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,

Salwa Shireen