Australia’s first National AI Skills Forum concluded in Canberra yesterday, with more than 250 leaders from government, industry, unions, education and the technology sector focused on a $116 billion question: whether Australia can build the workforce capability needed to capture the economic benefit of AI.  

The two-day Forum, presented by Future Skills Organisation (FSO) and the National AI Centre, featured more than 40 speakers, including leading economists, employer and union representatives, major technology partners, representatives from the education and training sector, government leaders and international experts. MC’d by journalist and broadcaster Ellen Fanning, the Forum explored the practical challenges of AI adoption, workforce transformation, and the collective action required to build an AI-ready workforce and skills system.  

The Forum showcased both the scale of the opportunity and the challenges Australia must address to build AI capability across work, learning and life. Discussions highlighted that AI is about far more than learning to use a new technology, and training must build capability and confidence, not simply technical skills.   

The Hon. Andrew Giles MP, Minister for Skills and Training opened the Forum with a call to action to leaders across all sectors and industries, saying Australians must be equipped with the skills and lifelong learning opportunities needed to thrive in an AI-enabled economy.  

“FSO is already helping to show what that can look like in practice. The FSO Skills Accelerator–AI brings industry and the VET sector together to expand access to AI skills for learners, educators and administrators.  The Digital Knowledge Exchange takes the same collaborative approach across jurisdictions. FSO is also developing generalist and specialist digital and AI units of competency and examining the barriers that smaller employers and different groups of workers face when adopting AI,” Minister Giles said.  

In a recorded keynote to the Forum, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson said the decisions being made now would shape who benefits from AI and whether people are included in what comes next.   

“I genuinely believe Australia could become one of the first countries in the world to demonstrate that AI adoption and economic inclusion are not competing goals,” Sir Richard said.  

Dr Michael Fung, Executive Director of the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, also delivered a keynote, challenging leaders at the intersection of AI skills, work and education to build “skills ecosystems that are far more flexible, agile, and responsive to the changing needs of our industries and societies”.   

His visit culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between FSO and the Institute for the Future of Education, establishing a research and knowledge-sharing partnership focused on understanding how AI is reshaping entry-level and early-career work, and identifying practical responses to emerging workforce challenges.  

The Forum also heard international and local perspectives on the future of work, economic growth and education transformation, including insights from Stijn Broecke of the OECD on global workforce trends, economist Chris Richardson on AI’s impact on work and growth, and Professor Martin Bean on preparing education and skills systems for rapid technological change.  

Forum showcases a national effort to build AI capability 

Across the Forum’s two days, delegates heard practical examples of innovation already underway in education, training and industry. These initiatives demonstrated how AI can help educators teach more effectively, support learners in new ways, and address longstanding challenges in workforce development and skills delivery.  

A centrepiece of the Forum was the launch of Skills Accelerator-AI 2.0, a national community designed to accelerate the sharing and adoption of AI capability across the education and training sector. Over the past 12 months, the Accelerator has grown from just 12 partners to a community of more than 1,600 individuals and more than 600 organisations. The next phase will focus on connecting people, scaling proven approaches, and enabling organisations to learn from each other as Australia builds the workforce capability needed to thrive in an AI-enabled future.  

Forum delegates heard that nationally recognised Digital Capability and AI Units of Competency are close to being submitted for endorsement consideration and, if endorsed, would provide a common language for AI capability, and a foundation for learning, assessment and workforce development initiatives that can be adopted and scaled nationally.  

FSO CEO Patrick Kidd OBE OAM said the Forum had demonstrated strong appetite for practical action on AI capability.  

“Australia starts from a position of strength, with strong training institutions, innovative employers, active unions and world-class researchers. Future Skills Organisation and our partners are one part of that picture. The National AI Skills Forum has brought those perspectives together to share what’s working, explore emerging challenges and identify practical actions to accelerate AI capability development across Australia,” Mr Kidd said.  

“While there is uncertainty about how AI will evolve, there is no uncertainty that it is already changing the way we work, learn and live. We need to accelerate our efforts to ensure Australians have the capability, confidence and judgement to harness AI’s potential, not just the technical skills to access it.”  

Building capability at scale

National AI Centre Executive Director Lee Hickin said workforce capability and responsible adoption must advance together.  

“The conversations over the past two days reinforced that AI adoption is a team sport, requiring industry, government, educators and training providers to work together to move beyond experimentation and into practical implementation. The National AI Centre is committed to partnering with industry to build capability, accelerate adoption, and ensure organisations have the skills, leadership and systems needed to realise the productivity and growth benefits of AI across the Australian economy.”  

Closing the Forum  

The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations closed the Forum, linking the two days of discussion to the tripartite AI Employment and Workplaces Forum she has convened, which brings together government, unions and employers on how AI is adopted in Australian workplaces.  

“This is not a challenge that government, industry, employers, unions or the education and training sector can solve alone. It requires genuine partnership, shared commitment and coordinated action,” Minister Rishworth said.  

“The question about AI adoption is no longer if or when, but how.”