Australia Awards scholars from Indonesia recently visited Griffith University for two weeks to partake in the inaugural Labour Markets Needs Forecasting Short Term Award.
During the course, awardees travelled through Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide and on to Canberra where the program came to a close.
In Brisbane the group visited the Queensland Tourism Industry Council and TAFE Queensland International where they were inspired by Executive Director Janelle Chapman discussing the importance of building a job ready workforce for the 21st century, particularly focusing on the growing links between labour markets and technology.
Australia Awards scholar Aditya Dwi Taji works in the International Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration in Jakarta and said the course was an insightful experience.
“Over the past two weeks I have gained a lot of information and knowledge from the Australian government and education institutions,” he said.
“The course was well-prepared and managed so that we not only learnt about labour markets, we also gained an understanding of Australian culture and I hope that this course can be implemented again in the near future so that others can share in the experience.”
During a social trip to the Gold Coast, the group got a glimpse of labour market needs in a tourism-driven area, experiencing the Australian Outback Spectacular, Harbour Town Outlet Shopping Centre, the Q1 and more.
Next, the awardees landed in Adelaide with a visit to the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research (NCVER) to learn about Australia’s Vocational Education and Training Sector, gaining an understanding of how to support workplace learning and development needs.
For the trip finale, awardees travelled to Canberra to undertake key visits to the Department of Jobs and Small Business and the Department of Education and Training, attaining valuable insights into Australia’s labour market and how the country forecasts future labour needs.
In the final few days of the program the group had the opportunity to visit the Australian War Memorial, and while the visit was not specifically linked to the topic of labour markets, it did provide awardees with an understanding of Australian heritage, values and culture.
Course Convener and Course Designer Professor Yan Islam said that the program offered students a unique insight into the Australian labour market and VET (vocational education and training) sector and focused on developing transferable skills to assist the participants in their workplaces.
Upon returning to Indonesia, each awardee will work towards implementing a Return to Work Plan developed during their time in Australia.
The project plans were created to address pre-existing challenges in the Indonesian labour market such as high youth unemployment, persistent informality and gender and income inequalities.
Later in 2019, awardees will once again come together in Indonesia for the program Return to Work Plan Workshop, during this time each awardee will share their progress so far, key takeaways from the course and will graduate from the Labour Market Needs Forecasting program.
This Australia Awards Scholarship – Short Term Award was funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Australia Awards are prestigious international Scholarships–postgraduate courses (Long Term Awards) and intensive tailored short courses (Short Term Awards) and Fellowships that offer the next generation of global leaders an opportunity to undertake study, research and professional development opportunities in support of key development and foreign affairs priorities.
To find out more about Australia Awards, particularly Australia Awards in Indonesia visit Australia Awards.