Public Safety and Government industry-sectors, and all areas of the Australian economy and workforce, are operating in an environment of rapid and complex change, and uncertainty about the future. Technological transformation and related potential impacts on jobs and workforce design, climate impacts, increasing frequency of natural disasters, geopolitical uncertainty, and shifting community expectations, are driving more complex capability requirements, placing growing pressure on training systems and the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Workforce to deliver timely, relevant and high-quality training.
In the face of such challenges, and in celebrating National Skills Month 2026, this is an opportune time to reflect on the social, cultural and behavioural aspects that can enable lifelong learning, and in building thriving and adaptive learning cultures in complex times. Public Skills Australia will present insights, findings, and recommendations to strengthen learning and organisational development maturity, outlined in its VET Workforce Study research conducted from Jan 2025 - June 2026, drawn primarily from in-field, nationwide qualitative discussions and focus groups in: Correctional Services, Defence, Fire and Emergency Services, Government, and Police industry-sectors.
This session is relevant to curious lifelong learners, leaders, managers, decision-makers, learning and organisational development practitioners, and any personnel involved in workforce analytics and planning, training needs analysis, curriculum design and development, instructional design, training delivery and assessment, and learning evaluation.
In the session, we will explore:
- How industries and organisations can strengthen approaches to identifying capability gaps, and how they can plan, design, deliver and evaluate training and other learning interventions in more proactive and strategic ways.
- Opportunities to better integrate training with real-world industry capability needs, and enhance continuous improvement in training planning and delivery.
- Strengthening facilitation craft and group work skills, drawing on a range of learning pedagogies - exploring foundational and universal principles in active listening and engaging communication to facilitate improved mutual understanding, innovation, problem solving, and collaboration.
- Trainer attraction, retention, and professional development strategies.
- The vital role of coaching and mentoring structures - and of more people stepping up to this task - in shaping workforces with current and emerging skills, and in building connected, prosperous and resilient communities.