Employability Skills

Development of a strategy to support the universal recognition of employability skills across schools, VET, higher education and the broader community

The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) has engaged a consortium involving The Allen Consulting Group, the National Centre of Vocational Educational Research and Cathy Down to develop an overarching strategy for the Universal Recognition of Employability Skills for schools, vocational education and training (VET) and higher education sectors, and the broader community, including workplaces.

What are employability skills?

Employability skills are those skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve one's potential and contribute successfully to the enterprise's strategic direction.

There are eight skill groupings in the Employability Skills Framework and a list of employability attributes that contribute to an individual's employability. The Employability Skills Framework was developed following a 2001 DEST and ANTA funded project that gathered the views of industry on the critical generic skills required to facilitate employability in Australian workplaces. The project report, Employability Skills for the Future, released in May 2002, includes the Employability Skills Framework together with a list of elements that are examples of these eight employability skill groupings.

The eight key employability skills are:

  • communication skills that contribute to productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers;
  • team work skills that contribute to productive working relationships and outcomes;
  • problem-solving skills that contribute to productive outcomes;
  • initiative and enterprise skills that contribute to innovative outcomes;
  • planning and organising skills that contribute to long-term and short-term strategic panning;
  • self-management skills that contribute to employee satisfaction and growth;
  • learning skills that contribute to ongoing improvement and expansion in employee and company operations and outcomes; and
  • technology skills that contribute to effective execution of tasks.

What is universal recognition?

The objective of the project is to investigate the feasibility of developing a strategy for the universal recognition of employability skills in schools, VET, higher education, and the broader community.

Universal recognition refers to those formal processes whereby a common set of employability skills are developed in secondary schools, VET and higher education and in the broader community, including workplaces, and are recognised in a consistent manner. As such, it may include an agreed framework, reporting, certification and quality assurance mechanisms.

DEST has established a Project Advisory Group to provide some guidance to the project team. The Project Advisory Group will comprise representatives from DEST (Indigenous and Transitions Group and VET Group), ANTA, the MCEETYA Transition from School Taskforce, Australasian Curriculum Assessment and Certification Authorities, peak industry groups (including the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry), the higher education sector and the youth and community sector. The Project Advisory Group will consider the findings of the initial consultation phase and provide feedback on the most potentially viable approach or approaches for further analysis.

Project methodology

The project will be conducted in two phases.

The first phase will involve fully scoping recognition schemes, processes and arrangements to provide a conceptual framework for the universal recognition strategy. The scoping will need to consider a range of approaches and their potential variations, including those using current AQF recognition structures, as well as those outside the AQF.

The second phase will involve analysing the feasibility of the approach or approaches, and, if appropriate, recommending a feasible approach for the universal recognition strategy. The Project Advisory Group will consider, and provide feedback on, the identified approach or approaches. The responsibility for the final decision on which approach is to be explored in detail will rest with DEST, as Chair of the Project Advisory Group.

The project will incorporate several stages of stakeholder consultation, namely:

  • an Issues Paper, to which written responses from stakeholders are requested, will be released on this website in early May 2004;
  • one-to-one discussions will be held between the project team and selected stakeholders during early May 2004;
  • a Discussion Paper, to which written responses from stakeholders are welcome, will be released on this website on 22nd June 2004; and
  • a National Stakeholder Forum is to be held in Melbourne on 29th June.

Project timeline

The project timeline has been developed to enable the second phase report to be finalised by 30 July 2004.

The table below sets out key project phases and their timing.

Key Stage Timeline
Phase One
Desktop research April 2004
Phase One Issues Paper for consultation to be placed on website early May 2004
Targeted consultation 3-14 May 2004
Draft Phase One Report circulated to Project Advisory Group 28 May 2004
Final Phase One Report submitted to DEST 7 June 2004
Phase Two
Phase Two Directions Paper to be placed on website 22 June 2004
National Stakeholder Forum held in Melbourne 29 June 2004
Draft Phase Two Report circulated to Project Advisory Group 19 July 2004
Final Phase Two Report submitted to DEST 30 July 2004

Papers for download

Issues Paper now available Click here to download (83KB)

Directions Paper now available Click here to download (789KB)

National Forum Agenda now available Click here to download (214KB)

National Forum Summary of Outcomes Click here to download (91KB)

Project contact

If you would like further information about how to participate in the project, please email kforrester@allenconsult.com.au or phone Kathleen Forrester on (07) 3221 7266.