AgriFood Industry Skills Council Strategic plan

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Agri-Food Industry Skills Council Strategic plan

• July 2005 June 2007

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Contents
Page
AFISC strategic intent 3 Executive
summary 4 Introduction and profile 5 Industry
issues 6 Our response 7 Strategic planning
hierarchy 8 Organisational context 9 Plan on a
page 10 Risk profile 11
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AFISC strategic intent
Working with industry today to build the
workforce of tomorrow
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Executive Summary

• The Agri-Food Industry Skills Council (AFISC)
  represents five sectors in the agrifood industry,
  and plays a key role in the development of
  solutions to the skill and workforce related
  issues that are currently facing the industry.
• The constituent sectors of the agrifood industry
  represent one of the nations most important
  industries. Consumer expenditure on agrifood
  products in Australia was 80 billion during
  2002-2003, 46 of total retail expenditure during
  this time. Food exports also account for 19 of
  total Australian exports. Agrifood is the major
  contributor to rural and regional Australias
  economy and its major employer.
• The agrifood industry nationwide is currently
  facing a major workforce and skills shortage,
  driven by a number of complex and inter-related
  issues. We are working to develop solutions that
  address people and skills shortages.
• We intend to facilitate improved employability
  and participation in the agrifood workforce by
  streamlining and simplifying Training Packages,
  ensuring their continuous improvement, developing
  alternate pathways for skills recognition,
  including the broader use of accredited skill
  sets to meet industry job requirements. We will
  also develop products and processes to support
  the implementation and delivery of Training
  Packages.
• We will measure improvements based on an
  outcomes training evaluation methodology, with
  emphasis on verifying the quality of skills,
  employability, productivity and employer
  satisfaction derived from VET.
• We will address the broader people and workforce
  issues facing our industry, by maintaining an
  expert knowledge of these issues, and by working
  in partnership with governments, industry and
  communities to identify and address regional
  infrastructure and services gaps that are
  impediments to attracting and retaining people
  and skills in regional areas.
• We will work with industry and enterprises to
  address issues such as image, working conditions
  and middle management capability to enhance the
  sustainability and growth of businesses.
• The initiatives we are driving in these areas are
  a mix of short and long-term actions. We will
  work in partnership with all stakeholders to
  drive long-term, sustainable outcomes that
  underpin economic growth and community wellbeing.
  
• Our aim is to promote the development of an
  internationally competitive agrifood industry
  through industry-led workforce and skills
  development, working to remove the impediments
  that currently impact on long term success.
  Success will be measured in five key areas
• Industry consultation
• Advocacy and advice
• Training products
• Implementation support
• Business management

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Profile
Introduction
The industries represented by the Agri-Food
Industry Skills Council are the major employers
in rural and regional Australia, and form the
backbone of many communities throughout the
country. Moreover, the agrifood industry accounts
for almost a fifth of Australias exports. The
industry faces serious challenges in finding
enough people with the right skills needed to
sustain and grow their businesses. Some of the
factors contributing to this include an ageing
workforce, drought, changing skill requirements,
and the availability of infrastructure and
services that impact on the capacity to attract
and retain people to the regions. . The urgent
task of the Agri-Food Industry Skills Council is
to develop strategies and solutions to address
the major skills challenges confronting the
agrifood industry. This needs to be done in
consultation and partnership with industry and
governments, and will need to involve an
integrated and systematic approach to addressing
the range of issues impacting on skills and
workforce issues. Following recent workshops
and consultations with all States and
Territories, the Council is now finalising a
skills report which provides clear evidence of
the critical people and skills shortages facing
the agrifood industry across Australia. The
findings of the skills report will be a key
driver of the Councils priorities and actions.
The Strategic Plan sets out the goals, strategies
and targeted outcomes to guide the work program
of the Council. With skills shortages debate
now occurring at the highest levels, our task
could not be clearer. We are determined to
achieve results working with industry today to
build the workforce of tomorrow. John
Baker Chair Agri-Food Industry Skills Council

