Graphic prepress operators, print machinists and binder and finishers are all identified in the Queensland Employment and Training Department’s Green Paper: Queensland’s proposed responses to the challenges of skills for jobs and growth, and apprenticeships in these areas are recommended for shorter duration.
The study proposes a move to a system where once all of the competencies required for the trade have been achieved (and assessed) then in all cases the apprentice can become a fully-qualified tradesperson without having to serve out the remaining time of the apprenticeship period.
This could see Certificate III in printing and graphic arts (graphic pre-press), Certificate III in printing and graphic arts (printing), Certificate III in printing and graphic arts (print finishing), and Certificate III in printing and graphic arts (screen printing, all reduced to two years training.
Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Minister Tom Barton says the proposals will be debated by employers and the training sector in an attempt to avoid further skills shortages. “At the moment there is a gap between available skills and the work offered by employers,” says Barton. “Our vocational training and education system must be able to meet these demands. It must also be able to support the changing needs and circumstances of workers throughout their lives, and this is what the Green Paper aims to do.”
A Department of Employment and Training spokesperson says another of the 24 proposals is the introduction of new specialist TAFE centres.
“Currently, printing is not specifically identified for a specialist TAFE centre, a centre of excellence, or a skills formation strategy. Industries identified in the green paper are just a starting point – as printing is an area of skill shortage, no doubt the department will be looking to reinforce its relationship with the industry through initiatives such as these,” says the spokesperson.
The implementation of the proposal will be strongly guided by the feedback received during consultation, which is open until August 31, and encourages those in the print industry to get involved.
A copy of the Green Paper can be downloaded from www.trainandemploy.qld.gov.au or email skillsreform@det.qld.gov.au for a hard copy to be sent direct.
Feedback from the Green Paper consultations will be used to form a White Paper, which should be released by the end of the year (pending Cabinet approval). The Department of Employment and Training will then be tasked to implement the White Paper.
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