Apprentices a struggle to find

GLADSTONE is struggling to provide industry apprentices due to the lack of numeracy and literacy skills.

From the mining industry to the new liquefied natural gas industry, apprentices with appropriate school based skills are becoming scarce in the Gladstone region, according to industry sources.

The Gladstone Area Group Apprentices Limited (GAGAL) has placed more than 2500 apprentices into trades in the Gladstone region. GAGAL general manager Kerry Whitaker said sometimes GAGAL has to go back to the very basics before they can start training apprentices.

“Overall the standard of literacy and numeracy is not good,” Ms Whitaker said.

“If we were to reject apprentices just on their numeracy and literacy we wouldn’t have any.”

Ms Whitaker said to take up an apprenticeship in any of the engineering trades or dual trade electrical/instrumentation, apprentices need a good grasp of maths both metric and imperial and learning in centimetres doesn’t help.

“There is no industry apart from education that uses centimetres as a measure,” she said.

“I have spoken to the educationalists and they have explained the rationale, but I have also spoken to young men who are struggling with converting from centimetres to millimetres.

“Because of this, there are currently not enough electrical apprentices to meet the needs of industry.”

Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) chief executive Brett Schimming told The Observer the lack of numeracy and literacy skills was not just a problem with school leavers, but exists across the whole industry.

“CSQ has identified an issue across our industry with literacy and numeracy skills for people of all ages,” Mr Schimming said.

“CSQ has established an integrated strategy to provide literacy and numeracy support across the industry.”

The Department of Education told The Observer they have not received any concerns from industry or training organisations in the Gladstone region regarding the standard of apprentices.

However, both GAGAL and CSQ have set up school based programs counteracting numeracy and literacy problems.

“Kids are disengaging from education in about grade four,” Ms Whitaker said. A Department of Education spokesperson said Central Queensland Institute of TAFE will also introduce a number of new programs aligned to all industries in the Gladstone region.