The AMWU has teamed up with the PIAA and TAFE SA to secure funds for a new training program, the Skilling South Australia Print Project, which they hope will be a precursor to bringing more formal apprenticeship training to the state.
A total of $203m was promised to TAFE SA in September last year, coming from both the state and federal coffers, with the $100m Skilling South Australia investment matched by the Federal Government to the tune of $103m.
At the same time, TAFE SA sold off most of its print equipment, and stopped accepting new apprentices undertaking print machinist apprenticeships.
The Skilling South Australia Print Project is headed up by the AMWU’s Gordon Wilson, who managed to draw together 30 students from a pool of 220 at short notice, first being notified of the funds December 21, then having to wait for TAFE to open on January 30, before starting the course this month.
Wilson explains, “We had been in talks with the Department of Industry Skills in South Australia, to start the project, which focuses on ex-school leavers. They started on March 7, the students do six units, three core, and three digital, as a pre-educational offering.
“TAFE SA will run it, but it is not a trade certificate, it is a skill-set, and the Department of Education wanted it completed by the end of the financial year.
“The $203m in funding is supposed to bring 20,000 apprentices over four years, across all industries. We are hoping that if we are successful with the project we can grow from that.
"None of this would have happened if it was not for the fantastic support from Lorraine Cassin [print secretary, AMWU] and Andrew Macaulay from the PIAA.
“With the 30 students, half have had contact with the industry either through labour hire, or worked as a casual with printing companies. I placed an ad across Seek, Linkedin, and others, we received 220 applications, and we whittled that down to 30.
“We hear that we printers cannot find anybody, but 220 people are keen to get a head start, doing an unpaid course to upskill and find work.
“We have also had reassurances from the companies that are giving them experience, that if they are the right person, they will offer them work.”
The course will be run in the small remaining print room at TAFE SA, with the 30 students split into three groups, each getting at least five days of work experience over the life of the project. So far, 22 companies have expressed interest in taking people on.
Wilson says, “I am more than happy for any companies that want to be involved to contact me. The more companies we have involved, the better the outcome will be for everybody.
“We have a full-mixture. We have Multi-Color South Australia, Eagle Press, a small 3D digital printing company, Fusetec, which produces practice human body parts for medical students.
“Print Training Australia can service the Metro and greater area, but regional areas are just too expensive. Our previous dealings with Spectra, the parent company of Print Training, on the Future Print project were successful, they really believe in what they are doing, as they are from the industry.
“We are genuinely hoping that by giving TAFE these 30 students, and money through the Department of Education, we can help provide pressure to get education back in TAFE SA, so people have that choice again.”
Asked why it ended print machinist training, a spokesperson from TAFE SA says, ““TAFE SA regularly reviews the way it delivers training across individual qualifications to ensure they best meet the changing demands of students and employers.
“With low demand in South Australia for qualifications in printing and print manufacturing, and cost pressures to deliver the training interstate, TAFE SA previously made the decision to exit from delivering these qualifications.
“With other training providers able to deliver these qualifications in the states and territories where TAFE SA delivered the training, apprentices and employers were provided support to transition across and continue their training.
“Due to a greater local demand for the Print Communications qualification, TAFE SA made the decision to keep this qualification on scope and continue delivery.”
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