VET and Civil ConstructionIssues, strategies, experiences, future directions

and lessons learnt

Simon Elsy

ThemesSector Context

Skilling demands

L&D Stakeholders

Case studies

View towards the horizon

Civil Construction forecasts

(based on Construction Forecasting Council 2011 figures)

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-190

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

1,000,000

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

160000

Total Labour (National) Company XX Required (incl turnover) Total Work Projection ($M)

$M

Em

plo

yees

Nu

mb

ers

Occupations in Civil Construction

* SkillsDMC – CCF, Civil Construction Occupation Review Report, March 2010)

Background Issues 1• Reasonably buoyant projected work load (CFC)

– Regional, Remote, Cyclical

• Skills required cover minimum of 3 Training Packages.

– SkillsDMC, Manufacturing, Construction, Business, Electical

– Funding in civil construction bound by full qualifications for workers**

– Complexity of VET system recognised a challenge for industry***

• Qualification based skill shortages (e.g. 49% plant operators are qualified)*

– Mixed history of L&D for many blue collar workers

– Completion rates for training low (25-30% nationally*)* SkillsDMC – CCF, Civil Construction Occupation Review Report, March 2010)** South Australia DFEEST submission, Skills for prosperity – a roadmap for VET, Skills Australia, 2011***Skills for prosperity – a roadmap for VET, Skills Australia, 2011

Background Issues 2• Industry values “work experience” as measure for employability over

“competence”

• Training concerns relate to quality of providers, availability and capacity to

deliver to current industry standards

– Experience of external supplier and flexibility in delivery***

– Industry led outcomes requirements especially in contextualisation

* Mark,K & Karmel, T (2000) The likelihood of completing a VET qualification; a model – based approach, NCVER** South Australia DFEEST submission, Skills for prosperity – a roadmap for VET, Skills Australia, 2011***Skills for prosperity – a roadmap for VET, Skills Australia, 2011

Fact vs. fiction•Civil Construction Contracting realities– Remote & dispersed contracts, project life cycles (av. 2 to 3 yrs)– Workforce demographics (Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Subcontractors)

•Demands for next 5/10 years– Recruiting suitable local labour, and obligations for govt projects– Subcontractor quality: “experience overrides competence”– Projected works (rail, roads, utilities etc..) & recruitment gaps

•L&D & Skills shortage– Retaining talent especially at later stages of projects– Mobility of talent to relocate to new projects– Updating skills currency to new construction techniques– Training landscape (Funding, ISC, RTO’s, VET & suitability)

Ideal Workforce Planning modelImpacts from

strategic business plans

Scenario planning and demand forecasting

Workforce analysis and supply forecasting

Gap analysis, strategy development & planning

Corporate Workforce Plan

Project Workforce Plan

Monitor, measure & Review

Typical Civil Contractor L&D PlanningTraining Management Plans / Workforce Planning

–Tiered approach from Group, through Divisions, Businesses and

projects

Training Matrices

–Identify Competency and skills required for roles

–Classified as mandatory, optional etc

Adapted to State/Territory variances

–Licences

–Compliance

–Legislation

Project Based Challenges• Context

– Average life 2 to 3 years– Most are subcontractors/temporary

• Training constraints– Time limitations to complete focuses on RPL– Workforce available for training

• Candidates– Recruited locally with variable experience of civil disciplines– Qualifications levels low or non- existent– Apprehensive to sign up for training

Key Players

Employers

Staff

Suppliers

Skills Councils

ITABSERTO

AACASQA

• 11 national Industry Skills Councils funded by Federal Government since 2003.

• Develop and manage training packages RII09 covering drilling, mining, civils and quarrying.

• Recommend approach or process to meet industry’s needs through annual environmental scan.

• Managing Funding recent role. • Managing LMS systems (Skills Maximiser) linked to acceptance of funding• Seek employer data regarding staffing, training, etc..for government

reports.

SkillsDMC

Employers and ISC•Industry engagement in training package expert group

•Modifying package for flexibility RII10

– Skills sets for employee progression & retention

– New format with stricter guidance for RTO’s

•SME in supporting development of Training & Assessment tools

•Funding (rationale for ISC?)

