Northwood appointed to Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance Board

The Print and Visual Communication Association (PVCA) has announced the appointment of its Chief Executive Officer, Kellie Northwood, to the Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance (Manufacturing Alliance) Board. The association says this marks a significant milestone in its commitment to advancing skills and training within the print manufacturing industry.

Charles Watson, GM – IR, Policy & Governance at PVCA, currently holds a Task Committee role within the Manufacturing Alliance, further underlining PVCA's active engagement across all areas – government, industry and trade unions – of skills and training.

"I am very pleased to represent the voice and insights of our industry and members on the Manufacturing Alliance Board. I look forward to working collaboratively with the Manufacturing Alliance to address the skills and training needs not only of our industry but also of the related industries within its charter. With the strategic review completed by PVCA in the past twelve months, Skills & Training has been identified as a key focus area, and the more involved our industry can be with the JSC for our sector, the greater the opportunities," commented Northwood.

The Manufacturing Alliance serves as the Jobs and Skills Council (JSC) for the manufacturing sector, with print manufacturing sitting within its purview. As an industry-owned and industry-led organisation, the Manufacturing Alliance is committed to fostering the development of skilled workforces crucial for the success of modern manufacturing and its associated industries.

JSCs, established by the Australian government, serve as a platform for industry representatives, unions, and employers to come together in a tripartite approach. Their primary objective is to identify and facilitate the development of workforce skills necessary for a robust, competitive, and sustainable economy.

The councils play a vital role in advocating for industry, working closely with the government to build an efficient training system that ensures sustainable prosperity for workers, employers, and the broader Australian economy. They address system-wide barriers from a labour market perspective, strongly emphasising workforce needs and skills development, and forge robust partnerships between industry and the vocational education and training sector.

The PVCA also announced it is calling on all members who are running internal skills and training certifications to participate in a roundtable discussion scheduled for the new year to brief the Association on the industry’s needs. From apprentice surveying to emerging talent engagement, employers and industry associations, the PVCA is calling on all inputs to build a clear understanding of the industry’s needs. From there, clear communication to workforce planning will be able to be developed.

"The PVCA has maintained a longstanding partnership with our participation in Job Skills for the industry. The former Manufacturing Alliance, IBSA Group, was an integral part of the vocational education and training sector for our industry for over twenty years. While the Manufacturing Alliance brings a new and modern focus with strong governance and commitment to outcomes, the historical involvement of the Association is vital to continue for the advancement of our apprentices and emerging talent. With assistance from our members and broader industry partners, we can determine our priorities and pathways to achieving what we need, I welcome the challenge to bring the voice of our industry into the Minister’s office across the roundtable initiative," concluded Northwood. For more information about the Manufacturing Alliance go to: https://manufacturingalliance.org.au/.