SKILLS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND SKILLS FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
While the details are available on the usual Government web sites, it is useful to list here the major programmes that will benefit the T&L sector:
1. Boosting rail productivity through an additional $996.0 million for ARTC - hopefully some of this spend will go to skills acquisition, mentoring schemes, professional development, safety training and workplace development. The idea is to improve overall productivity, not just build new tracks.
2. Moorebank Intermodal Freight Terminal gets $70.7 million for detailed planning, and Defence gets $35.2 million to work out the relocation business case to Holsworthy. Let's hope that the planning includes a new TAFE campus on the site and a full whole-of-life of the asset workforce plan for 20 years plus. This project along with Barangaroo in the CBD offers a whole generation of apprentices and trainees employment and skills opportunities if managed properly.
3. National transport regulation gets $8.3 million to boost harmonisation and safety aspects of the national transport sector - road, rail, aviation and maritime. More power to them.
4. The aviation sector is a big winner with $312.4 million to beef up security and planning. Hopefully the plan will also address critical skills shortages in maintenance engineering, and in general aviation areas such as air traffic controllers and terminal management.
5. The $5.6 billion for the State Infrastructure Fund is a great programme, as long as it views investments as whole-of-life-of-the-asset from design, development, construction, operation and decommissioning. This could be anywhere from 20 years to 100 years. It's a once in a generation opportunity to address long term needs for people, jobs and skills.
6. The previously announced $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) is added to the Skills and Infrastruture Strategy. There are several national industry groups already proposing that this NBN must be used to enhance productivity in T&L through better exchange of data and information, not just faster speeds. There is a need for ICT to support new supply chain business models as part of the NBN roll out.
7. The Critical Skills Investment Fund of $200.2 million MUST have a focus on T&L. This sector has critical and long term shortages that are often overlooked, played down or ignored in public policy analysis. The T&L Industry Skills Council has an obligation and a mandate to assist and advise industry and Government in this regard. Let's offer them all support in getting on with the job.
8. There is $19.9 million available for "smarter apprenticeships" and T&L industry bodies as well as the T&L ISC are eligible for funding under this Budget. Supervisor mentoring is specifically mentioned as an area, something that TALC has been arguing in favour of since 2000. It's great to see the possibilities emerge around these ideas.
9.There is $67.0 million available for Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) programmes. If ever there was programme designed for T&L it is this one. Every T&L stakeholder worth their salt should be drafting up applications for funding this week. Our sector has real needs in this area, in road, rail, warehousing and all aspects of freight and passenger transport.
There are many more programmes: the national entitlement to a quality training place ($53.6 million), the quality skills incentive ($129.8 million), and transparency in the VET system ($4.1 million).
All and each of these programmes are covered by the first combined budget strategy that links the portfolios of education and training with that of infrastructure and transport. It's a dream come true. Now all we need is for the industry to sit up, take notice and get cracking.