The Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) has been working hard to find solutions to the skilled driver shortage problem. Its latest apprenticeship scheme is the first answer to be approved by governments.
When skilled driver shortages became a constant problem for Australia’s transport industry, the Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) looked for solutions. Like many nuanced problems, QTA CEO Gary Mahon knew there wasn’t one single fix to the issue that would bring drivers into the industry in droves. A year after the previous federal government approved the QTA’s proposal for a heavy vehicle driver apprenticeship scheme, the QTA’s advocacy work has paid off as Queensland’s state government approved the scheme.
“It’s a very good and encouraging start,” Mahon told ATN. “There’s a number of people in the queue ready to get their fleet’s recruitment drive underway.
“It’s an excellent foundation to give people the confidence to pursue a career in truck driving.”
Mahon admits the idea of an apprenticeship process in the industry isn’t a new concept, as people for decades have tried to get it across the line. Yet when the skilled driver shortage first reared its head after the COVID-19 pandemic, Mahon knew Australia’s trucking bodies had to fight harder for the scheme. The previous federal government’s approval of the idea last year was a solid start, but it meant nothing unless Mahon and the QTA could convince the Queensland government that the scheme needed to be put into action in TAFE institutions.
Following the federal government’s approval, the QTA began the process of advocating for the scheme to be adopted in TAFE curriculum offerings for potential drivers. As the industry skills advisor for transport and logistics in Queensland, the QTA was able to give insight into how the system would work.
After advocating hard with authorities in respective departments to get them to endorse the program, Mahon’s association has finally seen its work come to fruition.
“There’s been a lot of good work done by a lot of people in the industry,” Mahon says. “We’ve also received lots of goodwill from operators who stuck by us and assisted with the lobbying and advocating process.
“We also had a department that was receptive to our argument being a long-time skills advisor to the government. These networks you put time into over many years come to the fore when these initiatives come along and you have already established a good level of trust.”
Mahon says the scheme is quickly becoming a very popular and well-received movement. The QTA CEO says all feedback has been positive, and that operators are only concerned about how to access the information and put it to use.
But there is one problem. Mahon says age restrictions were placed on the heavy vehicle driver apprenticeship scheme relating to current Queensland licensing rules. Under the rules, Queensland Transport and Main Roads rules say that people eligible to apply for the scheme must have an open drivers license, which they have to be at least 20 years old to be eligible for.
“We’re happy to get it underway and that’s a good start, but we’d prefer to bring in people younger than that as they leave school,” Mahon says. “There’s been a little bit of disappointment that the threshold fundamentally starts at 20 years of age.
“People are still happy overall to get underway with the formal apprenticeship so they can at least begin recruiting on that basis.”
RELATED ARTICLE: Grattan truck ban feature
Mahon says the QTA will continue looking to change the licensing age progression to allow for younger workers to begin apprenticeships as drivers. The issue was recently raised in a consultation undertaken by Australian Industry Standards and was highlighted as an opportunity to push for change from licensing bodies.
The QTA isn’t stopping at the apprenticeship scheme. The next area Mahon wants to investigate is getting the ANSCO codes specified to ensure heavy vehicle operations are listed at level three on the nation’s skilled migration list. If it fits into this category, it means truck driving will become a higher priority for the nation.
Alongside the initial apprenticeship scheme proposed by the QTA is a skilled migration initiative and a Jobs Ready program. The skilled migration move would see the nation emphasise bringing skilled workers over from nearby nations who are already licensed to operate trucks.
The Jobs Ready initiative would act as a mentoring program for the young drivers recruited using the apprenticeship scheme.
“The Jobs Ready initiative is a very popular policy proposal that can help bringing workers in with truck licenses and make them operators,” Mahon says. “To have a license allowing you to drive trucks down the road is one thing, but to be an operator is another thing altogether.
“We’re looking at a blend of skilled migration, apprenticeship and advocating for the Jobs Ready move – across these three we think we have every opportunity to build a sustainable and diverse workforce.”
It’s the diversity that holds the key in Mahon’s eyes. He says these three programs will help to offer employees a wider range of drivers. The QTA will continue ensuring it considers potential drivers from beyond the traditional pathways to bring as many skilled workers into the industry as possible.
“To be able to offer prospective employees a qualification is particularly helpful as we move into the next decade,” Mahon says. “It’ll bring lots of consistency to the industry in that people are being trained consistently within the same framework.
“We’ll look at these three strands of schemes to focus on a diverse workforce that uses different ways of attracting people to the industry.”
For those wondering how to get involved with the apprenticeship scheme, Mahon says the apprenticeship is subsidised in a co-contribution, meaning training providers decide how much to pay and split the costs. The expected duration of the apprenticeship is two years and providers of the training can be found on Queensland’s Skills Gateway website.
Mahon says the QTA will be touching base with training providers who expressed interest in the apprenticeship to confirm they’ll be offering the training. Employers may be eligible for a discount on the work cover premium and payroll tax rebates for their apprentices, while other subsidies may be available from an Australian Apprenticeship Network Support Provider.