The "Jobs and Skills" summit

being held in the nation's capital today and tomorrow would appear to be nothing more than one of those glorious "feel good talk-fests". 

I have just read the agenda for the two days. It begins with "light breakfasts" for those who are apparently incapable of finding their own. For goodness' sake these are supposed to be high level union and business people and they can't get their own breakfast at their place of accommodation? Yes, some will of course but it would be interesting to know who puts their hand out for a "free" breakfast...and how much they consume at it. 

And then the agenda is filled with what might be termed "the usual topics".  Things like "equal pay" and "growth in productivity" and "wage growth" and "enterprise bargaining" all appear on day one - along with the inevitable "clean energy and tacking climate change" - forty-five minutes are being devoted to that but only thirty to current skill needs. There are a further forty-five minutes to discuss future skill needs on day two. Migration in relation to the labour market is also considered on day two. Changing attitudes, tackling discrimination, and "workforce participation" also appear on day two.

I am no expert but the emphasis seems wrong to me. If this "summit" is supposed to be about jobs and skills then it seems to me the concentration should be on current and likely future jobs and the skills which will be required to fill them. Many of the other issues, while important, are things that are ongoing. They will go on for years. There are no absolute or easy solutions to issues like "equal pay". It is one of those things which is fine in theory but is not always possible in practice. (And, it occurs to me, may be further confused in the current debate about gender.)

There are no easy answers to the skills which might be needed either. At least there though it is possible to suggest where the shortages will lie and question how the future workforce might be encouraged to take up those positions. To do that though surely the schools should also be involved? Of course there are already people working on these things but few of them were invited to attend.

So, what is the point of the "summit". It seems to me it is not a summit at all. A summit suggests something having been climbed. This is about most attendees remaining at sea level waiting for guides who won't arrive.

They can go home early on day two - the summit ends at 2:45pm.