National trade licensing system planned
The Council of Australia Governments (COAG) met on the third of July, who discussed making a seamless national economy.
One decision which will have massive raminifactions across the trades and SKills industry, is
developing a national trade licensing system. This will, according to the COAG Communique, remove inconsistencies across State borders and allow for a much more mobile workforce. Under current arrangements, an array of occupational trades is licensed to varying requirements in each State.
COAG's agreement will result in a new national system that will be signed off by COAG in December 2008.
The system will see a national approach to the licensing of a range of economically important trades. COAG has agreed that the national system will initially apply to the following trades:
- Air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic occupations;
- Land transport occupations;
- Plumbing occupations; and
- Property agent occupations.
There is also going to be a national reform of the vocational education and training sector.
COAG further endorsed the need for a new wave of national reform focused more squarely on the users of the vocational education and training system. This particularly is in regards to competition, contestability, regulation, quality assurance and consumer information. The proposals will also be considered by COAG in October 2008.
COAG's next meeting will be held in Perth on 2 October 2008.
To read the entire COAG Communique from the 3rd of July, see the COAG website .
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