New NSW Apprenticeship Act should boost skills but 1,000 places remain open
Changes to the legislation that shapes New South Wales’ apprenticeship system should help young workers gain the skills they need to meet the changing demands of today’s labour market.
The Apprenticeship and Traineeship Amendment Bill 2017 was drafted and passed by the state Parliament in September 2017 after extensive consultations with industry, employers and registered training organisations and came into force at the start of 2018.
Welcoming the introduction of the new rules, John Barilaro, the state’s deputy premier and skills minister, said “the amendments to the act reduce red tape and strengthen the partnership between the training providers and employers in planning and assessing the competencies of apprentices through their agreed Training Plan,”.
“It will now be a requirement of the act that employers and RTOs collaborate over development and review of Training Plans and report the on-the-job progress of apprentices at regular intervals.
“We’re also reforming the system of trade recognition which will streamline the process of having hands-on experience, skills and knowledge recognised in a qualification.”
The new system will see Training Services NSW offer young applicants advice and direct them to an appropriate ‘Smart and Skilled’ provider which will assess the applicant’s practical skills and issue a verification of a trade qualification.
“We’re also abolishing the Vocational Training Review panel and strengthening the powers of the Commissioner for Vocational Training who will address complaints without the administrative burden, cost and formality of convening a panel,” Barilaro continued. The NSW Commissioner now has the ability to initiate the cancellation of an apprenticeship or traineeship.
Barilaro said the amendments should help young workers improve their skills, boost the completion rate on apprenticeship courses and ensure that apprentices and trainees receive useful and generally recognised qualifications that directly meet the needs of their job.
“The new act will help employers meet the growing demand for a skilled workforce and ensure that we are setting up our young workers to fill the jobs of the future that will continue to drive the NSW economy.”
1,000 training places unfulfilled
Despite the state government’s hopes that the new rules will boost apprenticeships, the Apprentice Employment Network NSW & ACT and its 23-member Group Training Organisations have over 1000 unfilled apprenticeships and traineeships across the Sydney metropolitan and regional areas.
Jason Sultana, the Executive Officer of AEN NSW ACT said “this is our peak recruitment time of year for the industry. Members are indicating they cannot fill all the apprenticeships and traineeships they have available right now which target young people especially school leavers. Indications are that the current generation of school leavers don’t understand the long-term benefits of completing an apprenticeship or traineeship.”
“There are some wonderful career opportunities available. We have a high demand for young people to work in the automotive, hospitality, electrical, construction and timber industries to name a few.“
GTOs are also funded to run short term Pre Apprenticeship programs to help young people get a head start into an apprenticeship or traineeship. A large number of Pre Apprenticeships programs are commencing in the next few weeks with many graduates placed immediately into apprenticeships upon completion. The AEN offers a portal to help school leavers find an appropriate apprenticeship or traineeship through a GTO.
The NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro, who is a qualified tradesman in his own right, has reached out to school leavers through Facebook to highlight the importance of considering vocational education as an alternative pathway to a rewarding career. In urging young people to consider vocational training, he noted 9 out of 10 jobs of the future will have a vocational pathway connecting to it.
John Liddicoat, AEN NSW ACT Chair and General Manager of Novaskill said “the demand for skilled trades people will continue to increase in the next few years. If the next generation of young people don’t take up apprenticeships we are faced with a massive skill shortage across key industries in the future. I encourage parents of school leavers to consider the benefits of apprenticeships and think long term about what is best for their child.
