PVCA CALLS ON GOVT TO REPAIR TAFE FUNDING

The newly merged print industry association, PVCA, is calling on the government to match its new commitment to fee-free TAFE places for apprentices with a programme to repair the country’s TAFE funding.

At the Jobs Summit currently underway prime minister Anthony Albanese announced 180,000 fee-free places for apprentices, although in reality 120,000 had already been scheduled.

Charles Watson, IR, policy and governance manager at PVCA said, “Increasing fee-free places for apprentices is a step in the right direction, but the government needs to simultaneously repair funding to the TAFEs, VET colleges and private institutions providing training, to make them fit for purpose.

“There is little point providing fee-free places if there is nothing at the TAFE for apprentices to train with. The vocational institutions have been suffering funding cuts for years, it needs to be restored if the government wants to enable young people to have meaningful vocational training.”

According to Watson there has been a “20-year” downgrade of TAFE funding for industrial training provision, including print, with some print certificates no longer offered in certain places. He said, “Our industry encompasses both the need for ink on paper skills, and the new IT and high tech skillsets. Vocational institutes must make provision for all this, if the government wants to see a skilled local workforce.”

The PVCA is currently working hard to lobby government to get print apprenticeships back on its priority list, with five of the six categories controversially removed under the former government. Watson said, “We are in talks, and will have a seat at skills and training minister Brendan O’Connor’s table when the review discussion takes place.”