A looming shortage of trade skills threatens to impede resource development and industrial growth in Western Australia unless pre-emptive steps are taken and there is a fundamental change in the State Government’s approach to training.
Any strategy to boost local industry participation in major projects, such as State Development Minister Clive Brown’s recently released Building Local Industry Policy, will be futile if WA companies do not have the skilled workers to undertake contracts.
For the Minister’s policy to be successful, concurrent action must be taken to modernise the apprenticeship system and clear the way for increased skilled migration and use of foreign workers.
With the ageing of the local workforce, the availability of skills is running down in WA at a time when it should be expanding to meet emerging opportunities and to compensate for the loss of trained workers to lucrative job offers elsewhere.
Already pressed to find sufficient recruits, resource companies are concerned that the current pool of skilled tradespersons in WA will not be enough to meet the needs of new projects coming on stream. Several thousand will be needed during coming years.
Skilled workers who have traditionally made themselves available for remote construction work make up a big portion of those headed for retirement, at the same time as interest in taking up trade careers is declining among school leavers in spite of the high wages and employment prospects.
Present state and federal training initiatives partly address this and may help replenish the workforce, but a significant shortfall of skilled tradespeople within 3-5 years is almost certain if WA relies on these programs alone.
More immediate action is needed to ensure the state’s skills base expands. This has to include the removal of restrictions on traditional trade apprenticeships and a boost in skilled migration.
WA’s archaic training legislation is the biggest single hurdle to an immediate increase in traditional apprenticeship numbers.
The current approach to apprenticeships is characterised by bureaucratic processes, inflexible funding arrangements and a lack of understanding of the need for responsive, just-in-time training arrangements.
WA is long overdue for an overhaul of trade training arrangements and the introduction of a true, competency-based apprenticeship system to ensure there are maximum opportunities for skills development available for West Australians.
A sensible and flexible approach to the use of skilled labour from outside the state is also required.
There needs to be wider community acceptance that attracting skilled and properly accredited labour from elsewhere is in WA’s interest and will be positive for the state economy.
Current immigration policy does allow for skilled labour to be sourced from other countries, including the UK, South Africa and Canada, on a short-term, supervised basis.
Provided appropriate programs are in place to allow resident West Australians to develop skills and to take up trades, a measured and flexible process for skilled migration and work permit arrangements would be beneficial.
NB: CCI is the state’s largest employer of apprentices and trainees. The Chamber conducts regular recruitments and currently employs and manages 630 apprentices, of whom 9 per cent are indigenous.
They are located with host employers throughout the state, including Hamersley Iron, BHP Billiton and Woodside Energy.
Through its New Apprenticeships operation, CCI also provides a broader service to employers who sponsor their apprentices direct, by providing advice on the range of apprenticeships available and helping with documentation, accredited training and participation in incentive programs.
CCI facilitates the signing up of approximately 8,000 apprentices and trainees a year.