Page 58 - Print21 July-August 2022

Associations
You spoke, we listened. One voice.
One industry. United, stronger, together.
Kellie Northwood, CEO-designate of the soon to merge PVCA and TRMC, shares the top three action items for the super-body that came as a result of engagement with the print community at PacPrint.
As we wrap up all
the activities, share presentations, collate the feedback summaries and more from PacPrint, there are three clear, consistent and immediate needs from members to the industry body, and as a united body we are committed to delivering on member requirements.
Throughout the week there were many conversations, a lot of follow up emails, healthy debates on what we should and shouldn’t focus on, how we can do more for each other and our customers. We looked at what will the next five years look like, and what will the next five years need to future-proof a sustainable industry.
We said we wanted to ensure the journey of the merger for TRMC and PVCA members to be one governed by members, and building your voice is key to this – that was the most important piece myself, the respective boards, and the team gained from PacPrint.
I want to thank each and every one of you who shared your ideas, feedback and general thoughts with us. They matter, and they are all helpful in gathering the voices from our industry to build a strong strategy and focus for you all to thrive and be fully supported by your industry body.
We are still continuing member and industry feedback, however, I wanted to start
the communication journey with you all and report the three most common ‘messages received’ from the week that was PacPrint.
1Skilled Labour
Requirement
Challenge:
The print and related services industry is facing a significant
Important projects being prioritised: Kellie Northwood
2Skills & Training Requirement
Challenge:Whilst immediate and urgent skilled labour supply shortage solutions are one thing, we need to focus longer term and how we can attract school leavers and the next generation of printers, binders, cutters, sign-writers and more into our industry. Our industry is currently recognised as carrying an ‘ageing workforce’,
a ‘male-dominated’ industry and experiencing ‘substantial international trade competition’.
With that in mind it has never been more important to build more skills, more interest and more engagement with our youth, and build strong career pathways into our industry at entry level and furthermore, advance our existing emerging talent streams.
With the National Skills Council recently removing five of seven of our apprenticeships from the Approved Apprentice Priority List (AAPL) we have
a fierce fight on our hands.
Being removed from the
AAPL means our members
and industry cannot secure government support funding across apprentice programmes, which is a significant blow to a local manufacturing industry experiencing recovery challenges from the global pandemic.
Throughout the entire PacPrint week printers called for programmes and access to incoming talent, as well as an improvement to the training standards across our industry.
Solution:
Leading up to PacPrint, and continuing, is the fight to have our apprenticeships reinstated on the AAPL. This is a fight
we have begun, and are now working directly with Minister O’Connor’s office, who has
skills shortage and labour supply across all of industry. Many printers spoke with me about shortages of skilled labour as being the greatest threat
to their business, above and beyond high energy prices and raw material price increases. This highlights the critical state our industry is facing.
We know the two highest cost imposts to print manufacture are labour and energy. With cost not being highlighted as the priority issue, rather availability of both of those critical business requirements, the industry
body must prioritise how we can secure an immediate solution for members across skills shortages and labour supply.
Solution:
Leading up to, accelerated through PacPrint, and in the weeks following, the PVCA and TRMC boards have escalated
commitment to a solution across skills shortages. Minister O’Neil (Home Affairs) and Minister O’Connor (Skills & Training) have been engaged and briefed across skills shortages for
our industry; international partnership alliances have been engaged; and a thorough policy draft has been written to assist members access an imported skills register. Additionally,
we have had several meetings with immigration lawyers, and two meetings with Minister O’Connor’s chief of staff, across how our industry can implement a labour agreement to support printers bringing in skilled labour outside of current Visa 482 or other scope. To that end, Charles Watson, GM – IR, Policy & Governance, is in the process of drafting our industry’s first labour agreement for submission into the Home Affairs Office in the coming weeks.
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