In this policy update, we highlight important reports and initiatives that were announced in September and October 2026 that influence the arts, personal services, retail, tourism, hospitality and vocational education and training (VET) sectors, as well as the broader economic landscape.

Queensland First Nations Tourism Strategy 2026-2032 

In September, the Queensland Tourism Industry Council released its Queensland First Nations Tourism Strategy 2026–2032, which seeks to position First Nations tourism as a strength of Queensland’s visitor economy and identity.

Of particular interest to SaCSA, the strategy highlights the following workforce considerations:

• Provide micro-credential training to build the skills and capacity of First Nations peoples in areas such as cultural tourism, environmental management and leadership.
• Build a skilled workforce with clear pathways into long-term tourism careers and leadership roles.
• Create clear career pathways from school engagement through to leadership and ownership roles.
• Align with existing workforce and training systems while ensuring culturally safe delivery.
• Strengthen mentoring and leadership development to build confidence and governance capability.
• Focus on retention through culturally safe workplaces and career progression, linking workforce initiatives to real demand and regional opportunities.
• Work collaboratively to support tourism and guiding capability development for Indigenous organisations, including training programs such as the Emerging Field School under SITP.

Read the full plan here

WA Screen Workforce Development Strategy 2026–2034

In September, the Western Australian Government released its WA Screen Workforce Development Strategy 2026–2034, which aims to leverage favourable global conditions to accelerate growth in WA’s screen industry, attract investment, foster business growth and create quality local jobs.

The strategy recognises that growth in the screen industry cannot occur without a skilled and available workforce. It focuses on building the industry’s capacity to deliver improved outcomes across multiple sectors, including film, Subscription Video on Demand, television, digital games, post-production, animation, visual effects and emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality.

The strategy also focuses on creating career pathways and building industry capacity by leveraging the state’s tertiary and VET ecosystem to support students in developing the technical, creative and leadership skills needed by the screen industry.

Furthermore, the strategy aims to build and retain an inclusive and diverse workforce for WA’s screen industry through robust education and training strategies implemented in phases.

Read the full strategy here

Northern Economic Plan: Unlocking Northern Tasmania’s Potential – Summary

On 20 September, the Tasmanian Government released its Northern Economic Plan: Unlocking Northern Tasmania’s Potential in response to the Northern Tasmania Economic Summit, which brought together 100 leaders from across Tasmania.

The plan seeks to position Northern Tasmania as Australia’s leading regional economy: a place where businesses invest with confidence, industries grow, innovation thrives and more people choose to live, work, study and raise a family.

According to the plan, Northern Tasmania will be:

• A hub for investment and enterprise, building on the region’s strengths to attract new businesses, industries and opportunities.
• A destination to visit and invest, attracting visitors, businesses, talent and new ideas from across Australia and around the world.
• A leader in innovation, supporting the industries, technologies and entrepreneurs that will shape the future economy.
• A place where young Tasmanians can build a future, with access to jobs, housing, education and opportunities close to home.

Access the full plan here

Skills NT Plan 2026–2029

On 21 September, the Northern Territory Government released its Skills NT Plan 2026–2029, which commits to working in partnership with industry, apprentices, students, RTOs and businesses to rebuild the Territory’s economy and create more opportunities for Territorians through a larger, more skilled workforce.

The plan will support further investment and workforce development across key priority industries, including energy, defence, agriculture, tourism and hospitality, gas and mining.

It also seeks to strengthen the VET sector, improve training quality and completion rates, and ensure training aligns with the workforce needs of the economy. The plan aims to support industry growth by delivering skills in priority areas and creating stronger career pathways for young Territorians.

It also aims to create more opportunities for young people to commence an apprenticeship or traineeship while completing their schooling, equipping them with practical skills, qualifications and a pathway into a career.

Access the full plan here

Visual Summary: Cultural and Creative Activity in Australia, 2015–16 to 2024–25

On 21 September, the Australian Government released its Visual Summary: Cultural and Creative Activity in Australia, 2015–16 to 2024–25, which provides estimates of the economic contribution of cultural and creative activity in Australia.

The report highlights the following key findings:

• New estimates show that cultural and creative activity contributed $47.8 billion to GDP in 2015–16.
• By 2024–25, this contribution had increased to $70.3 billion, a rise of $22.5 billion, or 47%.
• While cultural and creative activity grew in absolute terms, its share of GDP declined by 0.3 percentage points, from 2.9% in 2015–16 to 2.5% in 2024–25.
• This growth included a $21.4 billion increase in cultural and creative gross value added (GVA) between 2015–16 and 2024–25, primarily driven by the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry, which recorded an increase of $11.7 billion.
• Cultural and creative activity accounted for 2.6% of the economy’s GVA in 2024–25, comparable to the size of the Accommodation and Food Services industry.

Access the full report here

NSW Small Business Insights paper: A story of diversity and dynamism

On 1 October, the NSW Small Business Commissioner released its report, NSW Small Business Insights paper: A story of diversity and dynamism, to coincide with Small Business Month.

