Skills Formation Strategies Project (SFS)
Skills Formation Strategies provide a means by which key industries and communities can analyse and address the causes of skills shortages and other skilling issues. They bring together employers, industry associations, unions, government agencies, contractors, training and education providers, businesses and communities to identify the real causes of skills shortages and barriers to workforce development, and to develop solutions.
Research suggests that skills shortages in many industries are not just the result of insufficient access to training or problems with the vocational training system. Skills shortages are also related to other factors such as a lack of knowledge of the industry, poor image of the industry, lack of career paths, the nature of jobs in the industry, employment conditions and wages, geographical remoteness, and work not being compatible with desired lifestyles. Skills Formation Strategies work on this broad range of issues to help ensure a viable workforce for the future.
Health and Community Services Workforce Council is currently funded by the Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts to manage five Skills Formation Strategies: Aged Care, Child Care, Northlakes Integrated Health Project, Health (Enrolled Nursing) and Child Protection
Child Care Project Details
The Child Care Skills Formation Strategy commenced in late 2005 and will provide an opportunity for the child care sector to work together to address the causes of skill shortages and undertake future workplace planning.
The network of agencies whose activities impact on the child care sector is referred to as its ecosystem. The child care sector ecosystem includes all child care service types, government agencies, unions, sector and professional associations, supply chains, educational providers, enterprises and communities. The sector networks will identify and analyse reasons for skills shortages and workforce issues and develop appropriate solutions. This collaborative action by the child care sector will help us take ownership of these issues and implement meaningful strategies to address them.
Regional Model
This is a state-wide project that is overseen by an Industry Reference Group and will be assisted by a variety of working groups that draw members from a range of stakeholder organisations across a variety of regional areas. Additionally, the project has established a large network of service providers who participate in 6-monthly consultations.