Overseas Approaches Analysis of Soft Skills Aspect Gaps Between The Demands of The Manufacturing Industry That Has Been Developed In Vocational Scho

5 consolidate Government skills programs and better target training to meet industry and employer needs.” Long-term skills strategies must be centrally driven, clearly articulated and capture the ‘buy-in’ of industry. Within the above statement, government’s responsibility is to create the industry and employer need. To leave VET provision to the whim of markets controlled by individuals and employers risks short-term thinking, and a potential crisis in the national skills profile. Support strategies to encourage individual participation in VET should rely on strategic rather than reactive measures. Training is a longer term commitment by all stakeholders: individuals, governments, employers and industry, to create a skilled future workforce. Longer term commitment must be secured within a longer term, strategic framework.

7. Conclusion Australia’s vocational education and training

system has faced significant criticism and reform in recent years, as labour and skills shortages threaten the potential and viability of Australian industry to compete in a global economy. Stakeholders government, industry, VET organisations, employers and individuals have competing interests in the shape and outcomes of VET, yet the shift to a market-led, demand-driven system risks short-term thinking to override the long-term strategic thinking required to equip a nation’s workforce for the future. R EFERENCES Australian Industry Group, 2011, Productivity Commission Draft Research Report Vocational Education and Training Workforce Response, Australian Industry Group http:www.aigroup.com.auportalbinarycom.epicentric.co ntentmanagement.servlet.ContentDeliveryServletLIVE_C ONTENTPolicy2520and2520RepresentationSubmissi onsEducation2520and2520Training2011R_Ai2520 Group_Productivity_Commission_Vocational_Education_ and_Training_Workforce_28Feb2011.pdf Department of Education Early Childhood Development, 2012, 2011 Victorian Training Market Quarterly Report – Full Year, Victorian Government, Melbourne Department of Education Early Childhood Development, 2012, Refocussing Vocational Training in Victoria, Victorian Government, Melbourne http:www.eduweb.vic.gov.auedulibrarypubliccommrel refocusing-vet-statement.pdf Department of Education, Employment Workplace Relations, 2011, Workforce Development Funding guidelines, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra http:www.deewr.gov.auSkillsProgramsSkillTrainingn wdfPagesdefault.aspx Dickie, M, Eccles, C, FitzGerald, I McDonald, R, 2004, Enhancing the capability of VET professionals: Final report, ANTA, Brisbane. http:vital.new.voced.edu.auvitalaccessservicesDownlo adngv:13412SOURCE2 Florida, R, 2005, The Flight of the Working Class, Harper Business, USA Fuller, A Unwin, L, 2007, What counts as good practice in contemporary apprenticeships? Evidence from two contrasting sectors in England, Education Training vol 49, UK Knight, B, 2012, Evolution of apprenticeships and traineeships in Australia: an unfinished history, NCVER, Adelaide Labour Economics Office Victoria, 2011, Skills Shortages Victoria, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Canberra http:www.deewr.gov.auEmploymentLMISkillShortages DocumentsSkills_Shortages_Victoria_June_2011.pdf Mitchell, J Ward, J, 2011, The JMA Analytics Model of VET Capability Development: A report on the National Survey of Vocational Education and Training VET Practitioner Skills http:www.vta.vic.edu.audocsPositionDiscussion20Pap ersJMA_Analytics_National_VET_Capability_Developm ent_31_Jan_2010.pdf Perry, W, 2011, Workforce Plan Template, Workforce Blueprint, Adelaide SA http:workforceplanningtools.com.autoolsworkforce- planningworkforce-plan-template Precision Consultancy, 2011, A Capability Framework for the VET Sector: a proposed approach, Innovation and Business Services Australia, Melbourne, http:www.ibsa.org.auPortalsibsa.org.audocsProject RelatedEducation12-09 Edu PD OptDiscussion PaperDraft Discussion Paper VET Capability Framework v3.docx Productivity Commission, 2011, Vocational education and training workforce: research report, Productivity Commission, Melbourne. http:www.pc.gov.auprojectsstudyeducation- workforcevocationalreport Ray, J, 2001, Apprenticeship in Australia: An historical snapshot, NCVER, Adelaide Rudd, M, Henderson, R, Usher, D, Hawtin, M 2008 Rapid review of Research on Apprenticeships, The Learning and Skills Council, Coventry http:www.apprenticeships.org.ukAbout- UsPublications~mediaDocumentsPublicationsApprenti ceships_Literature_Review_final.ashx Skills Victoria, 2009, Securing Jobs for your Future: Skills for Victoria, Victorian Government, Melbourne http:www.skills.vic.gov.au__dataassetspdf_file0007188449 ssa-review-of-skills-vic.pdf Victoria University, 2011, Excellent, Engaged and Accessible: Victor ia University’s plan to be a great university of the 21st century, 2011-2016, Victoria University, Melbourne http:www.vu.edu.ausitesdefaultfileswfgpdfsvu- strategic-plan-concise.pdf Victoria University, 2012, THE VU AGENDA: EXCELLENT, ENGAGED AND ACCESSIBLE - Implementing the Strategic Plan for Victoria University to be a Great University of the Twenty First Century, Victoria University, Melbourne Wheelahan, L Moodie, G, 2011, The quality of teaching in VET: final report and recommendations, Australian College of Educators, Mawson A