Page 10 - Climate Control News Oct-Nov 2020

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Contractors fear a hasty implementation may diminish standards.
Trades suffering due to VET bias
LOW WAGES AND a lengthy, inflexible training structure deter potential workers se- lecting a trade, according to the Productivity Commission’s recently released Green Paper.
“Despite many reviews of VET in the past decade, few reforms have modernised learn- ing modes, career pathways, or VET’’s rela- tionship with industry. The bias against VET is still strong, with universities seen as the de- fault pathway, especially for high school grad- uates,” the report said.
The paper points out that COVID-19 has displaced thousands of workers and acceler- ated structural changes to the economy.
Many jobs will not return, requiring work- ers to reskill or upskill. “Poorly targeted subsi- dies have encouraged many students to enrol in courses of low value to employers and stu- dents. The mismatch between skills delivered by VET and industry needs has further con- tributed to poor employment outcomes,” the report said.
Even in the face of this bias, TAFE has provided a $92.5 billion benefit to the Australian economy.
A new report by the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute, shows TAFE has produced $84.9 billion in annual productivity benefits, including $25 billion in tax revenue.
It has also produced $6.1 billion in wages supporting 48,000 jobs and purchasing of goods and services and $1.5 billion in social benefits including lower unemployment.
The total annual costs of the TAFE system are $5.7 billion.
"Historic investment in quality TAFE edu- cation supports an ongoing flow of total eco- nomic benefits worth $92.5 billion to the Aus- tralian economy in 2019 - 16 times greater than the annual 'maintenance' costs Austral- ia currently reinvests in the TAFE system," the report said.
Contractors fear licensing timeline rushed
THE AUSTRALIAN MECHANICAL Contrac- tors' Association (AMCA) has raised concerns about the ambitious timeframe proposed by the federal government for occupational licensing.
Federal Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, has announced plans to introduce a national framework for occupational licensing from January 1, 2021.
While AMCA has welcomed plans to better rec- ognise trade practitioners across jurisdictions, the industry body has also called on governments at all levels not to rush the implementation.
AMCA CEO, Scott Williams, said any move by government to reduce red tape and lower the costs of doing business should be applauded.
“But, we caution against a hasty implementa- tion that would diminish quality standards and put the health and safety of building occupants at risk,” Williams said.
Currently, registration and licensing require- ments vary significantly across jurisdictions, with some scopes of work entirely unregulated, while others are subject to strict requirements that reflect their level of specialisation.
“Even in jurisdictions where trade disci- plines—for example, mechanical services, plumbing and refrigerated air conditioning— share similar scopes of work, the qualifica- tion and experience requirements are differ- ent,” he said.
“As a result, the specific competencies of trade
RIGHT: Federal Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, is keen to cut red tape.
practitioners oper-
ating in different
states and territo-
ries can vary signifi-
cantly, despite the
fact that the scope of work appears to be the same.
“The AMCA supports, in principle, the move towards a national framework that would allow individuals who hold an occupational licence in one jurisdiction to undertake equivalent work in another jurisdiction under that licence.
“But we are concerned with the ambitious, 1 January 2021, timeframe, as it doesn’t pro- vide much time to work through all neces- sary considerations.”
Williams said previous attempts towards na- tional occupational licensing failed because of an inclination towards the recognition of lower standards of competency.”
“Given the concerns raised about building quality in the Building Confidence Report, it is critical that a uniform scheme of recognition is complimentary with achieving better quality outcomes in the building industry,” he said. ✺
VET bias is still strong.
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