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Training package to ease skills gap

Mining companies must approach workforce planning in a systematic way to mitigate critical business risks, SkillsDMC CEO Des Caulfield told MINING DAILY at the launch of Australia’s first rationalised Training Package for the resources and infrastructure industry.

The Training Package, launched at the 2009 SkillsDMC National Conference, which began yesterday in Sydney, will provide employers with a new structure to efficiently recruit and train staff Australia-wide, according to Caulfield.

The result of a three-year project, the National Quality Council endorsed Training Package will impact over half a million industry employees and thousands of companies across the country.

The consolidation of five sector Training Packages into one has created a new national competency recognition system, according to Caulfield.

“We collapsed five training packages into one; therefore, a worker with qualification in one industry sector is recognised in the other industry sectors,” Caulfield said.

“All of the industries take from pretty much the same skills pool, so the movement of people within sectors has been greatly increased.

The Training Package aims to allow employers to more easily identify candidate skills that are relevant to operations across the coal mining, civil infrastructure, construction materials, drilling and metalliferous sectors.

According to SkillsDMC Operations Manager Dorothy Rao, the package will reduce the need for expensive and unnecessary retraining, and improve the recruitment and selection process.

However, the success of the package is dependant on funding from state and federal governments, according to Caulfield.

“One of the major features of the model is that we provide the funds that we receive from government directly to the enterprise, so it is the enterprise that is purchasing the training, and not government,” Caulfield said.

The Training Package will be rolled-out to industry from August 2009, with implementation over a 12-month transition period.

Organisations can contact their state SkillsDMC industry skills advisor for assistance with the new package.

For more information go to www.skillsdmc.com.au.

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