Page 13 - MTAA 2019 Federal Election Requirements FINAL MST_opt
P. 13

▪  The present system is based on incentives for businesses to hire
               specific candidates, usually those facing employment barriers. The
               automotive industry argues that the system should be broadened
               to encourage employers to engage across a much broader
               spectrum of candidates. This would improve retention rates and
               levels of employment diversity across the industry.

           ▪  Incentives should also be structured to encourage employers to
               retain and invest in their apprentices, as opposed to one-off
               payments for placement.

           ▪  The automotive sector is disappointed at the extent of inconsistent
               relations and disconnects in some jurisdictions with the TAFE
               sector and insists that Government spending must be a long term
               balance between public, industry and private providers.

        RECOGNITION OF AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY AND SURETY IN FUNDING

           ▪  The swing of the ‘funding pendulum’ between public and private
               providers, often ignoring the unique role of industry training
               providers, must stop. Better balance, recognition and surety in
               longer term funding will allow long term strategic planning,
               program delivery, investment for new technologies and delivery of
               improved employment outcomes.

           ▪  The industry is calling for a skills framework that genuinely places
               industry at the centre of the national vocational education and
               training (VET) system. This should include skills advisory council
               with the commensurate knowledge, affinity and understanding of
               the industry needed to inform the development of VET programs.
           ▪  This function has often been outsourced to consultants who have a
               superficial understanding of the automotive industry, which
               subsequently affects the efficacy and quality of the training
               developed and ultimately offered.

           ▪  It is essential the TAFE sector actively engages with industry. TAFE
               and industry engagement was higher two decades ago, but has
               been declining ever since. Industry argues that TAFE institutions
               should have key performance indicators (KPIs) associated with
               their level of engagement with industry.

                                                                12 | P a g e
   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18