Skills Service Organisations

Industry Reference Committees (IRCs) have a direct relationship with the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) and are supported by Skills Service Organisations (SSOs).

IRCs consider industry skills requirements in the development and review of training packages.

IRCs usually consists of industry leaders, from small enterprises to big business, and peak bodies to unions. These IRC members understand the skills needs of their sector, industry or occupation. Members have established industry networks, relevant industry experience, a strategic mindset and a broad interest across industries.

The advice IRCs give to the AISC includes, but is not limited to:

• Gathering intelligence for their industry sectors to inform advice on training package development and review
• Directing the work of its SSO in the development of industry proposals, business cases and cases for endorsement
• Overseeing the development and review of training packages in line with the requirements of the AISC
• Providing sign off for industry proposals, business cases, cases for endorsement and other submissions for consideration by the AISC
• Directing the work of the SSO in preparing the support materials, where funding for additional activities is provided
• Reporting to the AISC on progress of its work
• Promoting the use of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the sector they represent.

For more information about IRCs, visit the Australian Industry and Skills Committee website.

The Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) is an industry and government collaboration focused on simplifying and demystifying the vocational education and training (VET) system. They are responsible for amplifying the voice of industry and building employers' confidence in VET qualifications.

The AISC advises the Australian Government, State and Territory Ministers responsible for industry and skills, on the implementation of national vocational education and training policies, and approves nationally recognised training packages for implementation in the VET system. Advice is drawn from Industry Reference Committees.

For more information, visit the Australian Industry and Skills Committee website.

Property Services, and Construction, Plumbing and Services

Covering the two training packages, Property Services, and Construction, Plumbing and Services, the National Schedule of Projects includes information about Cases for Change and Endorsement, and other project information including progress.

Aviation Training Package

Covers aviation safety, ground operations and flight operations.

Correctional Services Training Package

Covers justice services and correctional practices, administration and management.

Electricity Supply Industry - Generation Sector Training Package

Covers generation operations and maintenance, large scale renewables, and remote area supply.

Electrotechnology Training Package

Covers electrotechnology, electrical, electronics, communications, hazardous areas, instrumentation, control systems, rail, refrigeration and air-conditioning, renewable and sustainable energy.

Gas Industry Training Package

Covers gas supply operations, for occupations involved in the manufacture and distribution of town gas through a system of mains and pipelines.

Maritime Training Package

Covers near coastal and ocean going maritime operations.

Water Training Package

Covers water supply, sewerage, drainage services and pipeline transport (water).

Public Safety Training Package
Covers firefighting and emergency operations, search and rescue, SES operations, community safety, aquatic search and rescue, and biosecurity.

Transmission, Distribution and Rail Sector Training Package

Covers overhead lines distribution and transmission, overhead traction wiring systems (rail), cable jointing and equipment installation.

Transport and Logistics – Rail Training Package

Covers rail infrastructure, light rail, tram and train driving, rail operations management, signalling and safety management.

Transport and Logistics Training Package

Covers logistics and warehousing, road transport, international freight forwarding and customs broking, materiel and deployment logistics and ports.

Aerospace Industry

The industry includes comprehensive national aviation manufacturing, maintenance networks, defence-related needs and associated technical activities.

Furnishing Industry

The industry includes furniture and furnishings, kitchens, cabinets, glass, furnishing design, windows, doors, flooring and picture framing.

Laboratory Operations Industry

The industry covers a diverse array of technical and scientific occupations across the whole of the industry and addresses the needs of samplers, testers and laboratory personnel.

Metal, Engineering and Boating Industries

The industry covers the MEM, MEM05 and MSA07 training packages, which include all of the people who conceive, design, manufacture, assemble, install, repair, package and sell manufactured products.

Process Manufacturing Industry

The industry covers the MSM, PMA, PMB and PMC training packages which include the processing of polymers, manufacturing of minerals, sourcing of raw materials and the process manufacturing of windows and doors, glass containers, and food processing.

Recreational Vehicles Industry

The industry includes service and repair, accessories sales and manufacturing of recreational vehicles.

