Policy coordination: an analysis of issues

Abstract

Australian Workforce Futures: a national workforce development strategy (Skills Australia 2010) noted international findings on the limitations of Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems that measure their contribution to increasing the stock of skills by focusing primarily on numbers targets and efficiency measures. It noted that a fundamental change to the Australian VET System was needed to equip enterprises to more effectively use the skills, expertise and talent of their existing employees and noted that investment in workforce development programs needs to occur simultaneously at government, industry and enterprise level. In response to this challenge, Queensland has been conceptualising an Industry Development Skills Policy model to sit alongside the traditional Education Services Model. A pilot study, namely the Workplace Partnership and Productivity Project (WP&PP) was established in manufacturing to demonstrate productivity benefits from integrated service delivery across industry development, work and skills policy. This paper discusses the policy coordination issues that have arisen through this initiative and suggests that agency capability to work collaboratively is critical to successful execution of such projects. The ‘capability’ factor is discussed and suggestions made regarding the initiation of collaborative activity through policy coordination processes.