Increased funding support for TasTAFE is the solution to Tasmania’s shortage of skilled tradespeople.
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That is according to key industry stakeholders, who believe the blame for the state’s worsening apprenticeship crisis can be laid at the feet of the management of the vocational education sector.
University of Tasmania Professor Ian Hay said governments at all levels have failed to prioritise TasTAFE or vocational education in general, which has led to the declining numbers of students.
“Part of the problem is TAFE still hasn’t settled down, there’s been a number of attempts to settle it down and it still hasn’t quite evolved,” Professor Hay said.
“I think TAFE is still trying to work out where it all fits within the new parameters of education in Australia.”
The Examiner will be investigating the role TasTAFE has to play in Tasmania’s new education landscape in its new campaign Pick up the Tools.
The campaign aims to lobby for a clear state and federal funding agreement for the vocational education sector and shed light on the positive role TasTAFE has to play in the state’s trade industry.
Quarterly data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research from June showed Tasmania’s trade apprenticeships were down 4.6 per cent from 2016, but non-trades had risen 12.7 per cent.
NCVER reports there are 7575 people in Tasmania in vocational education. That is down 2.9 per cent from September 2016. From 2013-2017 there has been a 16 per cent reduction in vocational training commencements from 5745 to 4805. Of those 4805 who started vocational education training in 2017, 2345 of those withdrew or cancelled their training. About 3135 completed their training.
Tim Mead, from North-West construction company Mead Con, said while he believed TasTAFE did a good job with what they had, more support was needed.
“I think TasTAFE does a great job, but people don’t seem to rate trades much...we need to change the conversations we are having in the community,” he said.
Mr Mead is the chief executive at Mead Con, but is also chairman of the education and training committee of Master Builders Australia.
He said there was a lack of links between education and industry that had directly led to the jobs shortfall.
“The industry has played a part, it’s really hard to get on site these days, but it is also really hard to find the right person for the job.”
The national partnership agreement, which underpins the federal government’s commitment to VET, expired in June 2017. Tasmania is yet to sign up to its replacement, the Skilling Australians Fund, which was announced in March. No state has signed up to the new agreement.
Tasmanian Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff has outlined that TasTAFE can expect to receive 70 per cent of the Tasmanian training budget in the next term of government.
However, it has historically received federal funding support to maintain its courses in a competitive environment.
Mr Rockliff said Tasmania would look to sign up to the Skilling Australians Fund if the state was “getting a good deal.”
He said discussions with his federal counterparts are ongoing.
The state government has also committed to providing payroll tax relief for employers who employ apprentices.
The scheme will be extended until 2021 and is intended to fill skills shortages in the building and construction, tourism, and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Mr Mead said finding skilled workers, or those who understood the requirements of the job in this climate was nearly impossible.
“We get a lot of people who apply for apprentices who don’t have experience in the industry...it is a real gamble for the employer.”
Professor Hay said the reality was TasTAFE did have a purpose and it was important all levels of government recognised that.
“Tasmania is a rural state, we are required to have a full range of services, including trades, and we have to manage that growth.”
He said there was a sense among those in the sector that TasTAFE hadn’t come to full fruition and wasn’t working as effectively as it needed to be.
“The general funding of TAFE [nationally] is under a cloud so it’s growth is a bit ambiguous,” he said.
“We shouldn’t see this as a need to replace TAFE,” Professor Hay said. “The reality is TAFE does have a purpose.”
- Pick Up the Tools will run for a month from April 7. If you have any profile stories or news tips contact caitlin.jarvis@fairfaxmedia.com.au