Textiles, Clothing and Footwear Industries

The industry covers the MST and LMT07 training packages which include the processing of natural and synthetic materials, the production of clothing, textile, footwear, leather goods and technical textiles, as well as the operation of dry cleaning, laundry and footwear repair.

Business Services

Business Services is a broad sector covering workers in Australia who provide professional assistance to other businesses. Qualifications in this industry relate to skills in legal services, human capital, conveyancing and workplace health and safety.

Financial Services

The sector covers workers in Australia with skills in accounting, banking, insurances, superannuation, credit management and financial planning.

Creative Arts and Culture

The Creative Arts and Culture Industry sector includes workers in Australia with skills in the creative economy, including visual and performing arts, music and screen production, dance, theatre, and Indigenous art.

Infomation Communication and Technology

The information communication and technology sector includes workers in Australia with skills in telecommunications, information systems, interactive game and digital media as well as technology support.

Education

The sector covers skills required for post-schooling education, training and assessment, international education services, and adult language, literacy and numeracy skills.

Printing and Graphic Arts

This sector includes workers in Australia with skills that assist organisations to communicate messages effectively through a range of media. Skills include publishing, graphic design and multimedia.

Automotive

Automotive is a broad sector covering workers in Australia who provide manufacturing and services for a range of different vehicle types.

Mining, Drilling and Civil Infrastructure

The industry employs a variety of employees performing roles in the civil infrastructure, coal mining, construction materials, quarrying, drilling and metalliferous mining industry sectors.

Agriculture and Production Horticulture

Includes the following sectors: Livestock farming, broadacre cropping and farming, floriculture production, nut growing, vegetable growing, fruit growing, agricultural support services, agricultural irrigation, and agricultural chemicals.

Amenity Horticulture, Landscaping, Conservation and Land Management

Includes the following sectors: Production nursery, Retail nursery, turf, landscaping, parks and gardens, arboriculture, vertebrate and invertebrate pest management, weed management, nature reserves and conservation parks, and permaculture.

Animal Care and Management

Includes the following sectors: Veterinary and related services, animal care and handling and welfare, animal breeding services, pet and companion animal services, captive wildlife operations, animal technology, and animal control and regulation.

Meat Industry

Includes the following sectors: Meat processing (abattoirs), poultry processing, small-goods manufacturing, wild game harvesting, and meat wholesaling and retailing.

Aquaculture and Wild Catch

Includes the following sectors: Aquaculture, wild catch, seafood, and fishing.

Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical

Includes the following sectors: Food processing and manufacturing, beverage manufacturing, livestock and pet feed manufacturing, and pharmaceutical and nutraceutical product manufacturing.

Racing and Breeding Industry

Includes the following sectors: Thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound.

Forest Management and Harvesting

Includes the following sectors: Forest growing and management, and harvesting and haulage.

Pulp and Paper Manufacturing

Includes the following sectors: Personal and family care products, paper products, and fibre based packaging.

Timber Building Solutions

Includes the following sectors: Timber merchandising, timber manufactured products, timber truss and frame, and timber merchandising.

Timber and Wood Processing

Includes the following sectors: Sawmilling and processing industry, sawdoctoring, and woodmachining.

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Includes the following sectors: Medicine manufacturing (biologics), medicine manufacturing (molecule), complementary medicine manufacturing, and veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturing/regulation.

Community Services

This package includes early childhood education and care, out of school hours care, mental health, aged care, disability services, alcohol and other drugs, education support, youth work, youth justice, career development, chaplaincy and pastoral care, celebrancy, financial counselling, relationship counselling, family dispute resolution, social housing, and volunteers across a range of different sectors.

Health

This package includes health support services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care, dental assisting, allied health assistance, ambulance dispatch, paramedical science, anaesthetic technology, massage therapy, first aid, reflexology, enrolled nursing, clinical aromatherapy, pathology, optical dispensing and cardiac technology.

Local Government

This package includes local government in the areas of regulatory services, operational works, health and environment, policy, land management, planning and administration.

