After years of decline, Australia’s manufacturing industry is finally recovering – adding almost 50,000 jobs in the last year. But that recovery could be cut short by growing shortages of skilled workers, according to a new report on vocational training in manufacturing.
Key factors behind rapid skills shortages:
- The sector’s ageing workforce, creating a looming demographic transition for skilled workers
- The highly specific nature of manufacturing skills, creating difficulty for workers moving between sectors
- The need for new skills as companies adopt advanced manufacturing techniques and new digital technologies.
‘If Australia doesn’t get its act together on vocational training, this will be a wasted opportunity for manufacturing,’ said Dr Jim Stanford, Director of the Centre for Future Work.
The report was co-authored by Dr Jim Stanford and Dr Tanya Carney, prepared for the second annual National Manufacturing Summit.
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Research page: Advanced skills for advanced manufacturing