Since the welcome news that, from January 1st 2023, print qualifications had been put back on the Government’s Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, further detail has emerged, with industry representatives now turning their attention to significant omissions and working on ‘problematic’ coding and categorisation.
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| Print Finisher & Screen Printer are the only Titles listed in the revised ANZSCO list, although Cert III courses are there |
The move to reinstate print to the priority apprenticeship list was the result of an internal government review which saw qualifications for several industries put back on the list, and some new qualifications added which were not previously included – in fact, the list has almost doubled, to cover 110 occupations.
The decision on print is a positive one for the sector and has been widely welcomed by industry groups and business owners, as it allows businesses to once again claim a subsidy for training apprentices across a wide range of trades.
However, there are some notable omissions including Signage, and issues with how trades are defined and their ‘occupation outcomes’ coded, which has industry experts scratching their heads.
ASGA President 'dismayed' at omissions
Mick Harrold, President of the Australian Sign & Graphics Association (ASGA - pictured right at last year's Sign & Graphics Awards Presentation which included 'Young Star' of the Year), said the sector was dismayed to discover only this week that – contrary to 
earlier reports – Signage has apparently been dropped from the national list in this latest round of revisions.
“Signage has been on every one of these lists up until at least late last year, and we’ve not received any official notice that Signage trades have been removed, but certainly our assessment from the published list is that it looks to be the case,” he says.
“We are obviously seeking clarification but, if it is as it appears, this is a real concern and reflects a possible lack of understanding by government decision-makers about the relevance and requirements of our industry.”
Harrold says the ASGA has already confirmed that, at least at this stage, the sector remains on priority lists at a State level, and that Apprenticeship Authorities believe signage apprentices are still eligible for training subsidies – though what it might mean for businesses wanting to recruit from overseas is still unclear.
“We will be holding a number of meetings with our sector colleagues, fellow associations and relevant authorities over the coming few days to further clarify the situation and ensure that there is consistency between state and federal lists, and that signage apprenticeships are properly recognised at both levels,” he says.
Wide Format Online also spoke to Chris Dean, Group Training Officer of major label print group, Multi-Color Corporation, who explained that the ANZSCO codes and names which have been allocated to reinstated print qualifications – supposedly based on what the trainee will be doing in the workplace – are ‘weird and confusing’.
“For some reason, the print qualifications have all been listed under just two codes – printing and related qualifications are now all listed under ‘Print Finisher’, and both print and print finishing qualifications are also listed under the occupation outcome of ‘Screen Printer’,” he reports.
“There are also some obvious omissions to the list, with the Certificate III in Prepress, Graphic Design, Production, and Signwriting qualifications, not currently included.”
LIA also concerned
Mel Ireland (pictured right), is Federal President of the Lithographic Institute of Australia (LIA) which has a decades-long history of commitment to training and 
apprenticeships and has been watching developments closely. She told us while it is promising to see print qualifications amongst those reinstated to the priority list, there are some issues which need to be resolved.
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The LIA has consistently supported Apprenticeships and Graduates for decades |
“The LIA welcomes the expansion of this incentives program, which gives confidence to industry employers that they will be able to access much-needed subsidies to assist them with onboarding and training new apprentices,” Ireland says.
“There are, however, clear omissions, and the way in which the ‘occupation outcome’ has been coded is problematic as it could lead to confusion and possible mistakes in the sign-up process. We are consulting with a range of stakeholders to address these issues, so the process for enrolment is straightforward and transparent for all industry trades.”
Clearly, there is still work to be done by industry to ensure all industry qualifications are properly understood and categorised by those in government, however Ireland says she’s confident that ongoing conversations will see these anomalies amended in due course.
“The graphic communications sector is not alone in this – similar issues have been identified by other industries, and already a number of representative bodies have indicated that they are seeking further discussions with government.”
Meanwhile, those who have studied the revised list suggest that as long as print and finishing apprentices are signed up under the ‘Print Finishing’ occupation outcome, the employer and apprentice will benefit from the incentives which come with being on the priority list.
Employers interested in recruiting trainees should, however, check with their Apprenticeship Authority or RTO before onboarding new apprentices, and check eligibility details and how to apply on the government’s Australian Apprenticeships website.
This, of course, highlights another piece of the puzzle – the willingness of businesses to make the most of this opportunity by recruiting new trainees.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to over the last couple of weeks is delighted that the government has reviewed and reversed their earlier decision, but to secure the future of our industry it’s now incumbent on industry businesses to do their best to attract and employ new entrants into a print trade,” the LIA’s Ireland says.