Public Sector

This package includes the public service in the areas of procurement and contracting, court operations, translating & interpreting, government security, fraud control, compliance, government investigations and heavy vehicle road compliance.

Sport, Fitness and Recreation

This package includes the sport, fitness, community recreation and outdoor recreation sectors in job roles such as personal trainer, learn to swim teacher, facilities manager, pool lifeguard, recreation officer, sports coach, dance instructor, self-defence instructor, outdoor guide or instructor, professional athlete and program manager.

Tourism, Travel and Hospitality

This package includes the tourism, travel, events, cookery and hospitality sectors in areas such as commercial cookery and patisserie, event management, travel consultancy, caravan and holiday park management, tour guiding, attractions management, visitor centre operations, food and beverage service, hotel operations & management and tour operations.

Retail Services

This package includes the retail and wholesale sectors in job roles such as retail assistant, merchandise manager, sales representative, visual merchandiser, pharmacy assistant, store manager, pharmacy dispensary technician, wholesaler and merchandise buyer or planner.

Hairdressing and Beauty Services

This package includes job roles such as hairdresser, barber, salon manager, nail technician, make-up artist, retail cosmetics consultant, beauty therapist, session stylist and spa therapist.

Floristry

This package includes job roles such as florist, floristry assistant or floral designer.

Funeral Services

This package includes job roles such as funeral director, embalmer, mortuary assistant, grave-digger, grounds maintenance and crematorium technician.

Supply Chain Skills Cross Sector Project

Major change is underway across and within supply chains due to the impact of automation, robotics and big data. These trends are having a significant impact on the job roles and skills base of the workforce in areas such as operations, safety systems, communications, monitoring and maintenance, and that much needs to be done to ensure Australia’s supply chains remain productive and skilful at applying the latest technologies.

This project will review existing Training Packages to identify components suitable for cross-sector use, propose changes to existing Qualifications and Units of Competency where required, and explore the need to create new components to address any identified gaps.

Digital Skills Cross Sector Project

This project will focus on digital literacy skills (defined as the technical skills to analyse and respond to data provided by machines in the workplace), additive manufacturing (3D printing) skills, and programming and coding skills.

Inclusion of people with disability in VET

The Inclusion of People with Disability in VET project, is the first time government and industry have come together to explore how the development of training packages could increase the participation of people with disability in VET and the workplace. PwC’s Skills for Australia will look to develop core units of competency on disability related issues that can be used across a range of industries.

Cyber security

This project will review current and emerging developments in cyber security skills, particularly in relation to data confidentiality, protection and privacy, and identify related skills needs shared by multiple industry sectors.

Big data

This project will review current and emerging developments in big data skills, particularly in relation to data management, data analytics and data-driven decision-making, and identify related skills needs shared by multiple industry sectors.

Teamwork and communication

This project will look to understand industry support for developing common teamwork and communication units to be used across multiple industry sectors.

Initial analysis has identified approximately 25 industries, including Automotive, Business Services, Education, Retail Services, Maritime and Public Safety, that have skills needs for teamwork and/or communication skills. The sector specific training in these industries were found to have vast similarities between them, conveying the need for training that recognises the importance of cross sector skills and also encourages the use of common training products that can be contextualised to various industries.

Environmental Sustainability Skills Project

The project will examine workforce skilling implications and identify related skills needs shared by multiple industry sectors in relation to environmentally sustainable products, manufacturing and waste processes, and sustainable energy production.

Automation Skills Project

The project will examine the workforce skilling implications and identify related skills needs shared by multiple industry sectors in relation to the use of robotics, drones and remote operation systems.

Consumer Engagement via Online and Social Media

The key aim of this project is to identify the common skills needs of industries in relation to consumer engagement through online and social media. In particular, current and emerging trends in relation to consumer engagement via online and social media in your industry, current and emerging demand for skills in this area and your industry’s skills shortage experiences, areas of commonality where Training Package products could address skills needs across more than one industry sector, and the benefits and implications of implementing standard units (applicable to all Training Packages) relating to online and social media engagement skills.