The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) has welcomed the Government’s continued commitment to funding its Trade Training Centres.
AMWU National President Andrew Dettmer believes the TTCs play an important role in addressing traditional trade skill shortages and offer excellent opportunity to promote careers in manufacturing.
”The Labor commitment to education, skills and trade training stands in stark contrast to the Coalition’s trade and vocational training policy vacuum. We welcome the extension of Labor’s commitment to addressing skill shortages in the traditional trades. This reinforces the further diversity of the Australian economy as the benefits of the mining boom recede,” said Mr Dettmer.
“We need to strengthen the role of manufacturing, defence and infrastructure engineering, as well as boosting productivity and lifting innovation. This in turn depends on us having a highly skilled and adaptable workforce ready to capitalise on opportunities in the global economy.”
Trade Training Centres, Mr Dettmer believes, need to have state-of-the-art facilities, featuring the standard of facilities and equipment needed by dynamic contemporary workplaces, in order to provide opportunities for students to gain exposure to the type of skills that Australian manufacturing employs.
Mr Dettmer revealed that the AMWU would welcome any positive announcement by the Coalition which equalled or surpassed this commitment by Labor. “But I’m not holding my breath,” he said.
