8.1 Apprenticeships
Recommendation 1: Address the attrition rate of apprenticeships by developing and implementing strategies to reduce apprenticeship attrition and retain workers in the industry that they are qualified to work in, including financial support and mentoring for apprentices. (DTWD)
Recommendation 2: Modify the mandatory reduction in term of indenture for pre-apprentices and Certificate II holders entering apprenticeships. The mandatory reduction should be at the end of an apprenticeship, be no greater than the term of the training completed as a pre-apprentice and be subject to validated workplace competence. (DTWD & STB)
Recommendation 3: Review the terms of indenture and consider flexible terms of apprenticeship ranging from 3 to 4 years to limit the bureaucratic process of extension/reduction of term. This recommendation would also allay the concerns of employers who believe competence has not been fully achieved and regional employers who require apprentices to be engaged in a broad range of skills. (STB)
Recommendation 4: Implement and monitor the mandatory employment of apprentices as 10% of the workforce on all Government contracts and on Resource Sector Construction and operations projects. (Government)
Recommendation 5: Investigate strategies to raise the status and value of trade qualifications including the feasibility of licensing all trades occupations. (STB)
8.2 Schools
Recommendation 6: Reform Vocational Education programs, particularly the VET in Schools program, to achieve a much larger cohort of properly prepared school students completing full courses of vocational education. This needs to involve changes in the culture of the system and its educators, changes in curriculum and changes in process. Schools should use a model such as pre- apprenticeships to form the basis of the vocational education program. (DTWD, STB, CC)
Recommendation 7: Expand the School Based Apprenticeship model to ensure trade competencies are achieved at the earliest possible time to make apprenticeship training more attractive and less expensive to employers. (DTWD, STB, CC)
Recommendation 8: Introduce School Based Pre-Apprenticeships as the trade pathway in schools rather than a multitude of courses with limited articulation to trade competencies. (CC, STB)
Recommendation 9: Provide training and support to school career guidance officers to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to provide current advice to students and parents on the local labour market and help raise the awareness of the value of a trade qualification. (CC, DTWD, STB)
8.3 Registered Training Providers
Recommendation 10: Change the funding model for Registered Training Providers (RTP) to an outcomes performance based model rather than student curriculum hours (SCH) that will encourage more flexible and responsive delivery programs. Strict guidelines will be needed to ensure the requirements of the Australian Quality Training Framework are met. (DTWD)
Recommendation 11: Increase support to regional training providers to allow all apprentices to complete a minimum of their first year‟s off the job training within the region they reside. (DTWD) Recommendation 12: Improve the response time of RTP‟s to deliver training that meets employer needs and not RTP schedules. Commencement of off-the-job training for apprentices should be within a maximum of three months of employment by investigating the feasibility of calling the apprentices in for training during the probationary period. This recommendation would allow apprentices to complete off the job training while their pay rates are at the lowest. (DTWD)
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Recommendation 13: Introduce a pre-apprenticeship that can be varied in duration to allow training to be modified based on the employment situation that prevails at the time. There should be a maximum of 70% of the off-the-job competencies achieved and a minimum of 450 hours of work experience/skills practice completed during the pre-apprenticeship. This model will make apprenticeship training more attractive and less expensive for employers. (DTWD, STB)
Recommendation 14: As in recommendation 2, any mandated reduction of apprenticeship term for pre-apprentices should be applied at the end of the apprenticeship and based on achievement of workplace competence. (DTWD, STB)
8.5 Employers
Recommendation 15: Simplify the process for engaging and employing apprentices and eliminate the need for consultation with multiple agencies by implementing a „one-stop shop‟ approach. (Government, DTWD, STB)
Recommendation 16: Provide incentives for the employment of apprentices to off-set the initial low return period of an apprenticeship. (Government, DTWD)
Recommendation 17: Review the tax imposition on subsidies paid to employers as payment of tax on subsidy payments detracts from the purpose of any subsidies. This will require a formal submission to the Commonwealth Government and is an issue that could be raised at COAG. (Government, DTWD) Recommendation 18: Require the Resources industry to contribute to the cost of workers recruited from other industries in times of economic growth and skills shortages. Alternatively require the Resources industry to train apprentices at the same rate as the Construction Industry. (Government)
8.6 Indigenous, Disadvantaged and Marginalised Groups
Recommendation 19: Promote the use of Certificate II in Construction, Building Maintenance
pathway to industry, RTP‟s community organisations and Indigenous Communities with specific
promotion in regional WA in conjunction with the Construction Training Fund. (DTWD)
Recommendation 20: Provide increased incentives for employers to encourage the employment of Indigenous, disadvantaged and marginalised members of the community. (Government)
Recommendation 21: Promote career options for women in para-professional and administrative roles using specific marketing strategies where there is a greater chance of placing young women. This recommendation would require support from the Department of Training and Workforce Development. (DTWD)
8.7 Migration
Recommendation 22: Reform, simplify and expedite the overseas application process for skilled migrants. The delay in time from application to acceptance means applicants arrive after the demand for their skilled occupation occurs. The timeframe from overseas application to approval should be reduced to six months to enable the skilled labour to meet the shortage as it occurs. (Commonwealth and State Governments)
Recommendation 23: Investigate the feasibility of a guest worker program under which workers come to Western Australia for a set contract of employment then return to their own country. Skilled, overseas guest workers could be sponsored by employers on two year visas. This model is utilised in other developed countries. To encourage people to participate it is further recommended that guest workers be provided with the same health and social benefits as the general population. This recommendation would require a review by the Department of Training and Workforce Development. (Commonwealth and State Governments)
Recommendation 24: Provide the opportunity for the use of Apprenticeships for Overseas Students rather than institutional only models. This recommendation would provide employment and relevant experience within the trade area of study, ensure work experience is relevant to the field of study and ease the financial burden on the student.(DTWD, STB)