Victoria is hoping to improve the quality and safety of apprenticeships after accepting all recommendations of a new report.

In its latest announcement, the Victorian Government said that it has accepted each of the sixteen recommendations of the final report of the state’s Apprenticeships Taskforce that was chaired by Sharon Burrow AC.

The report published in March and has been released with the response.

According to the report, Victoria’s apprenticeship system plays a critical role in skilled workforce development as well as helping young workers to develop foundations from which to launch rewarding careers.

As at the time of its publication in March, the state had more than 78,000 trainees and apprentices. Apprenticeships are common in industries such as construction retail/hospitality, manufacturing, agriculture and mining.

However, the report also suggested that current system weaknesses are leading to unsatisfactory outcomes.

In particular it talks of:

  • An unacceptably high number of safety incidents resulting in death and serious injury to apprentices.
  • A relatively low rate of apprenticeship completions, which have seen Victoria’s apprenticeship completion rates (52.5 percent for those commencing in 2017) trail the national average (55.9 percent for those commencing in 2017) for each of the past thirteen years.
  • A concerning number of reports of workplace bullying and harassment, unsafe workplaces and unpaid wages – with problems being especially prevalent for non-traditional cohorts including women and those from culturally diverse backgrounds.
  • Inconsistent employer quality, with many employers failing to adequately understand their roles and responsibilities and obligations regarding their apprentices and some feeling that they do not receive adequate support to learn about these obligations.
  • An outdated legislative framework that was introduced fifteen years ago and is supported by an Act which dates back for more than 25 years. This has not kept pace with changes in how apprenticeships/traineeships are delivered. Nor does it provide adequate safeguards for apprentices and trainees or enable the regulator to undertake timely and appropriate action.

In response, the Committee made sixteen recommendations.

Of these, the current has resolved to support seven recommendations in full.

The remaining nine have been supported in principle with further consultation needed before action is taken.

Actions will include:

  • Piloting a central helpdesk service where apprentices and trainees can go for workplace support. This will be run by Apprenticeships Victoria.
  • Establishment of a dedicated regulator for apprentices and trainees. The regulator will work to improve outcomes and make the system easier to navigate for apprentices.
  • More support for employers of apprentices.
  • Greater inclusion and safety for women apprentices.
  • Modernisation of laws that govern the apprenticeship system.
  • Better collaboration between Commonwealth and state agencies.
  • Three new mental health programs for apprentices. This includes the Apprentice Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which offers free counselling and can be accessed online or by phone without the need for a referral.

The Government has allocated an additional $9 million to support the above programs.

Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney welcomed the report and the Government’s response.

“We’re backing all the recommendations made by the Apprenticeship Taskforce with this $9 million package which will deliver the fair, safe workplace every apprentice deserves,” Tierney said.

“We thank the Apprenticeships Taskforce, Sharan Burrow AC and the unions and employers who took part, for their recommendations on how we can continue to make apprenticeships in Victoria safe and fair.”

 

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