VMA SURVEY DEADLINE NEXT WEEK

The Visual Media Association (VMA) is rallying print business owners to engage in a critical initiative aimed at enhancing apprenticeship programmes, by completing an online survey.

The VMA Skills Priority List Survey has to be completed by next Friday. Click here to access the survey, which will take maximum ten minutes.

The VMA will then pass on the results of the survey to the government by its 15 May deadline for stakeholder engagement.

Kellie Northwood, CEO of VMA, stresses the importance of industry involvement in shaping the policies that directly impact apprenticeship programmes. “We recognise how busy our members are running their businesses,” she said. “However, the 15 May government deadline for the apprenticeship incentive review is something we must comply with. Ensuring our data is accurate and up to date is critical.

“I urge all of industry, not only our members, to complete the survey. It is a short ten-minute questionnaire which will provide a solid argument into government articulating why our apprentices should be incentivised and supported when completing our apprentice programmes.”

Recent discussions at the MISA Strategic Workforce Forum have shed light on the pressing need for commitments to apprentice training completion, given the current completion rates of a mere 55 per cent.

Charles Watson, GM of Industrial Relations, Policy, and Governance at VMA, underscores the urgency of addressing the high dropout rates among apprentices. “We know almost half of apprentices don’t complete their training period,” Watson said.

“This comes at longer-term costs to our industry in terms of skills availability as well as to the individual in terms of skills development. Getting the best outcomes from available government incentivisation and investment in apprenticeships is vital for businesses that take on an apprentice, and to ensure we have the breadth and depth of skills our industry needs into the future. Through the use of member data, we can inform the government's review and push for systemic change to not only promote vocational training but to ensure a greater number of apprentices complete their training,” he said.

Northwood emphasises the importance of supporting apprentices through their studies to address the industry's aging demographic and skills shortages. "Ensuring our members are equipped with the skills to support apprentices, and apprentices are supported, both financially and non-financially, to complete their studies are two key ways we can improve the low completions rates, having industry feedback across the skills needs will assist us in our advice into the department,” she said.

At the heart of the VMA's advocacy efforts lies a comprehensive data collection initiative launched in 2022. This initiative, comprising the release of the first Skills Survey in 2022, the Annual Industry Metrics survey in 2023, and the re-release of the Skills Survey, aims to equip the industry with robust data to influence government decisions effectively.

Industry stakeholders are urged to submit their data via the VMA Skills Priority Survey before the 10 May deadline. The survey aims to provide crucial insights into industry needs and inform policymaking.