A Message from Weld Australia’s CEO: Geoff Crittenden The recently announced 2021-2022 Federal Budget has failed the next generation of welders, with a noticeable lack of funding allocated to TAFE, and vocational training more broadly. This is despite the serious skills shortage facing Australian industry, exacerbated by border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The welding industry is facing a looming skills crisis—the skills required to complete complex infrastructure, defence and construction projects are already in short supply. And yet, the Federal Government refuses to take action. The Federal Government has repeatedly failed to invest in our TAFE system, and to implement the recommendations outlined in the Joyce Report, handed to them almost eighteen months ago. What will it take for the Federal Government to listen to, and act upon, the concerns of industry? The 2021-2022 Federal Budget The Government claims to be “building skills for the future” in the 2021-2022 Federal Budget. $6.4 billion will be invested over the next two years “to build the skills that Australia’s economy needs to thrive in a post‑COVID‑19 world”. The Federal Government demonstrated a serious lack of understanding in the way that complex skills like welding are developed. The Government pledged $2.7 billion to extend the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements program, without allocating any funding for the fundamental TAFE courses required to undertake an apprenticeship and become trade qualified. As any aspiring welder can tell you, an apprenticeship is only one step on the journey to becoming a qualified and competent welder. You need to complete the Certificate III in Engineering – Fabrication Trade (MEM30305) as well. If the very institutions that offer this training are under-funded, the “pipeline of skilled workers” the Government claims to be developing simply won’t materialise.
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Australian Welding
Image: Geoff Crittenden (CEO, Weld Australia).
Failure to Fund TAFE The 2021-2022 Budget is not the first time TAFE has been overlooked by the Federal Government. This Budget represents only the latest in a string of failures for the TAFE system. Since 2013, TAFE has suffered over $3 billion in funding cuts, according to the Australian Education Union. These cuts have had a devastating impact on TAFE. TAFE was once a vital and high-functioning part of Australia’s vocational education sector. The TAFE system of the 2000s was well-funded, publicly accountable, and delivered excellent training across a range of disciplines. TAFE utilised innovative methods and skilled teaching staff to prepare the next generation for the workforce. But the introduction of the marketised delivery system – a ridiculous and profoundly damaging policy experiment – has led to the gradual downfall of our successful TAFE system. Nationally, funding for the entire vocational training sector has declined from highs of $7.6 billion in 2012 to $6.1 billion in 2019. TAFE is now forced to compete with private providers for student dollars, creating the situation where the institutions have become increasingly outdated and unable to provide high-quality training to students. TAFE Graduates Aren’t Workforce Ready It is a national shame that TAFE graduates of some welding programs enter the workforce without the skills or knowledge required for the industry. Welder training in Australia is woefully outdated, teaching skills that are not relevant to current work practices. Figures show employer satisfaction with training has fallen nearly 10 per cent in the past decade alone. The TAFE welding course and curriculum has not been updated or revised since 1998. Generally
