CCF Victoria Set To Pilot Skills Training Program

The Victorian branch of the Civil Contractors Federation is set to pilot its skills training program, with a workshop for project partners being held this month.

15 June 2011

The Training Criteria would see the introduction of a line item in all contracts over $100,000, to be used to fund training and re-skilling of the civil construction workforce.  
 
“We are very pleased to see the pilot program get off the ground, as we believe there is no better way to demonstrate the potential value of the Training Criteria than  through industry participation,”  said Victorian CCF Chief Executive Officer, Claudio Cullino.  
 
The pilot program involves the Training Criteria being applied to a selection of civil construction projects being undertaken by a number of suburban councils.  
 
The  Training  Criteria involves an analysis of each specific project, with those submitting tenders responsible  for  identifying  the  skill  and  knowledge  requirements,  as  well  as  demonstrating  the capability of their workforce in relation to these requirements.   
 
The  pilot  program  also  has  the  support  of  a  number  of  universities  and  registered  training organisations,  whose  role  in  the  Training  Criteria  is  to  complete  a  gap  analysis  and  deliver  an appropriate training component.  
 
All  of  the  projects  being  undertaken  as  part  of  the  pilot  program  will  have  an  emphasis  on  water sensitive  urban  design,  demonstrating  one  of  the  key  drivers  behind  the  need  for  an  ongoing emphasis on training and re-skilling.  
 
“As  Government  and  communities  seek  options  with  the  environment at the forefront, and as the community strives to achieve the ‘Water Sensitive City’, it is critical that the workforce responsible for delivering key infrastructure is knowledgeable and up-to-date when it comes to new techniques and materials that encourage sustainability,” said Mr Cullino.  
 
With an increasing skills shortage in the civil construction industry, confirmed by a national research report commissioned by the CCF last year,  it is important to ensure a range of measures are implemented to improve the long term viability of the civil construction workforce.  
 
The Training Criteria is just one of the CCF‟s projects aimed at improving workforce sustainability.  
 
Addressing the skills shortage has flow on  benefits for state and local government, with increased productivity, reduced project costs and greater certainty around the delivery of capital works. It is hoped that a successful pilot program will lead to the Training Criteria being applied to all Victorian Government and Local Government projects.  
 
For further information, please contact Andrea O’Bryan, Victorian CCF Workforce Sustainability Manager at 0488 606 023

Image courtesy of Hazell Bros Group