ATSE welcomes the opportunity to respond to provide a submission to the Treasury on the Employment White Paper. The Employment White Paper provides an avenue to outline emerging challenges and opportunities concerning the future of work, and the role of governments in creating policy settings conducive to achieving full employment and productivity growth. This submission engages with the themes of the future of work for the decarbonisation of the economy and digitalisation, and a more inclusive workforce. ATSE makes the following recommendations for inclusion in the Employment White Paper:
Recommendation 1: That the Employment White Paper recommends the development of a national skills taxonomy.
Recommendation 2: That the Employment White Paper maps a strategy to attract young people and career-changers to priority STEM careers, including supporting the delivery and coordination of internship programs.
Recommendation 3: That the Employment White Paper includes a plan for incentivising lifelong learning for the workforce, including fee relief and tax incentives for businesses.
Recommendation 4: That the Employment White Paper includes a long-term strategy to recruit and retain in-field STEM teachers.
Recommendation 5: That the Employment White Paper includes targeted strategies for improving workforce participation of under-represented groups in STEM, including women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.