Research

Summary page

Research

Understanding and resolving the skills shortage in the Australian printing industry

A skill shortage occurs when the demand for employees in specific occupations is greater than the supply of those who are qualified, available and willing to work under existing industry conditions. The aim of this project was to examine the Australian printing industry as a case study of the:

sets of factors at work in shaping current and future skills needs and shortages

areas of skills shortages now and in the near future

impact of current shortages upon an industry

range of industry, employer and training provider strategies that can be applied to respond to skills shortages.

The Australian printing industry is one of Australia’s largest manufacturing sectors. Small-tomedium businesses are the dominant employer type in Australia and worldwide. Like many industry sectors, the industry is operating in a rapidly changing global economy where businesses survive or thrive according to their ability to respond to change more successfully than their competitors. Many argue that the Australian printing industry has a long history of successful adjustment to change, including evidence of continued high levels of innovation, competition and technological change. Others, on the other hand, describe the industry as too traditional and unable to pursue the deeper levels of change required to operate in the new services economy.

Two methodologies were used in this project addressing skills shortages in the Australian printing industry. The first method involved a review of commissioned reports, commentaries, journal articles and statistical reports relating to the industry, its skills profile, and areas of skill shortage. The second method involved 31 interviews with teachers, directors of training organisations, employers, union representatives, members of skills councils and professional associations. This component of the research also involved shorter interviews and focus groups with 21 current apprentices and tradesmen.

Interviewees identified the primary skills shortages as in the areas of printing machinist and finishing. They also identified problems finding less skilled staff to work as table hands, trades assistants, printing and binding assistants, and in various manual labour roles. According to interviewees, the printing industry has traditionally placed great importance on the apprenticeship system. However, while the apprenticeship system will continue to be an important supplier of skilled labour for the industry for many years to come, other avenues will need to be explored to meet the skilled labour needs of the industry.

A complex set of interrelated factors was seen to shape the existing skills requirements and shortages. Interviewees highlighted:

a lack of vision by the industry about its future

too great a focus on new technology and equipment, rather than on investment in people and their training, to resolve the skills shortages

the low profile and poor image of the industry, with the printing industry being perceived as dirty, smelly and noisy

the negative attitudes of parents, teachers and school counsellors in relation to career prospects in the trades generally, and in the printing industry specifically.

At the same time, there was no evidence of an anti-training attitude in the industry; rather, it was believed that the industry needed to reposition itself to attack the skills shortages through multiple strategies instead of relying predominantly on an investment splurge to protect continued profits and growth.

The report offers three responses to assist the Australian printing industry—and related industries—to address the current skills shortages. These responses were derived from the data that emerged for this project, but have their roots in strategic management, human resource management and the training literatures. The position taken in responding to skills shortages is that we need to focus our attention on big-picture issues (strategic responses), actions by employers (workplace-based solutions) and a rethinking and broadening of approaches to training (training solutions).

Based upon the issues raised by industry members in the interviews, and employers in particular, the strategic responses to the skills shortage in the printing industry include:

continued investment in technology, but tempered by a renewed investment in other areas, such as staff training, waste reduction, and improved customer processes for customer management; new technology requires less skilled labour and so contributes to the easing of skill shortages

continued diversification, which will cement the future of the industry in the services and communication industries and thus lead to the provision of more attractive and skilled positions for staff

improvement in the image and profile of the industry to attract a pool of more motivated and qualified students into traineeship and apprenticeship positions

improved relationships with schools, including ‘adopt a school’ programs, more personal contact with school counsellors, teachers and parents, and more innovative promotions that better match the interests of technologically literate young people

expansion of the role of Australian Apprenticeship Centres to provide more support for marketing and promotion of apprenticeships in the printing industry, including building relationships with key players in the school-to-work transition

promotion and rewarding of efforts to build upon initiatives for improved collaboration between printing companies in the training of employees, including the sharing of high-technology equipment to train apprentices and more collaborative marketing efforts to reposition the image of the industry.

The second set of approaches for responding to the skills shortages emphasises the continued and accelerated application of workplace-based strategies. These strategies recognise the need to support and encourage the growth of the capabilities of existing employees, as well as attract employees from other industries. Other strategies currently being used by employers to compensate for shortages included the use of overtime, accessing staff through labour hire firms and adjusting shifts (for example, using overlapping or split shifts).

In addition, upskilling is being used by employers to deal with the skills shortage. Companies are selecting individuals from their pools of semi- or unskilled employees whom they consider have the appropriate levels of interest, motivation and attitude to take ‘a risk with’ and engage them in an apprenticeship or traineeship. In some cases, these workers have also completed an intensive up-front skills program. The majority of current apprentices interviewed had come into the industry as casual or unskilled labour, working as off-siders or table hands until taking up an apprenticeship.

The third set of strategies suggested as solutions to the skills shortage in the printing industry can be described broadly as training-based. Many of these strategies are applicable to other industries in Australia. These training solutions include:

a rethink of existing training models, including changes to the traditional methods of training. A key challenge is to determine the nature and extent of the training required, given the rapid rate of technological change and the likelihood that current students, once employees, will enter an industry quite different from the current one. A rethinking of the training model needs to review where training occurs (for example, on or off the job, block, day release and other), how it occurs (for example, hands-on, flexible learning, computer-based) and the nature of the trainer (for example, the role of the student as learner, and the roles of supervisors, employers, teachers and other students)

the use of accelerated apprenticeships facilitated by better use of off-the-job training, training plans, credit transfers and recognition of current competencies

a review of apprenticeship pay, which is currently perceived to be too low to encourage apprentices into, and to finish, their training

the greater use of workplace assessors to meet the needs of an industry where the dominant employer is a small-to-medium business, whose productivity can be seriously affected by the absence of apprentices at colleges

the growth in the use of VET in Schools and school-based apprenticeships, an initiative also dependent upon increased attention to other issues, such as the image of the industry, improved industry–school partnerships and improved apprenticeship pay

exploration of opportunities that may emerge through further developments in technology cadetships, the new technical colleges and the Institute of Trade Skills Excellence

an increase in the use of prevocational training and its improved integration into the training models, especially to assist the transition of youth in less skilled printing roles into apprenticeships

the successful rollout and implementation of the new industry training package

the development of pathways that allow more access to higher-level qualifications and continuing professional education for existing employees in a wide range of operational and more professional roles in the industry.

In summary, this case study of the Australian printing industry reveals the complexity of issues that shape a skills shortage and the requirement for any industry to seek a coordinated response that draws upon the efforts of employers as well as training providers. The solutions demand a mix of shorter-term strategies concerned with improving the image and marketing of the industry but, more significantly, the adoption of longer-term strategies concerned with clarifying the vision and direction for this industry in order to maintain continued momentum for change.