A couple of recent events have confirmed to me that Australia has a long way to go in valuing trades and skills for work and leisure - no matter your age.
On a recent visit to New Zealand, I had the pleasure of staying at a lodge some three hours from Auckland, which is in a beautiful setting and affords a range of enjoyable leisure pursuits. What impressed me most about the accommodation was the dedication of the staff and their high level of service.
One evening I was talking to one of the wait staff, a 23 year old German girl who had worked in both Australia and New Zealand, and commented on how exceptional the service was. She responded by saying that she couldn’t understand why, in both New Zealand and Australia, we undervalue those who provide us with service.
She went on to tell me she had done a three year apprenticeship in Germany learning how to look after people like me! She was incredibly proud of who she was and what she did. At the end of our conversation, I couldn’t help thinking about the problems we face in Australia in terms of skills shortages, particularly in the area of tourism and hospitality. Overseas visitors are worth around $22 billion to Australia’s bottom line and while we offer a compelling product, we need to offer the first class service to accompany it.
I was also invited recently to be guest speaker to Rotary dinner attended by their National District Governors. In my address I encouraged Rotarians assist in getting the message out there to anyone who would listen that vocational education offers great opportunities and diversity. These opportunities not only benefit the young but they can also have immense appeal to mature age workers.
At the recent Skills Summit held in Brisbane I was both surprised and delighted to learn that Brisbane City Council, the largest council in Australia has been running a campaign to attract mature aged workers, they now proudly have over 20 bus drivers who are over the age of 70. The campaign has been successful in other areas too and again demonstrates what can be achieved by getting positive messages into the public arena.
I can't sign off without mentioning that SkillsOne has celebrated its first birthday this past week. For those who can’t remember, SkillsOne was introduced to promote and improve the perceptions of vocational education and training particularly in traditional trades. As parents, we are empowered to guide our children to most appropriate learning route. However, all too often we consider academic qualifications as the best option. It is important we listen to what our children want and get aligned with them ourselves to examine the very generous choices that exist particularly in vocational education. University is not and should not been seen as the number one choice when it comes to post-school learning, it is an equal option alongside VET.
Finally, I would like to say thank you to all those who have contributed to making SkillsOne the success it is. Thank you for your emails, your suggestions and your generous comments. We will continue to provide students, their parents and career councilors with a rich tapestry of content.
That’s all from me this week. Hope you all keep warm and well.
Brian Wexham
Chief Executive Officer
The Institute for Trade Skills Excellence
