THE State Government has announced a series of new training programs to tackle Western Australia’s chronic skills shortage, but most of the benefits are not expected to kick in for several years.
THE State Government has announced a series of new training programs to tackle Western Australia’s chronic skills shortage, but most of the benefits are not expected to kick in for several years.
The centrepiece of the plan is a $14 million program that aims to increase the number of people in training from 26,000 to 30,000 over the next four years.
The new plan follows several other policy initiatives to tackle the skills shortage, which has rapidly emerged as the most pressing issue facing WA businesses.
The latest evidence of this is the Small Business Development Corporation’s annual survey of small business operators.
It found the number one issue was recruiting suitably qualified staff, yet one year ago staff recruitment barely ranked as an issue.
Premier Geoff Gallop described the new $14 million program as a partnership with industry, though his policy statement had no details about how the partnership would work.
The program will have little immediate impact, since most of the spending will be in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Dr Gallop also announced the Government would spend $1 million per year on rapid response training to meet imminent skills shortages, a move welcomed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The CCI believes the skills shortage should be one of the top priorities for the next State Government.
It wants the apprenticeship system “modernised and streamlined” and a comprehensive strategy developed for the re-skilling of mature-aged people.
It says the balance of employment-based training should shift away from programs delivered through TAFE colleges towards more diverse, competitive arrangements, with employers able to select their training provider.
The CCI also wants future governments to actively support the migration of skilled labour into WA, including arrangements that allow skilled migration to meet periods of high demand.
Dr Gallop said this week he also wanted the apprenticeship system to have “the necessary flexibility and relevance to meet the needs of Western Australian industry”, though the Government had done little over the past four years to achieve this goal.
One notable initiative was last year’s launch of School Apprenticeship Link, which introduces school students to a range of traditional trades and provides a gradual transition from the school environment to training.
The government also has programs to upskill and reskill workers, including the $1.1 million Skilling WA program, which will fund 1,300 places in short courses.
The program will enable metal-workers, for example, to learn advanced welding techniques and electricians to use new wiring technology.
The training will be conducted by 10 organisations, including four TAFE colleges and several private sector training providers.
Another recent government initiative was the provision of $1.5 million over three years to establish a skilled migration unit.
The issue of skilled migration has generated a lot of criticism from the union movement, which is concerned about the loss of local jobs.
Coalition education and training spokesman John Day said planned initiatives included the expansion and proper resourcing of Vocational Education and Training in Schools, improved flexibility in apprenticeships and quality training facilities.
“A comprehensive policy on this issue will be released during in the election campaign,” Mr Day said.
