Master Electricians backs smarter apprenticeships
Master Electricians Australia chief executive officer Malcolm Richards said the proposal, advanced by industry skills council EE-Oz, would help meet the massive demand for skilled electrical workers expected in coming years without compromising safety or skill levels.
“We fully support competency-based apprenticeships, and believe apprentices should progress through the stages as they pass the appropriate on- and off-the-job competencies,” Mr Richards said.
“This will mean some are able to progress more quickly than traditionally, while others may take longer than four years to demonstrate the competencies. We also believe close industry input will be needed to devise the appropriate system for progressing apprentices from one stage to another.”
Mr Richards said the existing training scheme was devised decades ago to suit the training and industrial methods of the Australia of that time.
“Training methods and the demands of the workplace have changed significantly, and it’s time the apprenticeship system was revised to keep up with the changing nature of the industry.
“We know, for example, that the resources boom will place a very significant drain on skilled electrical workers in the next four or five years. This in turn will flow through to restrict the availability of workers in the industrial and domestic sectors of the electrical sector driving up costs for building and household work.
“Master Electricians believes this looming skills shortage can be eased by reforming the apprenticeship system to allow workers who have demonstrated the necessary skills and competencies to advance through their training more quickly.
“Sticking rigidly to time-based training short-changes talented and enthusiastic apprentices who prove themselves ready and able to move to higher duties. While we would be very concerned to ensure apprentices were not cutting corners in their training, we believe this can be managed through adequate industry involvement and supervision.
“Australia faces a range of new challenges in relation to electrical trade skills in coming years, and it’s time our training system was reviewed to take account of those new challenges.”
