Employers’ perspectives on training: three industries

This research examines workforce training from the perspective of employers in 10 firms across three industries located in urban and regional areas throughout Australia’s eastern seaboard. The industries included were: red meat processing, road freight transport and international freight forwarding. Employers believe in the critical importance of ongoing workforce training for the survival of the firm. Some firms are placing ongoing, whole-of-workforce skills development at the centre of their strategy for the future sustainable growth of their businesses. Training practices vary across industries, and sometimes across firms in the same industry; however, there are many similarities. Public subsidies for training help firms to offer formal training and partly offset costs, but a firm’s decision to provide training is generally independent of the receipt of a subsidy.