The report shows that small businesses account for 97% of all businesses in NSW and employ around 1.7 million people.

A snapshot of the sector from the report highlights the following:

• There are 893,000 small businesses in NSW, representing 97% of all NSW businesses, up from 870,000 the previous year (+2.6%).
• NSW small businesses generate $570.6 billion in annual sales and service income.
• 35% of NSW small business operators were born overseas.
• NSW small businesses employ 1.7 million people, representing around 40% of the state’s private sector workforce.
• 66% of NSW small business owners are men and 34% are women.
• 29% of NSW small business operators live outside Greater Sydney.
• NSW small businesses pay $80.8 billion in wages and salaries to employees each year.
• 63% of NSW small businesses are non-employing.

Access the full report here

WA Night-Time Economy Strategy

On 6 October, the WA Government released its Night-Time Economy Strategy, a statewide, whole-of-government framework to guide how night-time activity is supported, enabled and coordinated in WA.

The night-time economy sits at the intersection of tourism, hospitality, culture, sport, creative industries and community life, all of which are priorities underpinning the Government’s broader agenda, including Diversify WA and the WA Visitor Economy Strategy 2033.

Of particular interest to SaCSA, one of the strategy’s pillars focuses on supporting the night-time workforce, including:

• Ensuring the night-time economy has an available, capable and world-class workforce with the right skills to support multiple sectors, including hospitality, entertainment and events.
• Ensuring appropriate infrastructure and services are in place to support this workforce.
• Exploring workforce requirements and ways to source additional workers, while collaborating with industry, education and vocational training providers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the workforce pipeline.
• Developing targeted employment programs and promoting night-time employment as a career.
• Exploring the needs of the night-time workforce in relation to access to safe, reliable and affordable services, as well as mental health and wellbeing.

Read the full strategy here

ATIC – Domestic Tourism Statistics Results – June Quarter 2026

On 8 October, Tourism Research Australia released its latest Domestic Tourism Statistics Results for the June Quarter 2026, providing data on how Australian residents travel within Australia.

According to the report, the June Quarter 2026 recorded:

• Overnight spend of $25.7 billion (up 2% on 2025).
• 1 million overnight trips (down 2% on 2025).
• 89 million nights (down 2% on 2025).

The report also shows that, for the year ending June 2026:

• Overnight spend reached $108.1 billion (unchanged from 2025).
• Overnight trips totalled 112.5 million (unchanged from 2025).
• Nights totalled 380.2 million (unchanged from 2025).

The quarter recorded mixed results across its three months, with April 2026 down on the same period in the previous year, likely due to the impacts on fuel prices and availability caused by the Middle East conflict.

Access the results here

ATIC – International Visitor Survey Results – June Quarter 2026

On 8 October, Tourism Research Australia also released its latest International Visitor Survey Results for the June Quarter 2026, providing statistics on how international visitors travel within Australia.

According to the report, the June Quarter 2026 recorded:

• Spend in Australia of $7.1 billion (down 6% on the June Quarter 2025).
• 7 million trips (down 2% on the June Quarter 2025).
• 1 million nights spent in Australia (down 11% on the June Quarter 2025).
• Total trip spend of $10 billion (down 6% on the June Quarter 2025).

The report also shows that, for the year ending June 2026:

• Spend in Australia reached $40.5 billion (up 16% on 2025).
• Trips totalled 8.4 million (up 9% on 2025).
• Nights spent in Australia totalled 314.9 million (up 5% on 2025).
• Total trip spend reached $57 billion (up 12% on 2025).

The report indicates that the decline in spending was primarily driven by travel to visit friends and relatives (down 23%, or $290 million) and travel for education-related purposes (down 8%, or $184 million).

Access the results here

WA Business Events Strategy 2026–2030

On 9 October, the WA Government, together with Tourism WA and Business Events Perth, released the Western Australia Business Events Strategy 2026–2030, which aims to supercharge WA’s $1.7 billion business events industry.

According to the strategy, business events provide a timely reason to visit WA, attracting international and domestic business travellers and delivering significant economic and social benefits for the state.

The strategy highlights that, during the 2025–26 financial year, Business Events Perth secured hundreds of national and international events, with delegates expected to account for more than 320,000 hotel room nights in WA through to 2030. These events are expected to generate more than $394.9 million in direct delegate expenditure for WA’s visitor economy.

By attracting conferences, incentives, exhibitions and meetings aligned with WA’s key industries, the state can foster connections, facilitate knowledge exchange and strengthen its global reputation as a strategic hub for business opportunities.

Read the full strategy here

JSA – NSA Outcomes Framework Balanced Scorecard

On 28 August, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) released the National Skills Agreement Outcomes Framework Balanced Scorecard Baseline Report, the first report of its kind for Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) system.

The Balanced Scorecard establishes a nationally consistent approach to measuring the performance of the VET system against outcomes agreed under the National Skills Agreement (NSA). It provides governments, industry and the community with a shared, evidence-based view of how Australia’s VET system is performing across a range of population and system outcomes.

