AGENTS WOULD AID TRAINING

The CMPA, together with Box Hill TAFE have written to the Education Minister requesting the placement of a Industry Liaison Agent to the Victorian quarrying industry.

The agent (ILA) would facilitate better understanding of training programs available to the industry and also in implementing the recently reviewed Extractive Industry Training Package.

The CMPA acknowledges that training made available by the EITP has had a poor uptake due to a lack of understanding of the benefits and availability of the training programs.  An ILA would help prevent problems suffered by previous training programs where there has been a lack of support for participants training needs resulting in significant student attrition rates.

The ILA would also contribute to the awareness of available education and training services and provide employers with advice as to the effectiveness of packages for employees. As many of Victoria’s extractive industry operators are small or medium sized businesses with limited access to funds and staff to investigate programs available, an ILA would be a considerable advantage.

The ILA program has been designed for the manufacturing industry sector, however Box Hill Institute of TAFE wrote to Lynn Kosky, Minister for Education & Training at the CMPA’s request late in 2002 requesting the Department expand the manufacturing sector to include the extractive industry.

The CMPA again contacted the Minister in late November as no information about the process or availability of implementing an ILA for the extractive industry. The ILA tender process closed on November 19 and the CMPA had not received any feedback from the government.

Should the representations to government not result in an ILA for the extractive industry, and due to the significance of this issue the CMPA is prepared to evaluate undertaking the role itself with funding sourced from other industry bodies.

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