​What is Strategic Workforce Development?

"Workforce development is a broad term to describe the processes to build, attract and retain a skilled workforce to meet the economic needs of Western Australia."  Training WA, WA workforce development plan: A skilled workforce for the future.
The State Training Board and the Department of Training and Workforce Development work collaboratively with the training councils, industry, community and government to create coordinated and strategic plans for workforce development in Western Australia.

​‘Future and meaning of Work’ conversations 

Changing perceptions and practice of work 
Discussions about the Future and meaning of Work have become ubiquitous in recent times with a large volume of research work directed to the economic and social impact of digital transformation and the increased automation that is replacing jobs and tasks within jobs. This topic is a major component of FutureNow’s work as it has significant implications for education and training and ongoing workforce upskilling. 
The implications for the global workforce are around the development of higher levels of cognitive and interpersonal skills as these are the ‘human’ dimensions least susceptible to automation. In addition to STEM capabilities there is growing recognition that humanities and creative education provide the capabilities needed to manage and work with technology.  These capabilities include ideas generation, critical thinking, problem solving, synthesis and interpretation of data and information and communication and presentation skills. Also important is the need to equip younger generations with meta-learning capabilities such as the ability to self learn and continually transfer skills to new occupations as the workplace evolves.
The importance of this dialogue and the suitability of the education and training sector to meet the challenges it generates has been flagged in commentary from the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Business Council of Australia, National Union forums and political debate.   

FutureNow research interests

• workforce productivity and skills development 
• the impact of digital transformation on the Australian workforce generally - particularly risks associated with a 'digital divide'. 
• harnessing workforce diversity
• creating inclusive workplaces and learning environments for Australians with disabilities. 
• the casualisation of the Australian workforce and the impact of insecure work
• different models of learning, both content and mode
• learning pathways to employment 
• strategies to address youth unemployment. 
• how to value and capture the social dividend of learning 
• measuring the impact of strategic 'all of sector' workforce planning. 
• COVID19 pandemic legacy labour market issues. 
  

Collaborate

FutureNow collaborates with a wide range of people to gather the information needed to inform government policy about strategic workforce development.  These policies flow back to the education and training sectors at both State and National levels. The information is collected through work with the Board and Industry Advisory Networks as well as a wide range of employers and Industry Associations.

We invite you to contribute to this work by joining one of our industry advisory networks.

FutureNow also works with the State Training Board,  the Department of Training and Workforce Development and other Government departments relevant to our sectors. These include;

• Tourism WA
• Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries

FutureNow also works with State (Training Accreditation Council) and National (Australian Skills Quality Authority ) Regulators and with both public and private training providers.

FutureNow is one of eight Western Australian Training Councils who work collaboratively and across sectors to advance workforce development in Western Australia. 

Facilitate

FutureNow facilitates consultation and discussion between industry, government, the education & training sector,  government and the community on a range of issues related to workforce development. These conversations include not only industry specific matters but also conversations about the changing nature of work and future models for learning and skills development. Areas of facilitation that are specific to Vocational Education and Training may include industry advice about Labour market variations, National Training Package development, conversations around Apprenticeships and Traineeships and the impact of changes to migration and training funding. 

FutureNow's Industry Advisory Groups are a mechanism to foster greater awareness and understanding of the complex issues surrounding labour market factors and current and projected skills needs. The Training Council uses these forums to foster strong relationships between employers, industry associations, government and the training sector. By brokering these relationships FutureNow is able to provide an important nexus between current workforce development and future skills needs.   

Promote

FutureNow  promotes many aspects of workforce development for the creative, service  and leisure industries. This takes the form of

• career information,
• education and training options at secondary school and in the Vocational and Higher Education sectors
• Apprenticeship and Traineeship information
• ongoing professional development including the value of enterprise  'just in time training' and microcredentialing. 
• excellence and achievement in training through contribution to the West Australian and National Training Awards

FutureNow also advocates extensively about the contribution of the creative, service and leisure industries to the economic, cultural and social fabric of Western Australia. These sectors are critical to the diversification of the West Australian community and this point is conveyed to government decision makers and to the broader community. 

Advise

FutureNow provides advice to industry, the training sector and government policy makers about workforce development within its sectors. This advice encompasses both strategic and broad information about future skills requirements as well as specific information related to industry activity and education & training policy and implementation.   

FutureNow has a range of methods by which advice is communicated including regular website and social media updates and a monthly newsletter. Please let us know if you would like to be added to our database by providing your details at the bottom of the home page. FutureNow also disseminates information though our Board members, our Industry Advisory Networks and through individual face to face meetings.