The NSW Industry Training Advisory Bodies (ITABs) are a crucial source of industry advice for the NSW Government.

Two ITABs, AFAM (Agriculture, Food and Animal Management) and ForestWorks, support New South Wales’s agribusiness, food, and fibre sectors.

The NSW Department of Education works closely with ITABs, relying on their timely and professional advice on industry skills needs and priorities, as well as training package and product development or training delivery issues, inclusive of regional interests and diversity needs. ITABs provide an important role and contribute to the continuous improvement of national training packages.

A key role for ITABs in NSW is the promotion and support of the NSW Smart and Skilled program, which is the centrepiece of the NSW skills system. The Smart and Skilled program aims to help people get qualifications for in-demand skills and industries, and often serves as a launch point for industry entrants.

The 10 ITABs cover specific industry sectors, and these ITABs help the NSW Department of Education and Training to:

• Identify industry skill needs, priorities and skills development issues for funded training
• Promote training to the industry and assist in the take-up of funded training, including school-based apprenticeships and traineeships
• Advise on apprenticeship and traineeship arrangements, including school-based arrangements and the establishment of Vocational Training Orders
• Advise on developing, reviewing and implementing National Training Packages and Training Products.

ITABs also share information with other states, territories and Commonwealth stakeholders on New South Wales’s industry training and skills needs.

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Agriculture, Food & Animal Management (AFAM)

AFAM is a not-for-profit organisation funded by the NSW Government to advise on the training and skill needs of the agriculture, food and animal management sectors. It is one of ten Industry Training Advisory Bodies (ITABS).

AFAM was established in 2021 and soon recruited a team with Ben Norton-Smith as executive officer and Jess Cleary as industry engagement officer.

‘Many of our industries already had established consultative networks, and we could work with them, which has been valuable in understanding and synthesising information about our industries quickly,’ said Ben.

‘Our industries have special vocational education and training (VET) needs and challenges, and we need to deeply understand them to communicate industry views on training policies back to the NSW Department of Education and Training’.

The training areas that AFAM cover are:

• Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management
• Animal Care and Management
• Meat Processing (supported by MINTRAC)
• Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical
• Racing and Breeding
• Aquaculture and Wild Catch.

There are several strategies that AFAM uses to work with industry and gather and analyse information, including:

• meeting with industry to listen, learn and provide information about programs and funding
• attendances at events, industry forums and field days
• coordination of biannual industry training advisory committees
• promotion of NSW Government programs
• project work in collaboration with project partners
• provide a monthly newsletter about programs, funding and sector news.

In addition to this, AFAM works closely with industry Skill Service Organisation, Skills Impact, to deliver industry-led national training packages around the above industry sectors which is a key priority.

Skills Impact is the primary holder of the ITAB contract with the NSW Department of Education and Training and manages this program separately from its other operations.

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ForestWorks

ForestWorks currently holds industry advisory contracts in New South Wales and Victoria, which are guided by ForestWorks STAC networks.

ForestWorks industry advisory responsibilities include a range of activities to identify industry needs and solutions for skills and workforce development, including:

• Formal consultation such as focus groups, industry sector advisory groups, site visits and web forums
• Conference and industry forum presentations
• Project work with cross industry collaboration and partnerships.

‘The NSW ITAB works well by leveraging existing stakeholder forums around the state. We support their networks in the delivery of their programs’, said Tim Cleary, Executive Officer, NSW ITAB for Forestry and Furnishing.

The ITAB also provides assistance in the development of the following training packages:

• FWP Forest and Wood Products Training Package
• PPM Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Industry Training Package
• MSF Furnishing Training Package.