A drop in apprenticeship training in Tasmania has raised concerns for skill shortages long-term as the state navigates its way out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Statistics from the Premier's Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council report revealed there were 700 fewer apprentices or trainee training contracts undertaken between May and June than the same period in 2019.
Group training organisation KEEN Partners is one such organisation weighing the brunt of this shortfall.
Tasmania has a golden opportunity to take a step in changing the approach and truly create an environment that supports the growth of high-quality and innovative technical people. Indeed it will be critical if we want to become an advanced manufacturing powerhouse.
- Keen Partners chief executive Ray Mostogl
KEEN chief executive Ray Mostogl said uncertainty in the job market was a contributor to the number drop.
"The high commitment overall by employers to see new apprentices and trainees trained properly combines with this lack of confidence to know that there will actually be enough work across the full term of an apprenticeship or traineeship," he said.
The PESRAC report indicated that the only 200 apprentice and trainee contracts were registered in May, compared to more than 600 during that month in 2019.
Despite being down, contract registration has been on a slow upward turn since May after a downward spiral that coincides with the peak of coronavirus in Tasmania.
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Should training contract rates continue to drop in Tasmania, the prolonged workforce shortage would come at the detriment to Tasmania recovering financially from COVID-19.
Mr Mostogl said GTOs such as KEEN work to create a number of training opportunities within organisations to ensure groups of trainees and apprentices receive experience.
"We have apprentices, trainees and already qualified labour working across Kemp Engineering, Confab and CPT Engineering as an example and this gives them diverse experience," he said.
"But [it] also allows us to work with the peaks and troughs of the businesses involved."
Mr Mostogl said services that bridge the gap between businesses and employees were important at a time such as now.
"Tasmania has a golden opportunity to take a step in changing the approach and truly create an environment that supports the growth of high-quality and innovative technical people," Mr Mostogl said.
"Indeed it will be critical if we want to become an advanced manufacturing powerhouse."