The Print and Visual Communication Association (PVCA) is continuing to lobby the government to re-instate the nine Awards into the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List (AAPL) and is appealing to industry to participate in its Skills Priority List Survey as the 3 January deadline looms.
Launched earlier this month, the peak industry body is reminding all members and industry to take the time and participate in the survey to ensure the submission to government carries weight when arguing for skills requirements.
“We recognise how busy this period is for our members, however the 3 January government deadline is something we must comply with. I urge all of industry, not only our members, to complete the survey. It is a short ten-minute questionnaire which will provide a solid argument into government articulating why our apprentices must be put back on the Skills Priority List,” PVCA CEO Kellie Northwood said.
The PVCA has been critical of the government’s removal of the nine Awards across the print industry and related sectors.
It says arguing the assessment methodology for skills shortages being identified based on internet job vacancies via seek.com.au and without industry consultation is erroneous and requires remedy.
The PVCA added that the approach from the Department resulted in skewed data outcomes for many industries including the print manufacturing sectors, which originally saw seven Awards removed and in the following year a further two.
“This means should a printer employ an apprentice they, nor the apprentice, are provided government support,” Northwood said.
Each year the National Skills Commission (NSC) undertakes labour market research that forms the basis of its Skills Priority List (SPL), and it is this research that the PVCA is preparing to submit industry data to rectify the matter.
The NSC have currently determined that there is no shortage and a soft to moderate demand across all the trade-based roles and occupations in the print and related services industries, which the PVCA firmly rejects.
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