On 21 May 2020, the establishment of an urgent review on skills, training and workforce development in response to COVID 19's impact on the workforce in Western Australia was announced. The Review Report was submitted to the State Recovery Controller on 30 June 2020 and was recently considered by the WA State Government.
More than 238 stakeholders were consulted, 74 written submissions received and 10 Ministerial Roundtable meetings held. Stakeholder feedback received through the Review was overwhelmingly constructive and positive about the important role of training to develop the pipeline of skilled workers needed to support WA’s economic recovery.
The Review made 46 observations and recommendations under the following five key themes:
- New futures for Western Australians
- 21st century apprenticeships
- Maximising skills from Government investment
- Live-learn-work in regional WA
- Next generation training
Recommendations arising from the review will support Western Australia’s workforce to look forward. Creating new futures for displaced workers, and preparing the workforce for the digital world and new technologies, will be vital to the State’s recovery. Building the capacity of regional WA and ensuring disadvantaged people are supported in transitions to training and work will also be critical to serving the needs of the WA economy and community now and into the future.
