8 minute read
Branch update
WA WA BRANCH BRANCH
BRANCH UPDATE BRANCH UPDATE
CarlCopeland Carl Copeland
NECA WA Branch Secretary NECA WA Branch Secretary
Members in this sector expect a considerable increase in work in the near future. The strong prices for gold and iron ore in particular have ensured that members working in the resource sector are also enjoying strong demand for electrical work. NECA Technical is taking as many, if not more, calls than it was before COVID, which indicates there are still lots of membersperformingwork. There is obviously still a long way to go in terms of a full recovery but it does seem that Western Australia is better placed than other states at present.
IndustrialManslaughter Legislation
Sometimes there are critical pieces of legislation that industry has to fight tooth and nail to prevent; the Western AustralianGovernment’sproposed industrial manslaughter legislation is such a law. It is vital that all contractors familiarise themselves with this legislation because it will criminaliseworkplaceaccidents. TheGovernment’sproposedindustrial manslaughter law exposes business owners to up to 10 years in jail and a $2.5millionfine if an accident occurs on your worksite – even if you haven’t been reckless or negligent. It is vital that members understand the risks they could face under the worst parts (e.g. Section 30B) of the Western Australian Government’sproposedWorkplaceHealth & Safety Bill. Section 30B is unique to WA. It is not found in any other state or territory.
ALTHOUGH MARKET CONDITIONS REMAIN DIFFICULT, IT IS PLEASING TO HEAR FROM MEMBERS IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR THAT THE NECA WA Acts on Licensing Processing Delays VARIOUS GOVERNMENT STIMULUS PACKAGES AIMED AT INCREASINGneCA WA recently met with the new Minister for Commerce, the Hon. AmberTHE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HOMES IS HAVING A POSITIVE EFFECT. Jade Sanderson MLA. As the Minister responsible for Building and energy (B&e), we had a frank discussion regarding the blow-out in licensing processing times. NECA has met with the Minister for Industrial Applications for electricians’ Training Relations, Bill Johnston, and personally Licences are taking between four to expressed our concerns to him. We were six weeks to process. This is simply particularly adamant that the legislation unacceptable. Businesses cannot must contain defences that protect be expected to carry the cost of contractorswhosesafetypractices employing an apprentice, who is meet the legislative requirements. unable to perform any electrical work due to government bureaucracy delaying the licence application process up to 30 working days. It is ridiculous to have a situation where a business owner has implemented safety practices that ensure compliance with all of their WHS obligations and yet The Minister was genuinely shocked can still be subjected to prosecution. when presented with this information and assured us that she would take action to rectify this unnecessary delay. NECA has lobbied the McGowan government, as well as the Liberal Oppositionandcross-benchmembersof There is also a similar problem with Parliament, as part of a coalition of more the lengthy processing times for than twenty other industry associations electrical Worker Licence applications. who also oppose this legislation. These are also taking up to six weeks to process, which is absurd in an environment where there is a chronic shortage of electricians in the Western Australian workforce. I encourage every Western Australian business owner and director to read the joint submission to government that NECA WA has made along with the other industry associations. The submission, neCA WA will continue to pressure the which is on NECA WA’s website, is more government to remedy this situation, than 20 pages long but it is critical however members are advised that you understand the potential that under S26(2) of the electricity implications for you, your business, your (Licensing) Regulations 1991: co-workers and your family. “... an electrician’s training licence Members can be assured that NECA WA held by a person who successfully will continue to fiercely oppose this completes the apprenticeship or course legislation in its current form. of training relevant to that licence continues to have effect until — Security of Payments Legislation a) the person is granted an electrician’s licence; or The State Government has also recently released its long-awaited draft Security b) the period of 3 months expires from of Payments legislation. This is vital the time that the apprenticeship or legislation for NECA members and for course of training was completed, subcontractorsingeneral. whichever occurs first.” So, for three months following the successful completion of their studies, an apprentice’s training licence continues to have effect. They can continue to work as an electrical worker under that training licence, provided their application for an electrical Worker Licence is approved within that three months. However, they cannot work unsupervised and they cannot sign off on a job.
