From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 15 December

Do you ever wonder why we have such difficulty finding tradespeople when the hot water system or the washing machine packs-up?

The answer is simple, and finally it has been acknowledged. We are facing a crisis shortage in skilled tradespeople. How did we come to this pass? I would suggest a lack of vision, and an incomprehensible resolve to be rid of the out-dated methodology which has served us with such distinction.

In times past, students with no aptitude for, or interest in, tertiary education, left school at 15, having completed their High School/ Intermediate/Junior certificate and enrolled at a free, government technical school to learn a trade. Curiously, realising it was an error in judgement, tech schools are being re-opened across the country.  They offered the obvious occupations, together with technical and architectural drafting, bookbinding, cooking and baking, hairdressing, fashion design, and dressmaking. Eventually, and success notwithstanding, ‘tech schools’ were closed and the buildings sold. They were replaced with fee-paying TAFE; the success of which is arguable.

In recent times, and remembering this is the country which believes our educational qualifications are so superior to everyone else’s, Australia has been ranked 39th out of the 41 high-and middle-income countries in achieving quality education; only Romania and Turkey were ranked below us in a United Nations Children’s Fund report.

Two years after the much-heralded and controversial Gonski funding for schools was implemented, and according to the UNICEF report, only 71.7 per cent of Australian 15 year olds are achieving baseline standards in the three key areas of education: reading, maths and science. One has to ask the obvious: What is happening in our education system? Have we lost sight totally of the important basics; or perhaps our elected representatives are more concerned with staying in power than they are about result-driven governance. Australia’s numeracy and literacy results are a disgrace, by any standard of reckoning. The decision makers should realise, ‘If you impoverish language, you impoverish thought’. Modern technology is an undisputed marvel. It is impossible to imagine our lives without Google, and problematic Wikipedia; however, technology only works to its optimal capacity with a solid grasp of the basics. It is a learning adjunct. Computers respond to programming; they are an extension of the mind. They cannot think for you; nor do they teach you how to communicate. They are labour-intensive teaching modules. Education is a strong predictor of life outcomes, and we are setting a fairly concerning trajectory.

It used to be that government night schools were free and provided classes to matriculation. Many working adults, having left school at 15 and now wanting to pursue a professional career, attended up to five nights a week. Hundreds went-on to enrol in universities, which, also, were free.

The privatisation of Australia’s gas and fuel corporations, state electricity commissions, together with the closure of government railway workshops, which built and maintained the nation’s rolling stock; and the public works department, has seen the loss of countless apprenticeship opportunities for plumbers, electricians, gas industry workers, sheet metal workers, welders, tool makers, and boiler makers.

A recent report claims the Federal government has underspent its budget for TAFE, training, and apprenticeships, by almost $1 billion in the past five years, on top of previous cuts. Tanya Plibersek, Labor’s education and training spokeswoman, said, “If the Liberals don’t do something serious to fix the skills crisis they have created, we could be looking at the extinction of the Australian tradie.” That has serious ramifications.

It was never thus in the past. It is not a pining for the days of yore. It is sheer frustration at the lack of chronological understanding. Australian industry is screaming out for qualified workers, and they are not available. In this year’s Federal budget, the government promised to create 80,000 apprenticeships by doubling employer incentives. Let’s see if that happens. In the meanwhile, those responsible should extract their collective digits from their fundamental orifices and set about solving the bloody problem. After all, isn’t that why we elected them?

Roland can be heard on 3BA at 10.30 on Monday mornings and contacted via [email protected].