service skills conference thought provoking and engaging

On 1 - 2 March 2010, Service Skills Australia held its National Conference to discuss the skills development issues affecting tourism and hospitality, sport and recreation, wholesale and retail and personal services sectors.

This event is held every two years and was facilitated at the Sydney Convention Centre with over 200 delegates representing industry, vocational education and training, government and unions over the two days, with a wide-range of thought-provoking speakers in attendance.

The theme of the conference was “Focusing on a positive future”, and was primarily aimed at exploring how we can tackle the challenges that lie ahead to ensure the prosperity of the service industries now and into the future.

Of the highlights offered throughout the conference, the free afternoon session hosted by Jenny Brockie from SBS’s Insight program was definitely one of them. This afforded conference delegates and others not attending the conference to join in to a discussion given the topic, ‘Get A Real Job - the perception of the service industries’.

Although chaired by Jenny, a panel of four leading industry experts was each given an opportunity to project their views one by one, and then an open forum of questions and answers ensued with some very good and challenging questions and personal/professional comments. The panel consisted of:

• Brian Wexham, Skills One
• Professor Rod McDonald, Ithica Group
• Dr John Mitchell , John Mitchell & Associates
• The Hon. Mark Arbib
• Therese Bryant, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association

Peter Doyle of Sydney’s famous Doyle family along with John Hart (NEO, Restaurant & Caterers) was also lively in the discussion and provided passionate and compelling arguments. The majority of discussion surrounded the industry’s ability to attract and retain quality staff and programs that could achieve this goal.

Monday’s conference was followed by the 2010 Gala Dinner held at the Dockside at Cockle Bay. A short awards ceremony saw two awards presented for the Industry Skills Council Award for Contribution to Skills Development to Westfield and Woolworths. Five World Skills trainers who coached and mentored our successful Service Industries Skillaroos were presented Industry Skills Council Award for Contribution to Skills Excellence. These awards recognise those contributors who are often invisible partners in the success of RTO’s and individuals in the VET sector.

The evening finished with a lot of networking and of course, many guests hitting the dance floor. We look forward to the next National Conference in another two years.

Kit McMahon (Service Skills Australia), Jenny Hannan (University of Western Sydney), Melinda Larkin (ACPET NSW) and Jeanette Allen (Service Skills Australia)
 

Professor Rod McDonald (Ithica Group), Therese Bryant (Shop, Distributive and Allied Employers Association), Brian Wexham (Skills One) and Dr John Mitchell (John Mitchell & Associates)

Panel Discussion with Jenny Brockie: “Get A real job: the perception of the service industries”