NOVEMBER 18, 2020 – Apprentices from across the country are outraged at the Morrison Government’s plans to destroy apprenticeships as we know them and are meeting across the country calling for action.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) has led mass meetings across the country after the organisation giving advice to the Government on skills for apprenticeships - the Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC) has moved to strip mandatory on-the-job learning from apprenticeships. This would mean apprentices would sit in a TAFE classroom, but never touch tools in the workplace.
The workplace practice element of an apprenticeships are crucial for apprentices to become highly skilled tradespeople at the end of their training.
The AMWU is calling on the Morrison Government and the AISC to protect mandatory workplace practice provisions in apprenticeships so that the next generation of tradespeople are kept on the tools and kept safe.
Quotes attributable to AMWU National Secretary Steve Murphy:
“I started my working life as an apprentice, workplace learning is crucial and stripping away on-the-job training would be disastrous for our skilled tradespeople.
“It’s the skills you pick up on the job that turn you from a student into a tradesperson and that keep you safe at work.
“Apprentices across Australia are outraged that the Morrison Government are even considering taking out the most important part of their training and are meeting across the country to say they will not stand by and watch their apprenticeships eroded.
“Taking the workplace practice out of an apprenticeship is like taking an engine out of a car. We need to keep apprentices at work.”