The first day of the two-day Jobs and Skills Summit — involving union, community and government representatives — has wrapped up.
From Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's free TAFE places announcement, to calls for women to be at the forefront of workplace reform and a speech from Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott — here are some of the key highlights:
Free TAFE places
An additional 180,000 fee-free TAFE places will be created by 2023 as part of a major new training package.
Mr Albanese announced the $1.1 billion package in his opening speech on Thursday and said it would be jointly funded by federal, state and territory governments.
He said Australians need to gain the skills required to get good jobs.
"I want this to be the beginning, not the end, of progress we see on skills over the next two days," he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said free TAFE places are the "beginning, not the end" of measures to be unveiled at the two-day Jobs and Skills summit in Canberra. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch
Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott's speech
Wheelchair tennis champion Dylan Alcott said the workforce participation rate of people with disability hasn't lifted in 28 years.
"There (are) so many opportunities to get out there and work at the moment, yet it's not really translating into people with disability getting that chance," he said.
"People with disability are 90 per cent more likely to be equal to, or more productive, than able-bodied people. We have higher retention rates and lower absenteeism."
Mr Alcott said all levels of government, businesses, and unions need to work together to improve participation rates.
“Some people want a job, for sure. Do you know what some people want? They want a career. They want a leadership position,” he said.
“I don't want to scare you, but we want your [parliamentary] seats as well.”
Calls to lift permanent migration numbers
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Business Council of Australia have found common ground on several key issues, including lifting permanent migration numbers.
"We haven't put a figure on it, but we have a common understanding that moving towards a more permanent migration system and lifting the number of permanent migrants goes along with the other things we've said about making sure that people have access to jobs and skills and opportunities," ACTU president Michele O'Neil said.
Both groups also want the industrial relations system made "simpler, fairer, and more accessible".
'Immediate action' on Fair Work Act
Employment Minister Tony Burke said he had identified issues with the Fair Work Act which he hoped to address immediately.
These included providing better access to flexible work arrangements and unpaid parental leave so families can share work and caring responsibilities.
The government also committed to setting up a forum to bring together unions, businesses and government to solve issues in the construction industry, such as mental health and safety.
Both unions and business groups agreed the industrial relations system is failing workers and businesses, but the prospect of invigorating multi-sector bargaining remains a sticking point.
The need for a 'racism-busting agenda'
Ending racism in the workplace and securing ongoing employment for Indigenous Australians must be a priority for all organisations, the Jobs and Skills Summit heard.
A first step is recognising racism as a genuine work health and safety issue, University of Queensland Business School Indigenous Engagement director Sharlene Leroy-Dyer said.
Dr Leroy-Dyer said Indigenous workers who experience racism and a lack of action to combat it will often leave the workplace.
"We would like to see a racism-busting agenda spearheaded by the union movement that ensures responsibility for tackling racism is shared by all: employers, government, business and sector bodies, and the public," she said.
"We would like changes to the inherent, unsafe reporting mechanisms around racism (and) changes to recruitment to eliminate racism."
'Women are done with being secondary'
Independent MP Zoe Daniel told the summit the federal government must also take action to ensure women can participate fully in the workforce.
Gender impact statements on all new legislation, strengthening worker flexibility rights and mandating gender pay gap reporting are some of the changes the government could make to benefit female workers, Ms Daniel said.
"Women are done with being secondary," she told the summit.
Societal norms as a whole need to change to improve the standing of women in Australia, Equality Institute chief Emma Fulu said.
Calls for student visa reform
While not invited to the summit, several community organisations urged the federal government to offer automatic residency to international students to address local skills shortages and fill job vacancies.
The Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue said giving select international students the right to stay and work in Australia would boost the skilled workforce and reverse the 'brain drain'.
"Greater Western Sydney is a region crying out for a local, skilled workforce, with close to one-third of local businesses struggling to find suitable staff," Dialogue chairman Christopher Brown said.
"Offering international students who complete a minimum three-year degree the opportunity to stay and work will help us attract and retain the best and brightest talent from overseas, while allowing enough time for the new residents to be thoroughly vetted," he added.
Roshaan Aslam, 28, has a Master of Information Technology and is studying leadership and management in Sydney. He works as an Uber driver and has applied for permanent residency but said he is concerned it won't be granted before his student visa expires in 2024.
"If that doesn't happen in the next year and a half, there is no other option except going back home [to Pakistan]," he said.
"It's a waste of opportunity because Australia really needs people in IT occupations, but people like me can't apply because we don't have those full working rights that are needed at those companies."
Mr Aslam said he is hopeful the government will increase the migration cap following the summit to allow more foreign students in the country to seek permanent residency.
The summit continues on Friday.
