Asuria is teaming up with over 25 of Australia’s leading industry associations – those organisations responsible for looking after the interests of some of the country’s biggest businesses – to help get more Australians into jobs in retail, hospitality, plumbing, and more.
As part of the initiative, Asuria is uniting Australia’s industry associations behind a plan to devise and deliver a range of employment and skills programs on behalf of the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, including bespoke Government Employability Skills Training (EST) programs.
With the new EST, Asuria programs will work directly with industry to tailor training sector-by-sector, suiting the needs of jobseekers, the local labour market, and industry demand. For example, someone interested in Retail will be supported to develop skills in customer service, cashier work, and stock presentation.
Asuria’s Chairman and CEO, Con Kittos, says: “With this initiative, we will provide job seekers with the skills and a pathway to a job and a career with real work experience, internships, and job tasters provided by these industry partnerships. In turn, Industry and employers will have a significant stake and make a positive contribution to how employment services providers develop solutions to Industry demand."
Con Kittos, continues, saying: “Industry and Employers don’t necessarily value just a qualification; what they truly value is the right attitude, energy, teamwork skills and problem solving; those things we typically call soft skills but indeed are not soft at all – I call them Essential Skills for Work or Employability Skills.
“After that they value some prior work experience. This is where the Employability Skills Training Program and the New Employment Services will be enhanced through these industry partnerships. So now, Employability Skills Training we deliver will be supported with practical work experience, internships, and industry tasters into job opportunities these industries have available now.”
These steps being taken by Asuria will help to address a labour shortage currently affecting Australia, which could slow down Australian’s post-COVID economic recovery, as thousands of current job vacancies remain unfilled.
To help bring Australia’s industry associations on board with the plan to address this problem, Asuria turned to former Federal Minister for Vocational and Technical Education, The Hon Gary Hardgrave, who experienced a similar skills shortage during his time in office.
“The problems we’re seeing coming down the track right now are very similar to those we witnessed in Government in the early noughties,” he says.
With the National Retail Association one of the most influential associations to sign up to Asuria’s plan, its CEO Dominique Lamb, says: “All industries affected by labour shortages need to come together to provide practical solutions to avert the looming crisis. As the peak retail industry body, the NRA is very enthusiastic to be part of this crucial initiative.”
Talking about the unique opportunity for Australians to get started in new jobs and careers while international borders slowly reopen, Asuria’s Chairman and CEO, Con Kittos, says: “An over-reliance on an influx of foreign workers doesn’t do justice to the talents and ambitions of Australians here and now, who have never had a better opportunity to get back into work or change careers.”
The full list of industry associations currently working with Asuria includes: Building Service Contractors Association of Australia, Fruit Growers Association, Australian Meat industry Council, Berries Australia, Apprentice Employment Network NSW & ACT, Foodservice Suppliers Association, Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia, Master Grocers Australia, Queensland Hotels Association, Australasian Timber Flooring Association, Boating Industry Association, Traffic Management Association of Australia, Master Plumbers Association NSW, Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals, National Retail Association, NSW Business Chamber, Community Housing Industry Association NSW, Australian Organics Recycling Association, Accord Australia, ACOR Australian Council of Recycling, Aged Care Industry Association, Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association, Queensland Digital Association, Tourism Accommodation Association, Australian Automotive Dealer Association, Multhana Property Services and the Meetings and Events Industry Association.
If you’re interested in jobs or careers in any of these industries, and are interested in finding out more about the training programs being developed by Asuria, click here to get in touch.
And if you’d like to find out more about how Asuria’s partnership with coding skills specialists, Junior Engineers, is unlocking cyber security jobs and careers for people without university degrees, click here.