– Suitability for ISC or TAFE/RTO’s

•Tier 2 engagement

•Developing International scope

Training Suppliers• Projects traditionally local sourced influenced by local

staff (HR)• Over 3000 training suppliers of one type or another in

NSW• Supplier key abilities are:– consistent quality– ability to meet project needs and contexts, – Understand client quality needs (e.g.. RMS)– Funding support

• Use Procurement approaches• Maybe partnering if part of employer process

Employees • Engineer

– full time, graduates in-house scheme– Possibly liked to EA

• Specialist contracted (surveyors, drillers)– Qualified and have current tickets

• Supervisory – full time payroll– Formal qualifications possible– Will have tickets if needed for work area specialism

• Manual – Likely to be unqualified– Temporary– Options to train mixed and may need coercion

• Apprentices/traineeships – may occur pending contract type – NSW Training guidelines for govt contracts

Collaborative Partnering

• Lead RTO• Verification of competence• Training and assessment

delivery and engagement• Certification• Traineeships liaison with

AAC/ISC

• Manage Funding agreements

• Enabling Skills Maximiser• Reference point support

• HR liaison with TAFE/AAC/ISC• Workplace Assessor support• SME• Standardised assessment Tools

• Procurement Policy• Internal SME(e.g. Concrete)• Workforce Planning Policies and

Support

Employer

ISC

Project

TAFE

Key attributes• 70 registrations for various Cert III’s• 64 completions (80% vs. National c.30%)• 20% trainees female• Indigenous comprised 6% trainees• Embedded assessors comprising supervisory staff• TAFE Trainers attended in-house training e.g.

concrete, GPS systems for CPD• Finalist in NSW Training Awards

Collaborative Partnering Plus

Partnering Plus?• Where collaboration enables working in

collaboration exploring synergies and seeking common aim in areas where there has been little existing information– Attain excellence in skilling– Break new ground in developing resources– Sharing expertises– Mutual skilling

Case Study 2 Partnering Plus• Preferred supplier basis• Training via Partnering– Integrating in-house assessing– 26 Cert III Civil Construction related certifications– 100% completion

• Piloting new units– 15 Concrete paving SOA

• Developing new resources– ASCP technical training subcommittee

Enabler for Client Quality Strategy

Leighton

Project

N.Coast TAFE

ASCP SkillsDMC

What's next?

• Australian Workforce & Productivity Agency (Skills Australia)– 4 scenario planning models

• Future of Work will change irreversibly• Global competition will increase• Funding to be simplified• Recognise and develop approaches for Gen Y

Participation issues• To 2025 industry need of higher skill levels

will continue• Productivity needs essential to survive global

competitiveness, through enhanced skills• Labour mobility is an issue• Skills and workforce development tailored to

meet specific industry and regional needs• Education and training system to be forward

looking to meet industry skills need • Increase participation in learning and work,

maybe new learning paradigm

Future Focus Scenarios to 2025

Scenario based occupational employment growth (AWPA)

Challenges for projects• Mentoring and skill transference better

developed

• Sourcing reputable and consistent training

suppliers state-wide/nationally/internationally

• Skills need is immediate which is not enough

time to train to full competence• Locations not where unemployed and skilled are• Competition from mining• Workforce mobility needed between projects

and areas if work was more regular and predictable

The future in high tech world• Challenges and opportunities– Re-skilling, continual CPD

• Traditional roles will disappear– Become more highly skilled– up-skilling of existing workforce

• Technology will – open up new labour markets – attract non-traditional skills into the

industry

Stateless training

• Trainee• RPL• Mature• VOC

Global Learners

• TAFE• RTO• ERTO• ISC’s

Global Suppliers • Cafeteria

selection• Timetable free• iTunes U

Global Platform

• Qualification• Licence• Skill Set• SOA

Branding Agency

Summary• Share best L&D practices• Encourage learning organisations• Tier 2’s need support• Open collaboration IP is history its already out there• Think global• Assessment and certification brand is USP• Less time dependant and attendance based approaches• Funding less complicated• Regional workforce development planning in need

hotspots• Role of Skills Councils in to meet future needs

Connectivity, Architecture and Devices

Q & A