Australian Industry Standards (AIS) is an independent, not-for-profit Skills Service Organisation (SSO) that works closely with industry to identify current and emerging skill needs. These are used to develop world-class vocational qualifications.

We work with four energy Industry Reference Committees (IRCs), representing the electrotechnology, gas, electricity generation, and electricity transmission, distribution and rail sectors. These committees direct the work of AIS to ensure priority skill needs are identified.

Rapid changes in technology, customer-centric developments, and the new wave of disrupters will have a significant impact on the skills required by workers in the energy sector. This includes: decentralized power generation and the changing grid, big data and automation, the transition away from carbon intensive power generation and into renewables, as well as new skills for new services.

Each year, we work with the respective IRCs to develop Industry Skills Forecasts through extensive consultation, research and review activities. These key documents provide an in-depth industry analysis that includes an outlook for the future, identifying new and emerging skills and their associated training needs. They also determine whether qualifications need revision, to include new skill requirements.

AIS will provide the conference with summaries of Key Findings Discussion Papers which inform the development of the 2018 IRC Industry Skills Forecasts, to be submitted to the Australian Industry and Skills Committee by 30 April 2018. These papers provide information obtained from industry intelligence gathering activities that includes industry trends, challenges and opportunities, employment, and skills related insights and outlooks.

AIS will also advise how stakeholders can contribute to the future skilling of the energy sector.