What that chart shows was the LNP opening up the gates to 457 Workers in the Construction Industry thereby killing Tafe & Apprentiuces. I was there. Nothing to do with kids being lazy and not wanting to do the job. But I bet you think the country is full of dole bludgers too. Generalisations.
The Government’s proposed reforms of the 457 visa system will support a more productive building and construction industry and more jobs for young Australians.
“Master Builders welcomes the Government’s positive approach in responding to the Independent Review of the Integrity of the 457 Subclass Program, particularly in proposed reforms to strengthen and protect the integrity of the 457 visa program,” Wilhelm Harnisch CEO of Master Builders Australia said.
“The recommendations put forward by the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Michaelia Cash, show that the Government has listened to the building industry’s call for greater flexibility in the system while strengthening its integrity,” he said.
“Minister Cash’s response will cut red tape for builders who do the right thing while ensuring those who don’t, facing tougher sanctions,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.
“Contrary to union claims, the building industry is committed to providing jobs for Australians first. The skills of foreign workers are called on to meet skills deficits on projects when local workers are not available,” he said.
“Minister Cash’s proposed training fund will reduce future reliance on overseas workers by supporting building industry employers to train more young Australians and upskill existing workers,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.
Exclusive:Thinktank the McKell Institute describes federal building code attached to bill as ‘highly prescriptive red tape’
The federal building code attached to the Australian Building and Construction Commission bill would decrease apprentices on building projects and increase workers on 457 temporary skilled worker visas, the McKell Institute has said.
The progressive thinkthank has produced an analysis of the building code reframing it as “highly prescriptive red tape” that could increase strikes because existing agreements must be renegotiated.
The code, if passed, would stipulate that construction companies cannot bid for government work unless they exclude a wide range of otherwise legal clauses from industrial deals.
The report noted that at the end of 2015 there were 278,600 apprentices and trainees in training, 11.8% fewer than at the end of 2014.
It said “the only instrument that guarantees the number of apprentices to a workforce can be found in suitable enterprise agreements that mandate safety and apprenticeship ratios”, a practice the code would ban.
The report argues that since the cost of training apprentices outweighs their output for the first two years, the building code will encourage employers to source skilled labour from overseas instead.
Companies that choose to train Australian workers “are at a competitive disadvantage compared to those who avail themselves of the 457 [skilled temporary work visa] worker”, it said.
