State Training Board chairman Keith Spence has called on Western Australian industry to get involved in a restructuring of the training advisory bodies, whch will be cut from 14 to eight industry bodies.
Mr Spence said it was vital to act now to meet the challenge as Western Australia was projected to be short of 180,000 skilled workers by 2016.
He said a review of the State Training Board's arrangements for seeking training advice from industry, including employer and employee representatives, would be a golden opportunity to better plan to meet skilled labour demand in future.
"Leadership and new ideas from the top echelons of industry are essential," he said.
"The 14 industry training advisory bodies will be consolidated to eight new bodies with increased resources and with high level industry representatives enlisted to drive reforms and solutions."
The new industry groupings include:
- Community Services, Health and Education;
- Information, Electrotechnology and Utilities;
- Building and Construction;
- Primary and Food Processing;
- Transport, Storage and Automotive;
- Light, Metals and Process Manufacturing;
- Finance, Property, Business, Wholesale, Retail and Personal Services; and
- Arts, Sport and Recreation, Hospitality and Tourism.
The new bodies will be set up by July this year in consultation with industry.
Mr Spence, who is also executive vice president of Enterprise Capability at Woodside Energy, said the review was a key recommendation of the Skills Formation Taskforce.
