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SKILLSIQ NSW ITAB INDUSTRY FORUM 2026


INDUSTRY CONNECT

The 2026 Industry Forum was held last week at the premises of Business NSW with over 80 people in attendance. The theme this year was Disability, Disadvantage and Opportunity and brought together a diverse range of perspectives, beginning with Isaiah Dawe, who shared a powerful personal account of the challenges he has faced and the resilience and determination that enabled him to overcome them. Complementing these insights, Andrea Comastri presented the successes of the Italian initiative Hotel Etico, showcasing an inclusive model that supports people with disability through training pathways into meaningful employment with real wages, demonstrating the impact of purpose-driven workforce development.

The Hon Steve Whan MP, NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education and Suzie Matthews, Executive Director, Skills & Workforce Programs, Department of Education outlined the NSW Government’s priorities and strategic direction for the sector.

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SkillsIQ NSW ITAB eNews


January 2026

In this edition, we share updates on Smart & Skilled funding and TAFE Funding 2026, highlight the NSW Training Awards, celebrating excellence in vocational education, and outline the 2026 National Skill Priorities. We also share news on Jobs & Skills Australia, the Jobs and Skills Councils, and our Cyber Security Corner article.

Latest News

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CEDA - Opinion Article

Much of our workforce training is compliance-focused and not aimed at upskilling our workers. Without systems to track and recognise informal, formal, and self-directed learning, employees are having to repeat training unnecessarily. This highlights the need to embrace open recognition and use AI-powered skills recognition systems like SkillsAware to validate real skills in the workforce, if we want to address the issue of productivity.

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VET Research Conference ‘No Frills’

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) VET Research Conference ‘No Frills’ co-hosted with TAFE Queensland. Melinda Brown, General Manager, SkillsIQ, presented how technological solutions can be adapted and integrated into existing systems to validate individuals' capabilities and experience in the workforce.

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Outdoor Industry Summit

2025 Outdoor Industry Summit in Canberra for the session ‘Skills Recognition for Employers/ Employees.’ Yasmin King, CEO, SkillsIQ, explored how organisations can take advantage of AI to discover talent and how shifting the focus from qualifications to skills can help build a human-centered workforce.

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