Allan Wetherell, manager, printing and graphic programs at TAFE, presented the workshop saying the skills shortage in the industry has been caused partially by manufacturers who are developing new equipment, which reduce the need for highly trained staff.
He outlined that many printers are not talking advantage of available government funding and incentives in regards to training and skills development.
Wetherell says, “There are a lot of factors that have contributed to our industry changing dramatically. The skills shortage is partially because of the manufacturers who now put out 12 colour machines, which are highly productive and require less labour.”
He says, “This industry is not accessing the available dollars. The dollars are available, there are buckets of money out there but we are just not using them.”
Also presenting at the workshop was Sue-Anne Brady, manager field operations, Sydney for Australian Business Limited, who says currently within the printing industry there are not enough people replacing those who are retiring. However the flip side for printers is that there is a range of government incentives available.
Brady says, “Now that the industry has been recognised by the government as having a skills shortage there is a broad range of incentives available to printers and their employees.”
She outlined there are incentives in the order of a $2000 apprentice wage top-up, $1,000 apprentice training vouchers, $800 tool kit, $13,000 wage subsidy for apprentices aged 30 years and over, $1,000 commonwealth trade learning scholarship and $1,000 rural and regional skills shortage employer incentives.
Also at the workshop printers heard they can help to alleviate the skills shortage by assisting their employees to undergo apprenticeships or fast track their training through the use of an Australian Qualifications Framework, the ICP05 Printing and Graphic Arts Training Package, which contains 360 competency standards and 34 qualifications for the print industry.
The package contains eight competency stream including support, pre-press, multimedia, printing, screen printing, converting, binding and finishing, ink manufacture and knowledge.
Wetherell concludes, “By engaging in the training process you may find little glitches in your business that were previously overlooked. This process is to get our industry to work a bit smarter.”
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