Overview
Assistant Secretary, National Skills System Jobs in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia at Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Title: Assistant Secretary, National Skills System
Company: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Location: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- SES Band 1
- Canberra, ACT; Sydney, NSW; Brisbane, QLD; Melbourne, VIC; Perth, WA, Adelaide, SA; Hobart, TAS; Darwin, NT
- Identified Position
About The Department Of Employment And Workplace Relations
We are committed to empowering futures, ensuring rights and enriching lives. We support people to have safe, secure and well-paid work with the skills for a sustainable future as we ourselves strive to be a model employer.
We provide the framework for fair and productive relationships between employers and employees. We also oversee skills development and training initiatives to support those entering the workforce or re-training to take advantage of emerging employment opportunities.
With us your work directly contributes to shaping the employment landscape. Whether you're engaging in policy development, program implementation, or direct support services, your efforts will have a tangible impact on job seekers, employees and the economy by giving them a framework to build a future anchored and realised through employment.
About Jobs And Skills Australia
Want to work for an organisation recognised and celebrated for our excellence in
leadership, stewardship and innovation? Jobs and Skills Australia may be the place for you.
Jobs and Skills Australia was established in 2022 under the Jobs and Skills Australia Act 2022.
We are an independent secondary statutory body, within the Department of Employment and
Workplace Relations.
Our role is to engage, advise and assist the Australian Government and other stakeholders in decision
making on the current, emerging and future skills and workforce needs of the Australian economy, and
on the effectiveness of the national skills system in meeting these needs. This includes in regional, rural
and remote Australia, and on the development of new industries and new technologies.
As part of a motivated and dynamic organisation, we value being innovative, collaborative,?accurate,
respectful, courageous, and making a difference.
Our people include specialists in policy, data, economics, communications, stakeholder engagement,
digital solutions and research who are located across Australia.
We offer a positive, productive and supportive work environment and are committed to providing an
inclusive workplace where continuous learning and building skills and professional networks are a
priority.
Find Out More About Your Future Workplace At Www.jobsandskills.gov.au.
The Role
As Assistant Secretary, National Skills System Branch, you will lead Jobs and Skills Australia’s (JSA) analysis and advice on how well Australia’s skills system is meeting current, emerging and future skills and workforce needs, grounded in strong evidence and stakeholder engagement.
You will lead delivery of the skills stream within the agreed JSA Workplan from within your branch. This involves examining the critical role skills play in Australia’s productivity and inclusive participation agenda — monitoring, analysing and advising on the effectiveness of the national skills system. A key focus will be examining how well the VET system is meeting the economy’s skills needs and delivering student outcomes, drawing on the branch’s distinctive linked data — including the VET National Data Asset and linked tertiary and pathway data — to connect education and training to labour market outcomes. Work also includes a broad range of project work, such as supporting joining-up of the tertiary education system, the development and maintenance of the National Skills Taxonomy, surveys and research on adult foundation skills including participation in the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), with results due in 2030.
You will report to the Executive Director and work closely with the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners.
You will collaborate across DEWR and with the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC), other Commonwealth departments, State and Territory Governments, industry stakeholders and research partners such as the NCVER.
Skills And Capabilities
The Assistant Secretary, National Skills System duties and responsibilities will include:
- a deep and current understanding of the Australian VET system — including its funding and regulatory architecture, the National Skills Agreement, qualifications and training-product reform, the apprenticeship system, and the VET–higher education interface — and a demonstrated ability to translate that understanding into advice that shapes how well the system meets the economy’s skills needs
- the strategic judgement to harness the branch’s analysis and research, including its distinctive linked data connecting skills supply, pathways and labour market outcomes — as a source of influential, decision-relevant insight for government and the wider skills system.
- a mature understanding of the broader dynamics of the Australian skills and tertiary education system and labour market
- a demonstrated capacity to apply multiple analytical frameworks to confidently provide advice and manage complex risks, multi-faceted challenges and high work volumes
- highly developed interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills, with the political acumen to manage and influence diverse stakeholders across multi-disciplinary responsibilities
- the capacity to create an environment that empowers individuals and teams to deliver their best — setting expectations, nurturing talent and building capability
- outstanding organisational skills, including time management and managing competing priorities
Capabilities
The successful applicant will demonstrate capability in-line with the SES Band 1 Work Level Standards and will also have the following capabilities and qualities:
- exemplary integrity and professionalism
- excellent technical legal skills and judgment
- strong leadership and people management skills to foster a positive workplace culture
- strong risk management skills, demonstrating a commitment to identifying and addressing emerging challenges and risks
- excellent stakeholder relationship skills, including the ability to provide insightful, persuasive and trusted advice to a diverse range of senior stakeholders
- a commitment to excellence, fostering an environment that encourages innovation and continuous learning
- strong understanding of core APS frameworks, and
- ability to build and harness relationship across the APS.
Eligibility
Our successful candidate will need to hold a valid Negative Vetting 1 clearance to undertake the role.
How To Apply
Applicants are required to provide up to a two-page summary (no more than 1000 words) that outlines skills, knowledge, and experience and why you should be considered for this vacancy. You should take into consideration the position overview (including any detailed position specific requirements) when drafting your response. Where possible include specific relevant examples of your work.
The APS work level standards accommodate the diversity of roles across the APS and are structured to clearly differentiate between the work expected (i.e. responsibilities and duties) at each classification level.
In eRecruit (the department’s online recruitment system) you will also need to:
- upload a Curriculum Vitae
- provide contact details for 2 Referees.
Please refer to the Job Information Pack for more information about the role.
Job Information Pack Opens in new window
Job Information Pack Opens in new window
