This news is too good, and it’s true
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- Published: Friday, 09 August 2024 14:39
The NSW Government has announced massive funding of training in local government. $252.2 million will be allocated to councils over the next six years to employ 1300 apprentices and trainees across the state. It is planned to be ready and available for school leavers at the end of this year.
This is delivering on an ALP election promise to provide funding to local government beyond the reach of individual councils. We note and appreciate the role of the USU in both the development of the policy and its delivery. Good job, Graeme.
This will train the next generation of skilled workers, keep jobs in local government and reverse the hostile trend of councils outsourcing jobs to contractors.
Contracting out is a poison across the industry, undermining permanent employment and putting many councils in breach of their obligations under the Local Government State Award to provide full-time permanent employment, and not replace permanent employees with contractors.
We pursued Wingecarribee in November 2021, citing their obligations to provide adequate staff and other resourcing. Then followed an extremely slow restructuring process, and a turnover of directors, one leaving instead of “committing career suicide” by participating in a process that wouldn’t be fully funded.
Our members revealed to a new director at a meeting in January that the Council had 18 external planning contractors with live DAs - yes, that’s not a typo, 18. Not just spending more money than would ordinarily be spent on full-time staff but requiring planning staff to manage and peer review work done by “consultants” who were often less experienced and qualified than they were. The new Director didn’t know the extent of the contracting and left as well.
The Government’s decision will assist in resolving this problem. Premier Chris Minns announced “this is the biggest state government investment in directly hiring new apprentices in recent memory and will play a critical role in building better communities across New South Wales.
From electricians and landscapers to plumbers and planners, these 1300 new apprentices and trainees will play a key role in building the homes and communities of our state’s future.
This investment will make a big difference in smaller towns and regional communities where fewer pathways for formal training currently exist.”
Minister Local Government Ron Hoenig said “Councils have been crying out for a solution to the looming skills crisis for years, but the previous government did nothing to address the problem.
“This funding will provide a much-needed boost for our councils which are responsible for providing the services and facilities communities use every day.”
The Minister said it would ensure councils were well equipped to build the infrastructure facilities and to support growing communities as part of the Government’s commitment to resolving the housing crisis.
The Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said, “a decade of neglect and cuts to the skills training in local government sector by the former government has resulted in an alarming shortage of skilled workers and no solutions until now to ensure the sustainability of this critical workforce.”
We don’t normally quote politicians like this, but for $250 million, we can make an exception.
And it’s great news for regional NSW.
It’s time to start thinking about what your community needs, and ensuring that your Council gets its act together to provide proper supervision and mentoring for trainees and apprentices on the program.