The Popular Apprenticeship

A recently launched white paper may reduce some apprenticeships by 12 months, but at what cost to service quality? Charlotte Durut reports.

THE Queensland Government’s new billion-dollar plan which is attempting to streamline the State’s apprenticeships program has produced mixed reactions from employers, apprentices and tradespeople.

The Queensland Skills Plan is the outcome of the most extensive review of the vocational education and training system in 40 years, and could mean the length of 80 per cent of available apprenticeships will be reduced by up to six or 12 months based on the concept of competency-based training.

Employment and Training minister Tom Barton explained that under this system, apprentices would complete a trade qualification when fully competent.

“This would be irrespective of time served through the apprenticeship while still maintaining the integrity of the qualification,” he said.

Yet local plumbing and gas-fitting apprentice, Daniel Neuendorf, believes it is important to train for the full four years of his apprenticeship.

“I really need all this time to learn so I can gain as much experience as possible,” he said.

“In this industry, you’re always learning new things and always learning more.”

Mr Neuendorf’s industry trainer, Ashley Zischke, agreed with his apprentice on this point and highlighted the fact that his industry covered a wide range of abilities.

“A plumber not only needs to know about plumbing but also about drainage, gas-fitting and maintenance,” he said.

“If they were working in a more specialised field, apprentices could possibly learn all they need to know in a shorter time period. But in an industry like plumbing, they need a lot of time to learn all the different skills.”

Yet the white paper does have its supporters who believe the new program could benefit apprentices and trades industries.

The Australian Industry (AI) Group, an organisation which represents 10,000 employers in industries such as manufacturing, construction and mechanics, believes the State Government’s new plans would result in greater workforce flexibility and fast track apprentices towards competency-based training.

“The importance of workforce flexibility to Queensland’s expanding industry base cannot be underestimated in this era of heightened global competition,” AI Group Queensland Director Andrew Craig said.

“The white paper provides the real prospect of delivering an appropriately skilled workforce in the medium term, while also providing some short-term relief to the challenges that industry faces.”

Mr Craig emphasised that it was important for the State’s industries to become more skilled, innovative and adaptable.

“To this end, it is important for the State Government to remain focused on providing the right conditions for this transformation to occur,” he said.

Denis Wilson from the Master Builders Association was pleased with the prospect of competency-based training for apprentices.

“Apprentices are older than they used to be and the training systems for them are better,” he said.

“Therefore, competency-based training is a very good system for them to work under.

“At the moment, apprentices are ‘ticked off’ at the end of their courses whether they are competent or not.

“But we want to have competent people in the trades industries, not just ‘quickie brickies’.

“We should only be giving people their qualifications when they’ve gained competency, not just gone through their necessary three or four years of training.”

Other highlights of the white paper include a $303 million capital improvement program to modernise Queensland’s 15 TAFE institutes; $159.39 million of funding over four years to improve the State’s apprenticeships systems and structures; an increased number of trades training places to be provided by 2010; and a Trades and Technician Skills Institute which will lead training delivery in the key areas of automotive, building and construction, manufacturing and electronics.

Premier Peter Beattie and Minister Barton said the white paper will assist the supply of skilled labour to better match the workforce needs of industry and the economy.

“The white paper includes 24 action statements which, when implemented, will re-energise our already robust vocational education and training sector,” Mr Barton said.

“The key priority is to take immediate steps to meet the shortage of skilled workers.
“If sufficient numbers of apprentices are not attracted to trades, Queensland will suffer and we will all be poorer.”

Copies of the white paper are available from the Department of Employment and Training’s website at http://www.trainandemploy/. gov.au