• The Agri-Food Industry Skills Council (AFISC) was
  formed in mid 2004 to represent the following
  industry sectors
• food, beverages and pharmaceuticals
• meat
• racing
• rural and related
• seafood
• We are one of ten industry skills councils that
  together represent enterprises and workers across
  the spectrum of Australian industries.
• Our vision is of a globally competitive,
  sustainable and innovative agrifood industry able
  to meet the changing demands of domestic and
  international markets.
• Our mission is to foster this vision through
  industry-led workforce and skills development,
  working to remove the factors that currently
  impede long term success.
• We have three key roles to discharge
• Engage and assist industries, enterprises and
  their workforce to integrate workforce and skill
  development with business goals.
• Actively support the development, implementation
  and continuous improvement of high quality,
  nationally recognised Vocational Education and
  Training (VET) products and services and improve
  cross-industry efficiency.
• Ensure the availability of a range of support
  materials to assist in the delivery of training
  by providers.

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Industry issues
Drivers of labour force participation in
agrifood.

• The agri-food industry is the major contributor
  to rural and regional Australias economy and its
  major employer. Consumer expenditure on agrifood
  products in Australia was 80 billion during
  2002-2003, 46 of total retail expenditure during
  this time. Food exports also account for 19 of
  total Australian exports.
• The issues currently facing the industry are
  complex it is not just a matter of skills
  shortages. Agrifood is facing, across the
  country, a critical lack of people available to
  work in the industry. The factors driving this
  shortage are shown in the accompanying diagram.
  Attracting people to work in non-metropolitan
  areas is a priority for the Agri-Food Industry
  Skills Council, as discussion about skills
  development is only meaningful if people are
  attracted to live and seek employment and career
  development in the industry.
• As the diagram illustrates, there are a number of
  inter-connected issues. A discussion about skills
  for agrifood needs to be considered in the
  context of regional infrastructure and
  development, industry competitiveness and image,
  business management, business compliance and
  working conditions. The problem of skills and
  labour shortages in agrifood cannot be solved
  without addressing these multiple factors,
  including issues such as
• investment in infrastructure and enhancement of
  communities and community services
• career pathways
• industry image
• improvements to work conditions for new and
  existing workers
• middle management capability
• Policy matters such as the interaction between
  social security benefits and employment and the
  associated disincentives to seek jobs

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Our response

• In pursuit of our vision, there are four key
  goals by which we will measure our success
• Develop an expert knowledge of the skill and
  workforce issues confronting the agrifood
  industry
• In partnership with industry, governments and
  other stakeholders, develop solutions to the
  identified skill and workforce issues
• Improve employability and participation in the
  agrifood industry workforce
• Provide a range of quality support and
  implementation processes and assistance for VET
  practitioners and users in the delivery of
  training
• We are currently undertaking a range of
  short-term actions to begin addressing these
  goals and demonstrating results
• Rationalising and harmonising training packages
  to make the existing VET system work better for
  industry.
• Improving on the existing VET system and
  enhancing workforce participation by providing
  alternate pathways for skill recognition.
• Enhancing the mobility of skills between sectors.
• Improving the process by which training packages
  are updated to reflect changing industry needs.
• Some other issues require a longer-term focus
• An approach to attraction and retention issues
  integrating efforts of government, industries and
  communities.
• Providing better support and implementation to
  help training providers in the delivery of
  recognised training, improving the employability
  skills of users.
• The accompanying graph demonstrates how we are
  balancing our resources in pursuing these
  initiatives over the next twenty-four months.

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Our response Plan on a page
KPA
Goals
Strategies
Outcomes
Industry consultation

• Develop an expert knowledge of the skill and
  workforce issues confronting the agrifood industry

• Promote AFISC role through industry forums and
  the Board
• Develop strong industry liaison and intelligence
  through the Standing Committees and other
  networks
• Research skills and workforce issues, trends and
  practices

• Recognition as peak industry body focused on
  skill workforce issues.
• Leading source of information regarding industry
  skill workforce issues.

Advocacy advice

• In partnership with industry, governments and
  other stakeholders, develop solutions to
  identified skill and workforce issues

• Develop partnerships and linkages with
  governments, industry, training providers, unions
  and others.
• Advocate initiatives required to improve regional
  workforce attraction and retention
• Assist industry to implement the initiatives
  required to improve enterprise-level workforce
  attraction and retention

• Governments and industry acknowledge the
  initiatives required to improve rural and
  regional and industry workforce attraction and
  retention and have developed strategies for
  action.

