EARLIER THIS YEAR
I was invited by
Minister for Industry Ian Macfarlane to
join a five member Vocational Education
and Training (VET) Advisory Board that
will provide direct feedback to the
government as it embarks on important
reforms for the national VET sector.
The minister declared that the
establishment of the Advisory Board will
strengthen links between industry and
the skills sector. AMMA’s representation
as the peak national resource industry
employer group reflects the extensive
role our industry continues to play in the
creation of employment and upskilling
opportunities for Australians.
The resource industry invests more
than $1.1 billion annually in the training
and skills development of apprentices,
trainees, existing employees and those
transferring from other sectors.
However, now we are at a critical
junction. Our industry is making a transition
from an unprecedented construction phase
to a period of heightened production and
export activities that can fuel our economy
for the long-term.
To underpin this activity, our industry’s
evolving skills demands must effectively
be met. Our workforces should be nothing
short of the most skilled and productive
in the world; demonstrating to the
international investment community that
Australia is the leading destination for
projects to be developed and operated by
world-class talent.
For these reasons, it is essential that the
resource industry’s priorities are at the
forefront of policy development and that
the national VET system is truly responsive
to the needs of employers, employees
and jobseekers.
My fellow Advisory Board members
and I are tasked with addressing five
VET REFORM: SKILLING
for the long haul
As a member of the five-person advisory board leading the Australian Government’s
reform of vocational education and training (VET), AMMA executive director Tara
Diamond discusses how the skills needs of the resource industry will be represented.
overarching reform areas including
options to create stability and practicality
in regulation, setting an approach to the
review of VET standards, developing
a plan for international VET, providing
direction to the development of training
packages and advising an approach to
apprenticeship harmonisation.
It is on this last point that I especially
intend to emphasise as a key priority for the
Advisory Board and the VET reform process.
AMMA’s engagement with our member
companies overwhelmingly indicates that
the trade apprenticeship system is not as
effective as it could be.
This fragmented system sees employers
forced to devote valuable resources to
navigate wages, conditions, registration
and qualification requirements that are
inconsistent from state-to-state.
This makes it incredibly difficult and
sometimes commercially unviable
to efficiently source and transfer
apprentices and trainees to locations
where they are needed and will gain
valuable vocational experience.
For an industry that relies on the
mobility of its labour, encouraging and
facilitating the movement of apprentices
to areas where there are skills demands
should not be stifled by bureaucracy.
This advisory process also provides the
opportunity to shine a light on the unique
needs of emerging sectors.
The $200 billion natural gas sector is
driving much of the evolution of skills
in this country, yet unlike our North
American counterparts that have a long-
established gas industry, Australia is
experiencing persistent shortages in key
occupational groups and skill levels, such
as mid-tier drillers.
Individual employers should be
commended for the leading in-house
training programs that upskill existing
employees and draw on other trade
groups to ensure their projects are
adequately skilled.
However, we must also ensure a
national VET framework supports the
availability of trainers and training facilities
for Australians who desire to become
qualified in an in-demand trade that will
lead to employment outcomes.
Continued engagement with AMMA
members will remain vital as the
Advisory Board prepares to provide
feedback to the Australian Government’s
VET Reform Taskforce.
The effectiveness of workforce skills
development is reflected in the resource
industry’s success. As the global
environment becomes more competitive,
employers should be thoroughly
supported by a flexible and competitive
national training system.
RP
Tara Diamond
SUMMER 2014-15 RESOURCE
PEOPLE
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TRAINING
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