Aquaculture and Wild Catch Industry Reference Committee (IRC)

The Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) is pleased to call for nominations from suitably qualified and experienced individuals to be considered for the vacant organisational and individual industry expert positions on the Aquaculture and Wild Catch Industry Reference Committee (IRC) as listed in the table below.
Nominations close COB Tuesday 21 February 2017 and instructions on how to nominate are set out below.

The Aquaculture and Wild Catch IRC will have responsibility for supporting high quality training product development for the SFI Seafood Training Package that relates to various sectors listed below. The IRC would comprise of representatives with relevant expertise across the industry and sectors.

IRC Structure

The draft structure for the Aquaculture and Wild Catch IRC was published on this website on 2 December 2016, providing an opportunity for industry to comment on whether the structure would adequately represent the seafood, aquaculture and wild catch industry. The AISC welcomed the comments received from a range of stakeholders and there was general agreement that the structure was fit for purpose and should proceed to a call for nominations, with the addition of:

• An industry regulator position, reflecting the importance of fisheries compliance and environmental management in the sector (the need for a regulator was identified in initial consultation and the Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries NSW has declared an interest in filling this position)
• An employee representative position

It is proposed that:

• 6 positions are allocated to the following types of organisations:
  • One position would be open for nominations from any key associations across the seafood industry
  • One position would be open for nominations from organisations in the aquaculture sector
  • One position would be open for nominations from organisations in the wild catch fishing sector
  • One position would be open for nominations from organisations in the seafood processing and wholesaling sector
  • One position is allocated to an industry regulator – Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries NSW
  • One position is allocated to an employee representative
• 7 positions are allocated to individual experts in the following sectors:
  • Four positions would be open for nominations from individuals with expertise in the aquaculture sector
  • Two positions would be open for nominations from individuals with expertise in the wild catch fishing sector
  • One position would be open for nominations from individuals with expertise in the seafood processing and wholesaling sector

Note that Technical Advisory Groups will support the IRC on an as-needs basis. It is also proposed that relevant Industry Growth Centres and State Industry Training Authorities are able to participate as guests, and Registered Training Organisation expertise would be sought during training package development work as required.

Nomination process

The AISC is pleased to call for nominations from suitable individuals and organisations to fill the vacant positions on the Aquaculture and Wild Catch IRC as listed in the following table. Please note that where an organisation is listed in the IRC structure, that organisation will be invited directly to nominate personnel who will represent each organisation on the IRC.

The AISC is interested in each nominee’s:

• level of influence in their current role and how they are perceived in relation to industry-wide issues;
• capacity to consider current and future directions/influences for their industry and to relate those factors to workforce development and skills needs;
• capability to provide input directly, to seek input from others, and to represent a variety of circumstances in their industry.

In determining the final membership, the AISC will consider both the individual characteristics of nominees (as set out in their nomination) as well as the composition of each committee as a whole to ensure they are appropriate to the seafood, aquaculture and wild catch industry. For example, the Committee is looking not only for industry expertise, but also to ensure the IRC has an appropriate geographic and demographic balance.
While it may not be possible to include every person that may nominate to become an IRC representative it is important to remember that the Skills Service Organisation and each IRC will consult widely during the Training Package development process and be supported by Technical Advisory Committee members who may be consulted on technical and related specific industry information on an as-needs basis to support the decision-making of the committee.
Further information about the role of IRCs and how they will operate can be found on the Operating Framework page of the AISC website.

Nominations can be made via the nomination forms below. To assist the AISC in determining the membership for these IRCs, please use this attachment and provide information against the three criteria. This will help the AISC understand what you will bring to the IRC.

Once you have completed and saved the attachment, please email it to AISCsecretariat@education.gov.au, (including your most recent resume) by COB Tuesday 21 February 2017.

More information about the review process can be found on the IRC review page.

Aquaculture and Wild Catch IRC