Not so clever country
Herald Sun editorial
Feb 16, 2006

AUSTRALIANS have a deserved reputation for resourceful inventiveness.

How then is it that the nation is crying out for locally trained skilled workers?

The latest example is the decision of the bread chain Brumby's to import 20 Vietnamese bakers whose qualifications were obtained in Saigon.

Brumby's says it has had to close stores because it can't get skilled bakers here.

As the Herald Sun reported, at least two Victorian companies have hired Chinese welders over the past two years.

The Federal Government's knee-jerk response to widespread concern has been to encourage firms to look overseas.

It has listed more than 60 occupations for which firms can sponsor skilled workers. The Government has also commissioned academics to review skilled migration.

But what is it doing to train Australians in skills needed to make the country cleverer?

Some in the business world complain with justification that universities have expanded and proliferated at the expense of vocational education.

The Howard Government's response must be based on its acceptance that being clever does not necessarily mean having a professional degree. It also means being trained for a skill.
Herald and Weekly Times