Joint Media Release
South Coast Labour Council
CFMEU (C&G) NSW Branch
NSW Teachers Federation
Another Private Training Company Goes AWOL - Apprentices Across the Country in Limbo
Teachers and Construction Unions Call for Immediate Action to Restore TAFE Funding and End Privatisation Scandals
Hundreds of Construction Apprentices, many located in bushfire and flood affected communities, have been left in limbo with the demise of a major private training company Masters in Building Training. At least a dozen of these apprentices are located on the South Coast, including the Shoalhaven, Cobargo, Bega Valley and Narooma and have been advised that they will have to go back to TAFE to have their skills recognised. Some may have to repeat 2 years of a 4 year apprenticeship. This comes after the revelation that the completion of their training modules and competencies were not all officially recorded.
CFMEU NSW State Secretary, Darren Greenfield said,
"After the bushfires, covid and the floods crises, Australia is screaming out for tradies and construction workers. To think that hundreds of young people have been shafted by this private training company when they have done their apprenticeship time and are ready to rebuild this country is enough to make your blood boil."
"The worst part is that many of these young apprentices come from bushfire affected communities."
"They were looking forward to a fresh start with their construction qualifications only to discover they may have to repeat years of study at TAFE. Had they been given the opportunity to go to TAFE to begin with they would not be in this position."
"How many more of these taxpayer funded private training disasters do we have to endure before the Government pulls the plug on mickey mouse training programs and restores the funding it has slashed from TAFE, the trusted training organisation that has done the job for decades and trained millions of Australians?
SCLC Secretary, Arthur Rorris said,
"These privatisation disasters have been flowing thick and fast and you have to ask yourself why are our State and Federal Governments putting the profits of their business mates ahead of fixing the national skills shortage crisis?"
"Everyone is a loser here, the apprentices, their employers who have invested their time and money and the bushfire ravaged regions that desperately need every single construction worker and tradie they can get their hands on. Everyone loses except the private company that ended up with a nice earner and left a disaster for TAFE to clean up."
"To rub salt into the wound, this is what the boss of Masters in Building Trading had to say to Fairfax Media in 2015 on how they were getting contracts and running down TAFE ....
"The reason why guys don't take on apprentices or trainees is you lose them for one day a week to go to an institution," Mr Lawrence said.
"TAFEs have lost a lot of funding, they're closing 27 TAFE campuses because they can't compete with flexible organisations like us. It's really hard to organise your work if you're losing your apprentice."
In order to dispel any doubt about how the private training regime works we are told in graphic detail below how to cut corners…
"If a guy knows how to hang a door, or put up a frame already, we can mark them off without him having to learn how to do the floor first," Mr Lawrence said.
"There are competency standards listed on www.training.gov which tell us what you need know and that's all you've got to do."
NSWTF TAFE Organiser Rob Long said,
"Builders and employers must take note of the problems with engaging private training providers. Recently the closure of the private training company Masters in Building training has left apprentices without correct records of their training and no obligation for the company to complete their course. Builders and employers must be careful of who they trust to care for their apprentice's education."
"The current contestable funding policies, allowing private for-profit registered training providers access to taxpayer funds has failed. There have been too many occasions where students have been ripped off or left with no qualification when a private training organisation closes or is bankrupt. The current example of the private company Master in Building Training going out business on the south coast leaving apprentices without qualification can not happen again.
"Guaranteed funding for TAFE, and extra specific funding for the South Coast disaster recovery is urgently required. The rebuilding of houses and community facilities after the black summer fires needs is a long-term plan and high-quality TAFE vocational education course will be essential. TAFE needs more permanent teachers and students need access to free courses at south coast colleges. Both Federal and NSW Government must increased guaranteed funding to deliver the skills and education needed to rebuild."
