To:The productivity commission of industrial sector, ABC
from:The citizens of city,XYZ
Subject:Problems and needs of technical and vocational education and training workers Date: 1st Jan, 2013 Dear Sir: Introduction:The present report is based on technical and vocational education and training workers.I was asked by the productivity commission of industrial sector pakistan,to report on the difficuilties of employees face in the industrial sector. Report: •In this report There does not appear to be a widespread shortage of technical and Vocational Education andTraining (VET) workers. – However, employers face a challenging recruiting climate in parts of the sector, with some providers relying on longer hours of work from existing staff or having to compromise on the quality of new recruits. • Shortages can be linked to statutory wage structures in the Technical and Vocational Education (TAVE) sector that take no account of the relative scarcity of industry skills being sought, given that trainers and assessors are ‘dual professionals’. As a consequence, TAVEs need to rely on industry allowances to attract and retain some VET trainers and assessors with particular industry skills, while others might be paid more than is necessary. • High administrative loads, partly due to regulatory burdens, hinder retention of VET workers. • There is considerable variation across jurisdictions in working-hours requirements for trainers and assessors in TAVEs, and these requirements differ considerably from those for other industries. • Casual employment can increase the flexibility of the VET workforce to meet after-hours, short-term and specialist demand. However, this flexibility might be limited where restrictions on the use of casuals by TAVEs apply. • More managerial autonomy for TAVEs to link performance with pay, set wages and engage people on the most appropriate employment arrangements for their specific needs would help with recruiting and retaining staff. • Older workers, workers in other industries and Indigenous workers will be potential sources of VET workers in the future. Impediments to their recruitment should be removed. – The VET sector can provide support for potential Indigenous workers through Reconciliation Action Plans and cadetships to undertake teaching qualifications. – This would also encourage Indigenous students to progress from study into the workforce and, in time, return to the VET sector as trainers or assessors. Conclusion:Efforts to attract and retain workers affect capacity through labour supply and productivity. Shortages of VET workers can indicate attraction and/or retention problems in the sector. Key factors that influence attraction and/or retention, according to participants, are: • wages and salaries • hours of work • work arrangements • professional standing • career pathways • administrative load. Sugestions: • There are a number of rationales for government intervention in the market for TVETservices, including to: – overcome market failures relating to the broader community benefits of education and information limitations about the quality and benefits of education – ensure equitable access to VET, by subsidising participation for disadvantaged groups or providing them with access to credit. • Governments are involved in the sector through direct funding of providers and students, the provision of information, assessing the workforce needs of the economy, and regulation. • Use of explicit on-budget community service obligation payments to both publicly- and privately-owned VET providers (to compensate for the provision of non-commercial activities) has the potential to improve transparency regarding their viability, while also improving competitive neutrality across providers. • In recent years, there has been a rising trend to harness market forces in the allocation of VET services. Principles such as user pays and user choice increasingly underpin VET policy. This trend is likely to continue. • As the VET sector becomes increasingly competitive, a move towards greater managerial independence for public providers would give them the autonomy and flexibility they need to respond. Sincerely,