The workforce development field faces profound impacts due to rapid changes in the job landscape, necessitating new skill requirements driven by technological advancements. However, there remains a gap in studying and understanding the interaction between government support, employers/union support, and the learner themselves to influence a positive outcome for employment and employability. Therefore, this study will utilise semi-structured interviews where participants will be divided into two main groups: workforce leaders, and workforce members (comprises workers, employees and job seekers). The actor-oriented approach reveals the roles of the various identified players in the employment and skill-upgrading landscape. The interviews were designed with open-ended questions to encourage discussion and elicit participants' descriptions and understandings, providing a more in-depth exploration of the topics. We use thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006) to interpret our data and develop our themes. These themes include employment, employability, lifelong learning, and workforce development perspectives. We discovered the dynamic interplay among stakeholders—each contributing to cultivating a skilled and adaptable workforce. This approach underscores the importance of government support, collaborative efforts, and individual empowerment in fostering lifelong learning and industry-specific skill development, aligning with workforce leaders' and members' priorities and expectations, ultimately enhancing employment and employability outcomes. © 2025 Peace and Conflict Studies. All rights reserved.
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