The Balanced Scorecard provides a baseline assessment of system performance across key areas of the VET system, including:

• Productivity and workforce outcomes
• Labour supply and skills shortages
• Industry, employer and student needs
• Responsive and high-quality training delivery
• Outcomes for priority cohorts, including First Nations learners
• Wellbeing, inclusion and resilience
• Collaborative and sustainable system stewardship

Access the full report here

JSA – Vacancy Report – August 2026 – Snapshot

On 23 September, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) released its latest Vacancy Report for August 2026, a monthly data series measuring online job advertisements from the SEEK, CareerOne and Workforce Australia job boards.

The report shows that job advertisements increased by 0.3% nationally in August. Results continue to demonstrate unexpected resilience in the face of broader economic challenges, with advertisement numbers increasing in eight of the past 12 months.

Key highlights from the report include:

• Job advertisement numbers remain elevated, with around 25% more advertisements in the labour market than the monthly average for 2019.
• Over the year to August 2026, online job advertisements increased by 4.8%.
• Recruitment activity increased across six states and territories during the month.
• Job advertisements increased across three skill level groups during the month.
• Advertisements increased across six major occupation groups during the month.
• Recruitment activity was concentrated in metropolitan Australia, with 70% of job advertisements in August 2026 located in Australia’s capital cities.
• Over the past 12 months, job advertisements increased in regional areas (up 2.5%), while capital cities recorded a decrease of 0.3%.

Access the full report here

JSA – Recent trends for displaced workers in Australia

On 29 September, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) released its paper titled Recent trends for displaced workers in Australia, which examines how worker displacement in Australia has changed over the past decade, who is most affected and which workers experience stronger or weaker outcomes following displacement.

The report takes stock of worker displacement to help policymakers and industry better target support and monitor future trends.

Key findings include:

• Worker displacement declined between 2015 and 2025, alongside a strengthening labour market.
• Displacement became less concentrated in mining, manufacturing and construction, shifting towards professional and managerial occupations.
• Major metropolitan areas accounted for a growing share of displacement, but these larger labour markets offer broader re-employment and career transition opportunities.
• Post-displacement outcomes have improved but remain uneven, with earnings losses persisting.
• Insolvency-related displacement is increasing, exposing potential gaps in protection.

Access the full report here

JSA – Systems at work: Trends in adult learning and outcomes

On 6 October, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) released its paper titled Systems at work: Trends in adult learning and outcomes, which provides an analysis of the current state of adult learning participation and key trends.

The paper focuses on participation and performance across Australia’s adult learning systems at the national level.

It notes that adult learning is delivering improved skills and positive labour market outcomes for workers, employers and the economy where it occurs. However, there is a substantial gap between those who want to undertake learning and those who actually participate, while employer satisfaction with some forms of adult learning is declining.

The paper also highlights signs that a substantial and growing share of demand for adult learning is not being met, alongside declining employer satisfaction with both accredited and unaccredited training.

Access the full paper here

NCVER – Apprentices and trainees 2026: March quarter

On 15 September, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) released its report titled Apprentices and trainees 2026: March quarter, which presents data on apprenticeship and traineeship training contracts as at 31 March 2026.

According to the report, the number of active apprenticeship and traineeship contracts continued to decline nationally across both trade and non-trade occupations.

Key findings from the report include:

• As at 31 March 2026, there were 289,090 active (in-training) apprenticeship and traineeship contracts, with almost three-quarters in trade occupations.
• Total in-training contracts decreased by 9% compared with the March quarter 2025, including:
  • Trade contracts decreased by 5.6% (down 12,880).
  • Non-trade contracts decreased by 17.6% (down 15,585).
• Fluctuations in trade commencements tend to coincide with labour market demand, business conditions and changes to government incentives.

Access the full report here

NCVER – VET qualification completion rates 2025

On 29 September, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) released its report titled VET qualification completion rates 2025, which provides data and insights into the proportion of students who complete nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET) qualifications.

According to the report, the completion rate after four years for all nationally recognised qualifications commenced in 2021 was 48.9%, down from 49.5% for those commenced in 2020, but higher than the rates recorded in the preceding four years.

The report also shows that VET qualification completion rates have been increasing year on year for students in South Australia and Western Australia. Completion rates for students living in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory are currently at their highest levels since NCVER’s current completion rate reporting coverage began in 2016.

However, declines in completion rates were observed in Victoria and, to a lesser extent, New South Wales and Queensland.

Access the full report here

 

We encourage our stakeholders to delve deeper into these reports and strategies to understand their potential impact and leverage them in planning and decision-making. As always, we remain committed to supporting a vibrant and sustainable workforce across all industries.

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Author: Shane Kocass, Policy and Government Relations Adviser at SaCSA, analyses government policies, fosters meaningful engagement with government stakeholders, and assists in navigating the complex policy landscape to drive impactful outcomes.