Address to Community Colleges Australia Annual Conference

***Check against delivery***

Acknowledgement of Country

I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

Introduction

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to mark this year’s Community Colleges Australia Annual Conference.

Community Colleges Australia is a valuable member of the Foundation Skills Advisory Group, which our government established in October 2022.

The contributions from the advisory group have fed into the policy development for both the National Skills Agreement and redesigned Skills for Education and Employment Program.

I thank CCA for its participation in the group and for your ongoing engagement with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Jobs and Skills Australia, and the Australian Government.

Theme – Creative Resilience

I’ve taken the time to reflect on the theme for this year’s conference “Creative Resilience” and what it means for all Australians, and the Adult and Community Education (ACE) sector in particular.

The skills needed in the workplace are changing. And the way we train for those skills is also changing.

Times of change create a sense on uncertainty. It is only fitting then that resilience is at the core of the theme for this conference.

Resilience is at the heart of dealing with times of uncertainty. A resilience that is built by Australians having the confidence in their ability to fully participate in training and employment that is changing.

Role of VET in reducing inequality

Vocational education and training (VET) has long been the pathway for Australians to gain the skills they need to participate in the workforce. But, also, for them to engage in society more broadly.

It provides students with an attractive pathway to develop a combination of technical knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply these skills in a real-world environment.

The skills gained through VET help Australians get into well-paid secure jobs. It provides an avenue to develop the skills needed to start a career in occupations that Australian most needs.

This is why VET is a critical enabler of inclusion and economic equality. VET can create the foundation for Australians to have the confidence to capitalise on the opportunities our labour market provides.

Under the landmark 5-year National Skills Agreement (NSA), all Australian, state and territory governments have committed to ensure those who most need help can access VET.

Australian Government support for foundation skills

Ensuring access to foundation skills training is one of the key policy initiatives in the NSA.

Around one in five working-age Australians have low literacy and/or numeracy levels. This highlights the importance of ensuring all Australians can access the training and support they need.

The Australian Government is committed to making it easier for adults to access the help they need to develop their foundation skills.

Work is underway on this endeavour.

We have launched the redesigned Skills for Education and Employment program to improve access to free language, literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills training.

It is being delivered through a mix of national and local solutions to improve access and delivery, including providing specific place-based First Nations-led support for First Nations people.

The NSA includes $142 million in dedicated additional investment for foundation skills.

The NSA takes an approach that delivers a ‘no wrong door’ experience for learners, commits funding for states to build their ACE sectors, and includes a commitment to deliver a 10-year national foundation skills strategy.

I am excited to see the impact of expanding opportunities to adult Australians to access the foundation skills they need for work, training and life.

Indeed, we have committed to strengthen the evidence base on foundation skills.

This is critical for informing policy development and the designing of effective future foundation skills programs.

We have committed $12.27 million in funding for Jobs and Skills Australia to lead a national study of adult literacy, numeracy and digital skills (the Foundation Skills Study).

And we have made a commitment to participate in round 2 of cycle 2 of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).

This is an OECD study tracking adults’ proficiency in literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem-solving skills.

This work will provide up-to-date, internationally comparable evidence on the level of these skills among Australian adults.

Working together

Understanding how training is being delivered on the ground is critical to developing future policies and programs.

The NSA has embedded a stewardship model to deliver Australia’s skills needs. Governments will work in collaboration and engagement with the VET sector.

The Australian Government is leading this by partnering with states and territories, and the ACE sector on the opportunities to strengthen the delivery of training in Australia.

Partnering with the sector provides the mechanism for governments to learn about the challenges and opportunities that you are experiencing as part of delivering the service.

Support for ACE in the National Skills Agreement

The ACE sector is an active player in our training system. It provides accredited and non-accredited training programs in the community.

ACE providers support the most disadvantaged Australians; people who may find it difficult to engage with mainstream education and prefer to learn in a more informal community environment.

ACE offers supportive pathways to further education, training and employment. Strengthening the community education sector will deliver a better future for these Australians.

As part of the NSA, the Australian Government is investing $77 million for states to support foundation skills training through the ACE sector.

Support for ACE in NSW

We are partnering with the New South Wales Government to further strengthen their ACE sector, providing $22.8 million in funding.

The New South Wales Government is supporting disadvantaged Australians by developing an enhanced approach to ‘no wrong door’ access to training for learners and by providing no− or low-fee access to foundation skills training.

There are 4 key actions to the New South Wales plan

One – the reach of foundation skills training will be broadened, easing demand in locations previously underserviced, and with increased support for priority cohorts. First Nations learners will be a focus.

As well, there will be a concentrated effort to procure First Nations ACE organisations to deliver training.

Two – there will be more support for the adult literacy workforce, including the First Nations workforce.

NSW has committed to consult with stakeholders to develop workforce capability development programs.

Three – New South Wales will look to deliver a second phase of its ACE Outreach Support Officer program, employing officers to assist ACE providers to engage disadvantaged learners and support them through training.

Four – New South Wales intends to create a fund for innovative projects, activities and research in collaboration with ACE providers and other stakeholders.

This action will provide insight into how better to support the sector. Learnings can then be shared across the country.

I am excited to see how the New South Wales plan rolls out and contributes to an improved ACE sector.

I am equally excited to work with my other state and territory Skills Minister colleagues on opportunities for their jurisdictions. More announcements are coming in this space.

Conclusion

Partnerships are at the heart of achieving success across the topics I have spoken about today. And what started as a commitment at the Jobs and Skills Summit in 2022 has now been enshrined in the National Skills Agreement.

This is how we are moving forward to improve the VET sector in Australia.

CCA has been a part of this work. Providing advice and guidance for the ACE sector that went into the redesigned SEE program and the NSA.

We are committed to continue working in partnership with the ACE sector as part of the NSA’s stewardship model. Working with you to create an environment where people are confident to embrace adult learning, develop skills, and explore career opportunities.

That begins with having strong foundation skills. It is important that access to foundation skills is open to all people. It is the core skills set that people need to build on through further training, work and engaging in our community.

The ACE sector is perfectly positioned to support Australians who may struggle with engaging in mainstream training, helping them to gain the skills that will open new opportunities for them. 

Thank you for the work that you undertake each and every day.

You play an important role in delivering vital training that is building people’s confidence. Helping them to develop the resilience to tackle these opportunities.