an issues paper (High Risk Licensing and its interaction with other sectors including Civil Construction) to enable more detailed discussion and advice on relevant issues.