Inform: Access Skills Frontier’s insights into the future of skills

The Skills Brief Weekly Newsletter (Free)

The Skills Brief is your go-to weekly round up of the topics shaping Australia’s skills policy environment, and how they fit into the broader policy strategic context.

Join executives, leaders, board members and Commissioners across the globe that make up our readership.

Latest Skills in Brief
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The (Very Brief) Briefing Note
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Services that inform

  • A woman speaking at a podium during a conference, with audience members in front of her, in a dark room with black curtains.

    Keynote Speeches

    Hear from our skills experts on topics to inspire your audience.

    Topics include:

    - Future of skills

    - Influencing and shaping skills policy

    - Government engagement that lasts

    - Global insights

    - Skills strategies that work

    Lock in a keynote speech
  • A Board meeting with then Skills Minister Doug Cameron, men are standing in the background and four people sitting at the table, including Lauren

    Executive Briefings and Board Presentations

    Breaking Policy and Political Matters:

    - Unpacking policy announcements

    - Opportunities aligned to new policy

    - Incoming government briefs 

    Big Picture Skills Map:

    - What are the critical policy that Boards and Leadership Teams should be across

    - Critical dates and upcoming milestones to map engagement activities to

    Book an executive briefing
  • Lauren standing with two leaders in a carpentry workshop

    Skills Strategy Snapshot

    Unlock tailored strategic insights and map your market in just 10 days:

    - Pinpoint risks, gaps and emerging opportunities

    - Get a clear view of your positioning and context

    - Receive practical next steps aligned with policy and funding trends

    - Fast, virtual and designed to lighten your load - not add to it.

    get ahead of the market

  • “You (Lauren) are one of the best public affairs professionals I have ever had dealings with.”

    Rt Hon. Robert Halfon, Former UK Skills Minister and Chair of the Education Select Committee, UK Parliament

  • “Lauren is an exceptional leader …and applies her knowledge to achieve exceptional results.”

    Michael Wentworth, Managing Director at Apprenticeships Are Us Limited

  • “Your engagement with global skills leaders … demonstrates your strong interest and ability to bring global insights”

    Dr Mandy Crawford-Lee, University Awards Council Chief Executive, England

  • “Lauren's vision and passion for excellence in training has been very refreshing and most welcome from an industry perspective.”

    Larry Moore, Executive Officer of NECA SA

  • “A gifted communicator and industry thought leader … Her endearing character and political savvy culminated to build strong relationships across Government delivering a robust advocacy platform.”

    John Liddicoat, former Chair of the National Apprentice Employment Network

  • “(Lauren) has demonstrated the ability to effectively engage stakeholders and lobby government, delivered articulate keynote speeches at large corporate events, and lead industry expert panel discussions.”

    Skills Sector Leader

  • ”I found Lauren to be an outstanding communicator, both when she was explaining to me the complexities of the apprenticeship network and vocational education, and when she was acting as a panellist.”

    Manufacturing Industry Representative

  • “Lauren is one of those people who just stand out. Proactive, smart, hard working and great at connecting with key people in her professional networks. She always seemed tireless in her commitment to go that extra mile.”

    Nigel McBride, former Chief Executive of the South Australian Chamber of Commerce

  • “One of her key strengths has been her ability to easily engage with people from all walks of life, from Politicians, Ministers, bureaucrats and employers to apprentices and trainees.”

    Michael Boyce OAM, former Chair of the South Australian Skills Commission and former Board Member of TAFE SA

  • "Her personal Vocational Education and Training story is inspiring, as are her career and academic achievements to date."

    Skills Sector Leader

Research: Unpack and build evidence to support a project, query or strategy

Global and National Best Practice Reviews

We have global networks and experience that give us unique insights into skills strategies and programs, what works and what learnings have occurred.

We draw on our extensive network of global partners we have worked with or for, including the Association of Colleges (UK), The Chartered Institute for Further Education (UK), the Australian Consulate (UK), the National Centre for Degree Apprenticeships (US).

Handwritten notes on a large sheet of paper titled 'Training in Industry,' discussing skills, funding, and challenges in vocational education with highlighted notes.
Panel discussion at a conference with a speaker at a podium and five panelists seated on stage, in front of an audience, with a large digital screen displaying 'Reimagining Our Economic Powerhouses' in the background.

  • Quantitative and Qualitative Research

    We specialise in strategically important and emerging skills, including AUKUS, welding, digital, degree apprenticeships, construction.

    Explore
    Business professionals at a conference table in a meeting room, engaging in discussion.

  • Stakeholder Engagement

    Our best work is built on coalitions of support, engaging with all aspects of the sector to secure success.

    Engage
    Three men in an office, one writing on a large sheet of paper on the wall, two observing, near a window with a view outside.

  • Desktop Scans

    We read everything that comes out about the future of skills in Australia. We know where to look to get you the latest and most robust insights.

    Analyse
    Close-up of a woman with short brown hair smiling at the camera, in an office with computers and a window showing trees outside.
Low-angle view of a modern high-rise building with a construction crane extending overhead against a cloudy sky. Text on the image reads 'Building the UK of the Future' along with logos of The Chartered Institution for Further Education and St. Modwen.

Case study:
Housebuilding in the UK

Construction Workforce Supply in Post-Brexit UK (for the Chartered Institution for Further Education)

We conducted a UK-wide research project to understand and address the future skills shortage in housebuilding post-Brexit. Through literature review, stakeholder engagement, and evidence sessions with industry leaders, we identified innovative pathways to expand and diversify the workforce. Our findings helped shape workforce policy and collaboration models between government, training providers and industry.

A military submarine surfacing in the ocean near a distant shoreline under cloudy skies.

Case study:
TAFE Capacity and Readiness for AUKUS NPS

AUKUS Nuclear-Powered Submarine Workforce Readiness (for Jobs and Skills Australia)

Skills Frontier (formerly Conceicao Consulting) led a national project assessing TAFEs’ readiness to support the AUKUS submarine workforce. We used desktop research, stakeholder consultations, and sector analysis to map capability, gaps, and opportunities across Australia's TAFE network. Our work provided government and industry with clear insights on aligning training capacity with defence workforce needs.

Advise: Supporting leaders to set solid vision

Advisory services

At Skills Frontier, we provide trusted, strategic guidance to executive leadership teams navigating today’s fast-moving and high-stakes landscape. Our advisory service is not about handing over a report – it's about standing alongside you, helping you think clearly, plan confidently, and act with purpose in the face of economic, political, and workforce uncertainty.

Strategic Planning

Supporting leadership teams and boards plan for the next frontier.

At Skills Frontier, we deliver strategic planning that aligns organisational operations, systems, people and investments to future-state ambition and measurable outcomes.

Our approach integrates political, policy, economic and social context, ensuring leadership teams make informed decisions with a clear understanding of their operating environment.

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Two women smiling and standing indoors in front of a framed picture. One woman has dark hair, and the other is wearing glasses and has light hair tied back. They are dressed in professional attire.