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Date: 24 January 2025, 6:50am AEDT
Speakers: Denita Wawn, CEO Master Builders Australia
Topics: Key Apprentices Program; housing crisis
E&OE
Ross Solly, host ABC Canberra: So you might have been hearing in the news this morning that Anthony Albanesewill announce today at the National Press Club that apprentice tradies will get an extra $10,000 if the LaborParty is re-elected to encourage more young people into construction and basically to stop apprentices walkingaway. Now, I don’t know if you’re in the industry, if you’ve been in the industry, if you have family members who are in the industry, but would this be a game changer? Do you think this would be a game changer? Do you think this might be the difference between somebody making a decision to go into this line of work or trying todo something else? Denita Wawn is the chief executive officer of the Master Builders Australia, and joins us thismorning. Denita, good morning to you, and good to chat with you again.
Denita Wawn, CEO Master Builders Australia: Likewise. Thanks. Good morning, Ross.
Ross: Is this a game changer or not?
Denita: It’s a good help, that’s for sure. I know from personal experience, when you see kids understand that they can go and do an apprenticeship, they can have it paid for. They can go and get an incentive for the duration ofthat apprenticeship, as opposed to say, weighing it up against a uni degree with a mountain of a HECS debt. It’spretty good. So, and of course, a great career afterwards. So, certainly, this is a significant opportunity for us to reinforce the importance of apprenticeships. And we’re seeing people studying apprenticeships but not finishing, notcompleting. And so the fact that this $10,000 is through the duration of the apprenticeship with various payment points, certainly helps us towards those, increasing those completion rates.
Ross: How much of an issue is it at the moment, Denita Wawn? Do you have a problem with people starting apprenticeships and then walking away? Or is it a difficulty getting people to sign up in the first place? Or a combination of both?
Denita: Combination of both, Ross. We certainly find that only 50 per cent of people complete their apprenticeship, which is of significant concern. And we know it’s about money. We also know that it’s about ensuring that we have appropriate mentoring in place. That people are also ready to do an apprenticeship. You know, maths, for example, is very important when you’re doing an apprenticeship of this nature, and ensuring that we’re giving them the support. There’s a huge array of supports out there, but we just need to make sure we get the combination right.
Ross: Yeah, and, of course, Anthony Albanese definitely needs to get more apprentices out there, because he’smade this promise that they’re going to build more than a million homes by 2030 and I think, Denita Wawn, oncurrent workforce levels, it’s going to be a bit of a struggle, isn’t it?
Denita: It is, unfortunately. We know there’s a commitment for 1.2 million dollars, sorry, 1.2 million homes. That’snot an aspiration, Ross, that’s actually what we need to house Australians. And at the moment, we’reforecasting that they’re going to fall around 400,000 shorts if we don’t if we don’t, and in many respects, weknow that is because we simply do not have enough skilled people. And this is not just about our homes. It’sabout the roads to get to new home subdivisions. It’s about the schools and hospitals in new communities. And of course, when we’re looking at doing infill development, where we’re increasing numbers in existing suburbs.What infrastructure do we need in that place? So when we think about the housing crisis, it’s not just about the homes, but it’s about the whole built community.
Ross: Yeah. What about other hurdles? At six minutes to seven on the text line, this listener says $10,000after you start is great, but the biggest barrier is the $20,000 plus work vehicle and the three tickets required before you can start a first year apprenticeship.
Denita: That’s absolutely correct. And as I said from the outset, this is a good contribution but it’s not everything.Those three tickets before you can even get a job…
Ross: Just explain those to us, Denita Wawn. What are the three tickets?
Denita: Yeah, in Canberra, you need to have three tickets on silica training, asbestos training and general construction safety, which is known as the white card. Now all up, that can cost around about $400 – $500 to complete, and it’s compulsory before you go on to any building site. So that is expensive. Then of course, you’ve got the issue around acar and in many instances, kids need transport, you know, even before they get their license. So then, of course, there’s a car issue, once you do get a license.
Ross: Yeah, just on the three ticket. Is that unique to the ACT, or is this something nationally and what’s the best?I mean, obviously they need training in that area. They need to be, make sure that they fully understand that. But is that something just unique to the ACT, and what should we do about it?
Denita: Yeah, so that’s, three of them is unique to the ACT, but certainly the white card is a compulsory requirement Australia-wide. Asbestos is becoming considerably another compulsion, and of course, silica is also important. Sowe are working with providers and BuildSkills Australia, that is tasked to develop training packages, to see what wecan do to ensure we can get those costs down. But that’s the type of thing that we’re talking to government about.The barriers to entry are not just simply getting an apprenticeship in the first place, or training. It’s all the extras that add up, and your listener is absolutely right.
Ross: Yeah, this texter says it’s unique to the ACT and $400 to $500 each ticket. I mean, maybe the employer might be able to stump up that, but I wonder whether they’d be interested in doing that.
Denita: Well, certainly some employers do Ross, but unfortunately, in many instances, you have situations where it’s compulsory before you even apply for a job or apprenticeship.
Ross: Right.
Denita: You need it to start. So these are the types of things that we want to talk to the government about. What about employer incentives? And that is not just about the employer getting cash in hand to help with wages and so forth, but it’s also for those upstart costs as well, for the apprentice.
Ross: Well, that sounds like a discussion we need to have here in the ACT. Denita Wawn, we need to leave itthere. I appreciate your time this morning. Thank you.
Denita: Pleasure. Thanks as always, Ross.
Ross: Denita Wawn, the chief executive officer of the Master Builders Australia. I didn’t realise we had this unique situation here in the ACT, and obviously, that is scaring some people off from going down this line and becomingapprentices. I wonder what we can do about that, what the government might be thinking of doing about that.
Media contact: Dee Zegarac National Director, Media & Public Affairs
0400 493 071 | dee.zegarac@masterbuilders.com.au