Stakeholder engagement
Between August and November 2025, AUSMASA engaged in over 150 consultations through our National Workforce Plan Roundtables, 1-on-1 consultations, and an online workshop. The roundtables were attended by various types of stakeholders (Figure 1). Stakeholders were represented across the states and capitals, with in-person roundtables conducted in Darwin, Perth, Brisbane, and Melbourne. This document summarised findings on an industry level, we invite feedback from stakeholders on anything we may have missed or should explore further.
How to get involved
You can get involved by writing to research@ausmasa.org.au.
Figure 1: Type of Stakeholders AUSMASA Consulted for the National Workforce plan 2026
What are key current and emerging skills shortages?
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Qualified trainers and assessors: There’s a shortage of VET trainers/assessors who can teach in areas like heavy automotive or mining supervision. These trainers are often underpaid compared to industry wages, which makes it difficult to attract and retain them.
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Potential Actions:1
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Investigate the efficacy of trainer and assessor training pathways (if any).
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Research pedagogical teaching and dissemination methods in the VET ecosystem.
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Promote pathways for VET TAE roles
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Advocate for better pay for VET TAE roles
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Critical thinking and communication skills: Younger generations (as relevant to cohorts entering industry) show gaps in critical thinking and communication skills, highlighting a need for more open dialogue and opportunities to develop these abilities. Although this issue has been raised by a broad spectrum of stakeholders, its intensity has varied on a state level.
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Potential Actions:
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Build better pedagogical practices for schools and early life learning
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Promote the delivery and update of higher-order mathematical and scientific learning and skills
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Collaborate with schools, industry, and communities to enable a school curriculum that is better tailored to promote a culture of lifelong learning
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Mine closure skills: There is a lack of clear demarcation in literature and existing training pathways between the day-to-day mining activities and mine closure activities.2 However, research has uncovered that skills around Psychological Support, Operators, Drill and Blast Technicians, Environmental Specialists, Community Engagement Experts, Strategic Planners, Career Transition Support, and Economic Transition Experts are required to manage the safe decommissioning of a mine. This includes ensuring environmental compliance, supporting affected workers, and planning for the economic and social impacts of closure.
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Potential Actions:
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Map what Mine Closure education exists across the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF)
- Identify gaps in above education
- Map demand levels for Mine Closure skills
- Map occupations that intersect with the Mine Closure space
- Identify the nuances in the day-to-day activities of Mine Closure-related work and how it is distinguished from everyday mining operations
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- Diagnostic skills: Diagnostic skills are evolving rapidly due to advancements in ADAS, autonomous systems, EV diagnostics, and digital technologies, with a growing need for expertise in electronics, fault finding, and programming, as traditional diagnostic methods are increasingly supplemented by AI, fault codes, and advanced diagnostic tools. Industry has raised concerns about needing more up-to-date pathways and resources that reflect the reality of OEM and industry’s latest technological applications.
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Potential Actions:
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Engage with the Government on their review of the ‘right to repair law’ (i.e., AASRA). To enable the optimal use of OEM-specific information by pathway providers and learners.
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Identify gaps in training products as related to the delivery and upskill of diagnostic skills
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Design and deliver products and pathways that allow learners to acquire skills necessary to diagnose, service, repair, and maintain diagnostic equipment.
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Build modular pathways that are adaptable to specific technological advancements, instead of requiring a full new or (re)qualification.
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What roles are harder for employers to fill in the industry?
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Diesel fitters,
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Automotive electricians,
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Engineers,
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Geologists,
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Heavy equipment operators,
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Accessory fitters,
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Drillers
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- Potential Actions:
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Better track these occupations’ in- and out-flows to find out why this is the case.
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Utilising the above analysis, build pathways that encourage lifelong learning and continuous upskilling
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Track the occupational life of these occupations on an individual level, to estimate how qualification commencements convert to completions, completions convert to employment, and employment to retention.
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Investigate in-work adjustments linked to lower attrition by occupation.
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Use both occupation and industry tracking to better understand how the occupation has changed and enable up-to-date occupational pathways
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Research the underlying supply and demand dynamics affecting these occupations from within the industry and from other industries
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Emerging and ongoing challenges being faced by the industry
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Job transitioning: Challenges in transitioning frontline workers to remote automation roles as technology advances in the coal industry.
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Automation is shifting demand from operational roles to higher education-aligned occupations, such as engineers and geologists.
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Possible supply-demand mismatch in future, as STEM enrolments are declining and failing to meet the demands for jobs requiring higher-ed qualifications, such as engineers and geologists.
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- Potential Actions:
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A recognised/transferable micro-credential to support reskilling or side skilling between professions, for example from Civil Engineer to Mining Engineer, or from Chemical Engineer to Metallurgist
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Analyse the career pathways of mining engineers and/or geologists.
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- Limited local training opportunities, particularly in the regions: Access to training in remote areas is challenging. This includes challenges such as the distance between regions, the lack of trainers willing to travel, and the capacity of local RTOs. Workers often leave for training elsewhere and fail to return, creating staffing shortages.
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Considering DAMA concessions or conditions to create incentives to stay in the regional, or remote areas.
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Enable better housing support in the regions to boost retention and recruitment activities
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Enable better infrastructure in the regions to boost retention and recruitment activities
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Activate optimal training delivery in the regions to boost workforce participation in skills and trade occupations
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Lack of awareness: There is a lack of awareness of mining roles and occupations particularly in younger cohorts, the issue is acute also in regards to awareness of the role the Mining industry plays in enabling advanced manufacturing, space, and renewable industries.
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- Potential Actions:
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Showcasing success stories can be effective in inspiring new talent. (e.g. Rio Tinto’s female diesel fitter apprenticeship).
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Focus on raising awareness of career opportunities beyond traditionally recognised sectors through initiatives such as school career days.
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Research into career and pathway opportunities in the Mining industry
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Lack of diversity and inclusion: workplace language can be unintentionally exclusive to diverse groups (e.g. First nations, neurodivergent).
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Potential Actions:
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Encourage workforce diversity from entry level roles, recognizing the importance of diversity in building a strong and broad-based future talent supply pipeline.
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Sustain and strengthen inclusion efforts by promoting family-friendly arrangements, where appropriate, such as flexible hours and fostering team cohesion, particularly for regional or geographically dispersed teams.
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Consult on and translate such language, with a potential ‘dictionary’ for industry.
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Work more with industry and schools on success stories and taster courses.
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1 Note: Potential actions are indicative of how any stakeholder can respond to relevant feedback. AUSMASA’s response is subject to shifting priorities as relating to our remit, our instructions from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), stakeholder consultations, and other safety and urgent industry needs/trends.
2 We invite stakeholders to share more information, data, and literature on this front if they have relevant knowledge. We also invite stakeholders to reach out to discuss this matter further if they have relevant input.
About the author
Dr Aneeq Sarwar
Dr Aneeq Sarwar is Senior Manager, Workforce Planning and Policy at AUSMASA, overseeing our research, workforce planning, and policy functions. Dr Sarwar is an experienced research leader who has managed quantitative and qualitative research projects across industry, academia, and for government.