A new working group has been formed to establish a process of change in the licencing of drivers and workers within the heavy vehicle industry. The Heavy Vehicle Licencing and Employment Pathways working group will enable the of voice the road transport industry to be recognised in driving the current processes of heavy vehicle licencing and to implement the necessary training structures to ensure a strong employment and career pathway within the industry.
Recently, a group of transport association representatives met with Senator Glenn Sterle at Parliament House to establish a workforce action plan that will underwrite the implementation of a structured training regime and that will draw from existing models and deliver a higher quality of professional driver into the heavy vehicle road transport industry.
This meeting followed a highly successful Heavy Vehicle Road Transport Safety Round Table that was attended by 37 leading industry representatives from transport companies, company representatives from key supply chains, the union movement and transport and industry associations.
Already most state associations have created their own driver development programs that embrace the calls from industry to do more to create trained, job ready drivers.
Recent studies have revealed that Australia has over 26,000 driver job vacancies in the road transport industry today. The current state and federal based licencing system circumvents the ability of the industry to attract and employ long term drivers who are skilled from day one.
Frustrated with the state and federal government agencies lack of urgency in what the industry sees as its most critical issue, the working group will clearly project the training requirements required before achieving a heavy vehicle licence and ensure that the pathways for career development are in place for all new entrants to heavy vehicle driving.
With a huge bank of training resource material, working knowledge and practical experience, it is now incumbent upon this group to have these resources ratified, funded and implemented. The action plan was formulated at the meeting with more meetings scheduled in the near future to ensure that the outcomes expected are delivered as quickly as possible.
The Federal Government has agreed to Skill’s Australia Workforce plan 2024.
We now call on the Government to implement the recommendations for an apprenticeship scheme in the transport and logistics industry.
We thank the following Associations for their advice and guidance:
- National Road Transport Association
- National Road Freighters Association
- Australian Trucking Association
- Australian Furniture Removers Association.
- Bus Industry Confederation
- Western Roads Federation
- Queensland Trucking Association
- Tasmanian Transport Association
- Victorian Transport Association
- Transport Workers Union
- Northern Territory Road Transport Association
The heavy vehicle road transport industry needs skilled, trained, and safe drivers who see the employment pathway as one that will ensure a growing career and obvious returns. The current systemic block is in the institutionalised licencing system that has not listened to the road freight industry.
We look forward to driving the change.
Further information:
Gary Mahon – Queensland Transport Association – 0418 736 802
Peter Anderson – Victoria Transport Association – 0418 572 727