Training products

• Improve employability and participation rates in
  the agrifood industry workforce

• Scope and develop an integrated competency
  framework to streamline and continuously improve
  Training Packages
• Develop quality training products that meet
  industry needs
• Ensure all Training packages embed employability
  skills
• Provide alternate pathways for skill recognition
  by developing and accrediting skill set
  requirements for enterprise roles

• Rationalise 179 qualifications in 9 Training
  Packages by July 2007
• RTOs indicate that simplified Training Packages
  easier to deliver
• Alternate skill recognition pathways being
  utilised to improve workforce participation

Implementation support

• Provide a range of quality support and
  implementation processes to assist VET
  practitioners and users in the delivery of
  training

• Identify and review existing support products and
  services
• Work with RTOs to identify unmet support
  requirements
• Lead the development of new resources to support
  delivery
• Monitor the effectiveness of training outcomes

• No support implementation gaps
• New material meets RTO requirements
• Training services meet enterprise and user
  requirements.

Business management

• Develop a successful business that optimises
  AFISCs capabilities in serving the industry

• Ensure our people have the required capabilities
• Monitor the performance of our people and our
  organisation
• Explore commercial delivery of products and
  services
• Capability to build manage industry
  intelligence database

• Industry and the Board support and approve the
  Councils work.
• Activities conducted to meet time, budget
  governance requirements.

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Strategic planning hierarchy

• The AFISC strategic plan has been developed in
  accordance with the national strategy for VET and
  its objectives.
• With the national strategy as a starting point -
  VET working for businesses, VET working for
  people, and VET working for communities - AFISC
  follows its own vision and mission, relevant to
  the particular industry sectors we represent.
• The AFISC strategic plan summarises our
  objectives, strategies and targets that will
  ensure we achieve our vision and mission.
• Our business plan details how these strategies
  will be carried out through various activities,
  how we will report progress, and our budgets.
• Roles and responsibilities (of the Board, Board
  subcommittees, the staff and standing committees)
  are defined to meet the requirements of
  delivering on the strategy and business plan.

AFISCstrategic plan
AFISC business plan
AFISC roles and responsibilities
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Organisational context
AFISC is at the centre of a two-way process,
being informed by both industry and the national
VET strategy, and providing feedback and advice
in both directions.

• Informs and guides the objectives, strategies and
  activities of AFISC

National VET strategy

• Acts as lobbyists and champions of VET within the
  agrifood industry through relationships with
  government, industry bodies, training
  authorities, business and employee organisations
• Ensures that the AFISC carries out its activities
  in accordance with its strategic purpose

AFISC board

• Develops innovative strategies to strengthen the
  link between VET and industry goals
• Shapes an industry-led systematic and integrated
  approach to skill and workforce development
  through high quality products and advice
• Addresses industry issues of workplace image,
  culture and career opportunities to achieve
  industry 'employer of choice status

AFISC staff

• Acts as the crucial industry liaison conduit for
  AFISC
• Captures information from industry
• Advises the Board on issues and solutions
• Builds and maintains networks as a basis for
  consultation and advice on industry capability
  needs
• Assists the staff and Board in promoting AFISC
  and its activities

Seafood standing committee
Food, beverages pharmaceuticals standing
committee
Rural standing committee
Meat standing committee
Racing standing committee
Industry
Industry
Industry
Industry
Industry
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Risk profile
One element of input into the strategic and
business plans was the assessed risks of the
organisation. The following profile, developed in
accordance with the risk management standard AS
43602004, summarises those risks. Resources
have been allocated in the planning process to
mitigate these risks.
Stakeholders
Operations
Projects
Finance
Facilities
People
Governance Model 1
Business Continuity 7
Reputation 5
Compliance 9
Funding 6
Staff 3
Stakeholder Expectations 2
Communication 8
IT Disaster Recovery 10
Government Policy 4
Assessed Level of Risk