UA welcomed the creation of Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) and we support this Bill. We commend the Government and Minister O’Connor on the thorough consultation that was
undertaken in the development of JSA’s establishing legislation, and the consultation that continues on the work that JSA will undertake.

UA particularly welcomes the creation of a Ministerial Advisory Board in this Bill under proposed section 16B. The Advisory Board will include representatives from state and territory
governments, unions, employers and experts.

JSA has a clear remit to provide advice to the Minister and the Secretary on current, emerging and future skills needs, as well as pathways into and between VET and higher education and opportunities to improve higher education outcomes.

This remit is of fundamental importance to the functions and effectiveness of JSA. Nearly all of the new jobs that will be created over the next decade will require some form of postsecondary qualification. Lifelong learning strategies and upskilling of the existing workforce will be critical in order to meet the demand for skilled workers in the future.

Equally, universities and other tertiary providers require timely, economy-wide, and sectoral workforce analysis in order to continually match graduate outputs with the nation’s skills
needs.

As such, UA recommends that:

• the proposed Ministerial Advisory board be legislated to include at least one representative from each of the vocational education and higher education sectors; and
• specific reference be made to ‘universities’ as an area of experience or knowledge relevant to eligibility for appointment to the Ministerial Advisory Board.