TasTAFE open day to showcase meaningful career options for young Tasmanians
There are three industries which will require “many more Tasmanians” to train up for work, but experts are afraid it will take more than work guarantees to get young people into careers. SEE WHERE THE WORK IS >>
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IT IS a great time to be an apprentice in Tasmania, according to the head of the state’s biggest trade training provider.
But workforce analysts and industry groups say it will take more than increased funding to steer young Tasmanians into meaningful careers and fix serious skills gaps.
Last week’s federal budget included a wage subsidy scheme covering 50 per cent of new apprentices’ pay until next September and TasTAFE chief executive Jenny Dodd said new infrastructure projects would require “many more Tasmanians” to train up for work in industries like construction, electrotechnology and plumbing.
Industry groups welcomed the wage subsidy, but said smaller employers in particular needed
help to support young employees, to address high dropout rates.
“We need to improve apprentice outcomes to address future skills gaps and ensure Tasmanians are employed and trained to build the billions (of dollars) in infrastructure and new housing brought forward in response to COVID,” Mathew Pollock from Master Builders Tasmania said.
Last year Tasmania had the highest apprentice completion rates in the country, but the figure was still only 58 per cent, compared with nearly 53 per cent nationally.
The National Centre for Vocational Education Research found employment-related issues including personality clashes, being sacked and simply not liking the work were among the most common reasons for apprentices not completing their training.
Workforce demographer Lisa Denny said only 11 per cent of young Tasmanians planned to get an apprenticeship and a major gap existed between young people’s career aspirations and the reality of the jobs market.
Her research also found that a lack of understanding about educational pathways was creating a “skewed attitude to work”, while bosses often had unrealistic expectations of young employees’ skills and work readiness.
She said employers needed to offer young workers a balance between flexibility, fairness, and remuneration.
People looking to gain an apprenticeship can find out more about what is involved and what employers are looking for when TasTAFE hosts an online panel event via Facebook at 6pm on October 14.
Stephanie Lawler, 21, who will be on the panel, is a third-year apprentice chef at Lauderdale’s Driftwood Restaurant.
She said an apprenticeship was not for everyone, but could be incredibly rewarding.
“I’m very lucky to have two amazing chefs above me that are happy to teach me everything they know about food and food science,” she said.
“It will be possibly the hardest thing you have ever done but it is definitely the most fulfilling experience.”
See how to register and the full details for the event here.
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