Master Electricians backs smarter apprenticeships

Master Electricians Australia has thrown its support behind an industry push to overhaul electrical apprenticeships and shift to a competency-based training system. The proposal, advanced by industry skills council EE-Oz, would help meet the massive demand for skilled electrical workers expected in coming years without compromising safety or skill levels, said Master Electricians Australia CEO Malcolm Richards. "We fully support competency-based apprenticeships and believe apprentices should progress through the stages as they pass the appropriate on- and off-the-job competencies."

The existing training scheme, said Richards, was devised decades ago to suit the training and industrial methods of Australia at that time. "This will mean some are able to progress more quickly than traditionally, while others may take longer than four years to demonstrate the competencies. We also believe close industry input will be needed to devise the appropriate system for progressing apprentices from one stage to another." Training methods and the demands of the workplace have changed significantly, and it's time the apprenticeship system was revised to keep up with the changing nature of the industry.

"We know, for example, that the resources boom will place a very significant drain on skilled electrical workers in the next four or five years. This in turn will flow through to restrict the availability of workers in the industrial and domestic sectors of the electrical sector, driving up costs for building and household work.

"Sticking rigidly to time-based training short-changes talented and enthusiastic apprentices who prove themselves ready and able to move to higher duties. While we would be very concerned to ensure apprentices were not cutting corners in their training, we believe this can be managed through adequate industry involvement and supervision.

"Australia faces a range of new challenges in relation to electrical trade skills in coming years, and it's time our training system was reviewed to take account of those new challenges," said Richards.