There is universal agreement about the need for sustainable development from global to local and the challenges this presents to the workplace. The current restructuring of the Tasmanian economy provides rich opportunities for a variety of job creation innovations and the skill development that need to go hand in hand with these. Funding for the 12 month project was received in June 2013 by a team under the Skills for Carbon Challenge (Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, DIICCSRTE) to carry out this project.
We have partnered with organisations and industries that are concerned to support the transition to a sustainability-focused future for Tasmania. The project has identified skills (and related issues) required for workplaces to achieve their growth vision and in a complimentary manner determine the extent to which these skills can be met by current Uni/VET trajectories.
View the Skilling Tasmania for a Sustainable Future Final Report
GOALS
- To determine the skills issues that constrain the growth of established and emerging Tasmanian sustainable industries?
- To determine what skills emerging sustainable industries in Tasmania require
- To determine to what extent these are being addressed currently by the Higher Ed/VET sectors?
- To determine what policy interventions are required to assist, including opportunities for vulnerable workers to transition into these industries?
TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, THE PROJECT TEAM HAS:
- Consulted with key stakeholders across the state who have significant opportunities for transforming skills and tasks toward sustainability, such as the Hobart and Launceston Business Sustainability Round Tables, SLT, the Department of Climate Change, Premier and Cabinet, Economic Development, industry leaders (small and larger), education representatives (TasTAFE, UTas, other RTOs), National Resource Management agencies, a range of political/government representatives and others interested in collaborating to work towards a sustainable Tasmania.
- Established what is already happening and working well, & any workforce development gaps and barriers.
- Sourced a variety of international and national case studies that have involved skill and employment transitions towards a sustainable economy;
- Provided relevant facilitated forums to create the impetus for action;
- Engaged stakeholder in formulating measures for the success of the project
- Initiated development of a sustainability skills matrix that informs workplaces, industries higher education and VET of opportunities to help equip the Tasmanian workforce to move closer to a more sustainable economy.
PROJECT TEAM
The project members are all experienced in the area of sustainable business development and education. They are:
Sarah Lowe (Project manager) Vocational Graduate Certificate in Education & Training for Sustainability (VGC ETfS) graduate & sustainability consultant, Sustainable Systems & Solutions, Hobart, Tasmania (Principal Investigator). Ph: 0400435186 email: [email protected] www.3-s.com.au
Michael Di Giovanni, VGC ETfS graduate, project consultant (Sustainability Assistance Specialist), teacher at TasTAFE embedding EfS, Hobart. Ph: 0400 240 654 email: [email protected].
Dr Sue Lewis, Sustainability education specialist. Previously architect of and facilitator of VGC ETfS at NCS. Sue is also based at Sister’s Beach in Tasmania, email: [email protected]
Dr Caroline Smith, sustainability education specialist, Penguin, Tasmania. Previously facilitator of VGC ETfS at NCS. Ph: 0438 090 464, email: [email protected]