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COAGCOAG Plumbing Occupations

Action Group

COAG Skills Recognition Action Group

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COAGCouncil of Australian Governments

TAS

VIC

WA

NSW

QLD

NTSA

ACT

C’wealth

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COAG Skills Agenda

SkillsShortages

BETTER SKILLS INFORMATION

MORE RAPID SKILLING• Apprenticeship duration • Enabling school-based

apprenticeships • New entry and exit

points in training• Better skills recognition

OVERSEAS QUALIFICATIONS

IMPROVING IMPROVING WORKFORCE WORKFORCE

MOBILITYMOBILITY

STRENGTHENING REGIONS

• New collaborative initiative

IMPROVING TRAININGQUALITY

EXAMININGNEXT STAGESOF REFORM

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Improving Workforce Mobility

• Workers’ mobility is restricted by licensing differences between jurisdictions

• This is despite– a longstanding Mutual Recognition

Agreement and supporting legislation across jurisdictions

– a national vocational education and training (VET) system

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Restrictions on Mobility

• Mobility Restricted by– Inconsistent use of the VET system by

jurisdictional regulators– Partially regulated occupations– Significant differences in the licensing

arrangements between jurisdictions

• Duplication of skill requirements between licensing and national qualifications systems

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COAG Decision• Governments will cooperate to develop

more effective mutual recognition arrangements across jurisdictions for occupational licenses

• This will be achieved through– Licence rationalisation and harmonisation– Removal of duplication of skills requirements

• Focus is on occupational licenses– Does not include pure business licenses

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Removing Duplication

Training Packages

Customer Product Supplier

Industry Regulators

Assessment Process

Skill & KnowledgeRequirements

Training DeliveryControls

VETSector

Assessment Process

Competency Standards

Registration & Audit

Licence Responsibilities

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Regula

tory

R

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Tra

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Ind

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Require

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Training Package Development

Mapping

Com

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Base

d

Regula

tory

R

equire

men

ts

Ind

ustry

Require

d C

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Tra

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Recognition of Overseas Skills

• COAG Agreement also involves recognition of overseas qualifications

– Streamlined system to be developed– Will use the national skill standards

determined through the mutual recognition initiative

– Will result in “single” assessment of skills

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Implementation

• Governance– The COAG Skills Recognition Steering

Committee– Occupation Action Groups

• Timetable– Action Groups to develop Action Plans by

August 06– Ministerial Agreement on Action Plans by

September 06– Full implementation by 30 June 07

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Quality

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Baseline Report

• Purpose is to

– Outline COAG initiative– Describe current licensing environment– Describe current status of Training Package – Identify current regulator use of Training

Package

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Licensing

• Large number of licenses – 93 across 8 jurisdictions– Most jurisdictions have single regulatory body

• Broadly common licensing model– Contractor licences

Can contract directly with public Operates unsupervised

– Trade Cannot contract with public Operate under supervision of contractor

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Broad Licence Classes ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA

Plumber

Drainage

Sanitary

Water Supply

Fire Systems

Mechanical Services

Roofing

Urban Irrigation

Gas-fitting

Gas-fitter – LPG

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Licensing Variations

• Key licensing variations

– Number of licence types/classes– Personal versus entity licensing– Restricted licensing options

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Licensing Eligibility

• Trade licenses involve– Competency based eligibility requirements– Experience requirements

• Contractor licenses involve– Competency based eligibility requirements– Non-competency based eligibility

requirements– Experience requirements

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Mutual Recognition

• Incomplete information on approaches by jurisdictions under Mutual Recognition arrangements

• Status of Mutual Recognition of license types/classes between jurisdictions needs to be clarified

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Regulator use of VET system• Plumbing and Services Training Package

has been endorsed

• Significant progress achieved through NPRF

• National agreement on inclusion of regulator requirements in Training Package– Implementation strategies– National training and assessment resources

• Implementation stage underway

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Issues for Action Group

• Validating baseline information• Solution for improving mutual recognition

– Model for licence rationalisation and harmonisation– Removal of duplication of skills requirements

• Validation/communication of outcomes• Implementation plan• Managing risks

– Stakeholder– Legislative and industrial– New system / old system– Equivalence and multiple pathways

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Open Discussion

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?Questions