A new guide to help employers in early childhood education and care, health, and human services use vocational education and training to build skills in their workforce has been released by the Human Services Skills Organisation (HSSO).
Multiple reviews into the human services sector have identified a lack of communication, consultation, information and data sharing between registered training organisations and industry as key obstacles to developing quality training for the sector.
Human Services Skills Organisation chief executive Ms Jodi Schmidt said the guide was designed to help bridge the gap between employers and registered training organisations so they can both get the most out of their professional relationship.
“The human services workforce is one of the fastest growing sectors in Australia, and one of our most critical. We need vocational education and training to play a stronger role in building our workforce to ensure we can meet the escalating demand for these services.
“If you’re an employer or manager in human services you will know the challenges of putting an effective workforce development plan in place, particularly if it involves accessing the VET system. The system is widely acknowledged as complex.
“We’ve heard that employers in the sector want to engage with the VET system, but don’t always know where to start or who can help. Our hope is this guide provides that clarity.
“The resource has been designed through consultation with employers in the human services sector. Because of this, it’s also useful for training organisations who specialise in the sector, to get a deeper understanding of what industry is looking for,’ said Ms Schmidt.
HSSO head of strategy, policy, and research Ms Amanda Thomas said workforce development in the sector was hard enough without having to navigate the training sector.
“There are already enough market and workforce challenges. Our sector’s employers need simple information and to implement what should be a simple solution. That’s why we’ve designed this guide.
“The guide contains practical, easy to understand information about the VET system. It also includes advice on how to build more effective relationships with training providers, and contains best practice case studies, tools, and other resources,’ said Ms Thomas.
The guide, which is available entirely online or for download has been developed by the HSSO through extensive industry consultation. The guide has been informed by employers from across all industry sectors of early childhood education and care, health, and human services, as well as from across employing organisations of different sizes and different levels of organisational maturity in relation to workforce development.