Submission to Jobs and Skills Summit

The Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA), working with MTA NSW, has provided a submission to the Jobs and Skills Summit being conducted in Canberra.

Recommendations include:

Simplified VET System based on: 
• National Occupation Standards
• Speed-to-market qualifications design and
• Fixing the current broken training and assessment model using automotive professions as a Proof-of-Concept (POC) pilot.

Addressing critical skills shortage
 Improved clarity, definition and expectation for employers hiring skilled migrants and the need to invest in apprentices. 
• Piloting a streamlined skilled automotive profession-specific migrant processing system using dedicated industry associations, immigration department outreach officers (former Labor Government policy initiative) and industry association selected/ appointed migration agent partners and international industry associations to create a pipeline for fast-track approvals of professions in shortage. 
• Industry developed and provided gap/ conversion training where and if required to ensure overseas certification/qualification meets Australian requirements. 
• Older Australian or retiree workforce engagement. Allowing older retired or semi-retired Australians to return to the workforce for up to three days per week in the following 
capacities without pension/superannuation penalty or disadvantage:
- On the tools to help overcome critical workshop shortages
- Mentoring apprentices to lift and maintain retention rates
- Advising apprentices and technicians in service and repair business environment – transferring skills and experience.

Recognition and enshrining industry association providers
Providers of apprentice training and skills development as a distinct, separately identified cohort along with TAFE and private providers.

Agile national VET ministerial forum
• Remove obstructions 
• Revitalise Government /Industry/ stakeholder partnerships
• Rebalancing the criticality and prestige of VET pathways as well as higher education. 
• Reintroduction of harmonised, nationally consistent Secondary to Tertiary education VET pathways.

Address Apprentice Support Network Providers (ASN's)
Employer confusion and misunderstanding and general complaints could be improved by ANSPs properly outlining the roles and responsibilities to employers regarding apprentices and better explaining the system of incentive payments and how they work.