I REFER to your recent article “Barrier to jobs” (The Border Mail, April 19).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It has a photo of Sussan Ley, which looks to have been taken across the table of a “milling machine”.
Prior to redundancy, my employment tenure was in the trade training of fitting and machining apprentices with Riverina Institute of TAFE-Albury since 1998.
Over time I have heard the concerns of employers addressing issues with cross border anomalies in training and employing apprentices, hence the appointment of the “Cross Border Commissioner” to help alleviate and address these.
There was for many years “Memorandum of Understandings”, which basically ensured if investments were made in assets and infrastructure on this side of the river, they weren’t duplicated on the other side, and vice versa.
These memorandums, as declared by Riverina TAFE’s director, no longer exist.
Sussan Ley and the Cross Border Commissioner were consulted extensively about the closure of Fitting and Machining Albury, a section which had a near new asset base of $1.5 million (excluding buildings).
The staff across the river are excellent, however their equipment is in dire need of a major investment/upgrade.
Of particular interest is the upgrade of Leeton Fitting and Machining, complete with a 200-seat auditorium, which has been moved to a No. 1 state priority to service 35 fitting and machining students.
Much of Albury’s equipment is earmarked to go there.
Coincidentally, Leeton is in the electorate of Adrian Piccoli (education minister) and also the Riverina Institute’s manager of education and training resides there.
Local NSW employers, please get concrete guarantees that your apprentices will be supported over time to cross the river.
The day is coming where they will have to attend Wagga (61 students) or Leeton to bolster numbers.
— DARREN STEVENSON,
Albury