Analysis of Major Drivers and Marketing Target

Analysis of Major Drivers and Marketing Target
The Industry Skills Reports provide an extremely useful
overview of data, trends and drivers of skills needs within
and across industries. They adopt a broad view of skills
encompassing human resource development, recruitment,
career paths and formal VTE training.
All of the drivers appear to be relevant to industry but, not
surprisingly, their impacts vary within and across industries.
Consistent with current public discussion, the reports
highlight the importance of skills, and labour availability, as
a key business issue for enterprises and industries in all
sectors.
There appear to be two factors at work: the availability of
labour generally and changing skills requirements, that is,
workers with the right kinds of skills.
These pressures are driven by the general rate of economic
growth and increases in demand for goods and services,
the growing impact of workforce ageing coupled with
early retirement, industry specifi c issues such as image
(particularly for young people) and locational issues.
Changing technology also impacts across most industry
sectors, as do growing regulatory and compliance issues,
changing social attitudes and values (particularly in terms of
environmental protection), and the needs of more informed
and sophisticated customers.
The wider environment is also captured in the reports, as
they describe the rapid changes in their industries, which
have resulted from the impact of a global market for both
customers and the labour force.
The second group involves the interplay between markets,
customers and competitiveness and productivity demands in
a global context.
The development of the global economy has resulted in
competition from international fi rms and a focus on global
markets for the Australian fi rms. For example, large Australian
construction companies operate overseas but also face
increased competition from international companies with
takeovers and rationalisation occurring. Record commodity
prices and demand are being driven by economic growth and
infrastructure development in Asia. International fi rms are
entering niche markets in Australia, such as in rehabilitation
and fi nance services. Foreign ownership is signifi cant in some
industries, such as electricity, gas and water.
In agribusiness, international markets are demanding ‘clean
and green’ food which affects the whole supply chain from
farm gate to consumer and the use of sophisticated supply
chain management and tracking systems. This has resulted
in the consolidation of larger fi rms in order to compete, as
well as use of subcontracting arrangements with local fi rms.
The manufacturing industry has been profoundly affected by
global competition and must be export oriented to compete.
The US Free Trade Agreements will open up previously
protected markets, for overseas companies and multinational
corporations to operate in the local markets but also for
Australian fi rms to be able to compete in North American
markets.