Security of Payment Legislation
Minister Sanderson also indicated at our recent meeting that passing the new Security of Payment legislation was a government priority. The legislation was ready for Parliament in early 2021, however it was delayed due to the state election. Given the government controls both houses of Parliament, the legislation is expected to pass without change. neCA WA has been presenting comprehensive information on the legislation at the 2021 Industry nights thus far and will continue to do so. We will also provide further details as they become available to members via our various communication channels.
neCA WA also recently met with Mr Ian Goodenough MP, the Federal Member for Moore. The conversation focused on the Federal Government’s support for industry deregulation. During this conversation, neCA WA strongly argued that such reforms should not include the abolition of either electrical Contractor or electrical Worker Licences. neCA WA has always, and will always, argue forcefully that as we work in a high-risk industry, licences are essential to ensure that the work our industry undertakes is done safely to protect our workers, customers and the public.
CPD Update
The electrical Licensing Board (eLB) will shortly begin an industry consultation process to gather feedback about the proposed introduction of a mandatory Continuous Professional Development (CPD) program.
Once the consultation period has concluded, the eLB will consider the feedback before deciding on its position on introducing a CPD program in Western Australia. The eLB will then provide industry with 12 months’ notice of the program structure and its commencement date.
Given the above, I do not expect that any program will come into effect before the second half of 2022.
neCA WA’s position is that any program should contain, at the very least, eLV rescue, CPR and a refresher on the Supervision of Apprentice guidelines.
Cyclone Seroja
Following the devastation caused by Cyclone Seroja, neCA WA has worked closely with Western Power and B&e to maximise contractor involvement in the repairs and reconnections that were required. Together with B&e, we organised a contractor briefing, which was attended by representatives from more than fifteen different contractors in the Geraldton area.
Electrical Group Training (EGT)
The first few months of 2021 have continued to be strong recruiting months for eGT, averaging sixteen new apprentices each month from January to March. This is a continuation of the stronger than expected recruiting from July 2020 onwards, on the back of the recovery from the COVID-19 recession. In April we also started our “JobKeeper run-off” program, continuing to discount charge-out rates at diminishing levels through April, May and June to protect against the sudden withdrawal of funding. I’m happy to report that the run-off program seems to be working, with no early signs of a drop-off in the take up of new apprentices.
April also saw the first career expo for the year and the commencement of our work with schools to recruit the right apprentices into our trade - so keep an eye out for us, as we will be out and about spruiking eGT. But it hasn’t all been good news, with the untimely passing of long-term Field Officer, Cliff James. Cliffy, as he was affectionately known, was a Field Officer with eGT from August 1997 until July 2019. He spent 22 years dedicated to guiding hundreds of apprentices through their apprenticeships and on to becoming successful tradespeople and business owners. Any apprentice of Cliff’s will remember an “old school” task master, who demanded high standards, but who would go above and beyond for his apprentices, in order to teach them all of the skills (and more!) that Cliff believed were essential to becoming quality tradespeople. He will be missed greatly and remembered fondly by everyone at neCA WA and no doubt throughout the entire electrical industry.
College of Electrical Training (CET)
If we were to name 2021 the ‘Year of the …’, one phrase that comes to mind is the ‘new normal’. January traditionally sees a steady flow of apprentice commencements, as industry gets up to speed after the holidays and associated shutdowns. 2021 really started for CeT back in november 2020, where apprentice commencements were increasing every week. While we love seeing the support of industry for training and meeting the needs of this governmentincentivised construction boom, it has created a small backlog in getting all these new apprentices into training. CeT pioneered the rolling intake, and our administration teams are working hard to get all new apprentices into class as soon as possible. The number of new employers taking on apprentices and sending them to CeT for their training is particularly encouraging. We thank you for choosing Australia’s largest electrical training provider and look forward to meeting with you all over the next twelve months.
In the midst of all this activity, CeT is actively working with our internal stakeholders, and the industry in general, to roll out the new electrotechnology Training Package. Over the next couple of months, CeT will liaise with employers to identify and plan the apprentice training required in 2021 and 2022, as all relevant apprentices are transitioned to the new training package in the second half of next year. The new package has a ‘back to basics’ feel about it, with a strong focus on the theory that underpins testing and inspection, as well as expanding on existing safety training to include industry-specific training, such as the isolation of alternative energy supplies. With battery storage and hybrid energy storage, such as Hydrogen Cell technology, becoming commonplace, training in isolation techniques will be essential to maintaining a safe and reliable industry. So, here’s to the ‘new normal’!
