About | National Skills Commission

The National Skills Commission (NSC) provides expert advice and national leadership on Australia’s labour market and current, emerging and future workforce skills needs. We also have an important role in simplifying and strengthening Australia’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) system.

Australia’s labour market touches the lives of all Australians. Understanding where the jobs in demand are, and what skills are needed to do those jobs, will help more Australians into work and build a strong economy for the future.

NSC Strategic Plan

The NSC Strategic Plan outlines the purpose, long-term outcomes and values to achieve the NSC’s vision – Shaping Australia’s Future Workforce.

Our long term outcomes

To achieve our vision the NSC will focus on three long-term outcomes:

making an enduring and relevant contribution to labour market information
improving the quality, accessibility and relevance of vocational education and training (VET)
contributing to a labour market that effectively aligns skills needs with education and training.

Our values

We achieve our purpose by being collaborative, rigorous and innovative in the way we work.

COLLABORATIVE

Our goal is to meet the needs of and improve outcomes for our stakeholders. We partner with a range of stakeholders including the Minister, government agencies, state and territory governments, peak bodies, academics, businesses, providers, students and the community to do this.

RIGOROUS

We combine evidence and user research to develop information and advice to best meet the needs of our stakeholders. Our processes ensure our data and evidence is of the highest quality and has the integrity to make an impact.

INNOVATIVE

We put ideas into action to benefit our people, stakeholders and the community. Our goal is to trial new methods and approaches and learn from others to inform long term solutions. We apply a growth mindset and look to the future.

INCLUSIVE & DIVERSE

We are inclusive in the way we work and collaborate with our stakeholders. We value and recognise the importance of diversity, with our people being comfortable to be themselves at work and representing the demographics of people who live and work in Australia.

INDIGENOUS

We contribute to the Australian Government’s priority of getting more Indigenous Australians into work to close the gap on disadvantage.

Strategic Plan (PDF 499kB)

Background

Establishing the NSC was one of the key recommendations from Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System (the Joyce review), and part of the Australian Government's Skills Package — Delivering Skills for Today and Tomorrow.

The NSC, established on 1 July 2020, is enacted under the National Skills Commissioner Act 2020 (Cth) and led by National Skills Commissioner Adam Boyton. The NSC is supported by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) and provides advice to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Skills and Training, and DEWR Secretary.