‘People without jobs, jobs without people’

The gap is not due to the education system, it is due to the undesirability of jobs and the stigma tied to some positions. Going by your reasoning there are and will be many jobs as an undertaker but this is not a job that is going to attract any takers – in fact these are usually “family” jobs – unless values are changed. I am sure you agree that being a teacher is no longer the desirable job it used to be, hence the lower academic skills of the takers (which also means the lower skills of the future students).

Great to identify VET candidates early and avoid a waste of time and money at university – which is not for everyone. Create opportunities also for people to retrain at any stage, that being out of a job is not a disgrace, that retraining is an opportunity for everyone. Again, a change of values is needed as people who are on benefits are not simply loafers, not until you make them believe they are…

What is happening in Australia is happening the world over. Jobs are simply running out, as we improve processes and machines. How about NOT inventing names for a phenomenon that is well known and studied but looking at what is happening elsewhere, taking the best practice and evolving in that direction? This is not a problem that has an off-the-shelf solution…

Bear in mind that people are trained to do jobs that might disappear when they actually get to be employable. Flexibility, in fact liquid skills is the way to go, not skills that simply allow you to do one job now and no job later.

Good idea to get out there that alternative careers are ok, even better that any job is ok. One thing is for sure: jobs should not be a privilege. Not now, not ever.