Podcasts
In this episode of DBrief, Louise McGrath speaks with Kristian Stratton from Australian Industry Group Apprentice and Trainee Centre about one of the biggest challenges facing Australian industry: finding the workers needed to support growth, infrastructure, manufacturing and essential services.
The conversation examines two critical parts of the workforce equation. First, Louise and Kristian discuss the role of apprenticeships, drawing on the Australian Industry Group Apprentice and Trainee Centre, which has employed and supported apprentices for more than six decades. They explore the benefits of the group training model, the importance of mentoring and pastoral care, and the barriers that are contributing to declining apprenticeship commencements.
The discussion then turns to Australia's skilled migration system and its role in addressing immediate workforce shortages. Louise and Kristian consider the economic contribution of skilled migrants, the sectors experiencing the most acute shortages, and why migration and domestic training work best as complementary solutions rather than competing priorities.
From housing and healthcare to defence and manufacturing, the episode highlights why long-term workforce planning will require both stronger apprenticeship pathways and a more efficient skilled migration system.
Key takeaways
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In her role as Australian Industry Group’s Head of Industry Development and Policy Louise provides strategic leadership and guidance for Australian Industry Group’s policy agenda in building competitive industries through global integration, infrastructure development and innovation. She ensures that through policy leadership members have a voice at all levels of government, by representing and promoting their interests on current and emerging issues.
Louise represents Australian Industry in several multilateral forums, such as the B20 Taskforces, Global Business Coalition, and the East Asia Business Council working group on RCEP. She advocates for the interests of Australian Industry Group members during Free Trade Negotiations and translates those agreements to support the strategic aims of members. She is a member of CSIRO’s Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence Think Tank and the Manufacturing Advisory Group, the NESP Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub and the Advisory Group of The Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS).
Louise has studied a Bachelor of Arts (Arabic Language and Culture) at Deakin University and an Advanced Diploma in International Trade at RMIT. She has also studied Arabic at universities in Jordan and Egypt.
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