The Story so far… comment by CEO Craig Robertson

With apologies to Banjo and the riders of the Snowy Mountains

There was stirring across the nation, Sco Mo heard the word spreading round
The skills system of Australia was a wild and wayward mob
Hurtling to election resolution, a winning strategy must be found
Called a Kiwi thorough bred to wrestle this tough job.
He found the system complex with confusing inter-twine-ment
That led to needless tension between employers and RTOs
Better plans and in-formation, and strengthen skills thru align-ment
Into the crowded landscape, ‘twas added three SOs.

Replete from his prized victory – Sco Mo raced it to the eight
A great vocational vision – for his national cabinet clan
Gallop gave way to canter, stared down by the sovereign state
Although at least he salvaged – a five year skills plan.
Ever wary of the word national, the eight each took their own positions
Each have their own conditions, that shape a unique mission
Along rode Macklin, Gonski & Shergold – offering new propositions
And with South Australia, revamping its own commission.

Fearless in struggle ne’er un-deterred, Sco Mo saddles Robert to action the plan
And corrals good old industry, to pile the pressure on
A united voice should bring resolve, trusted ally to get agreement in the can
Replace SO with skill enterprise, to build the future on.
Surely good ol’ industry can bring the lot together, it has done the trick before
Oddly in this country on skills, capital and labour have unified
Alas, it’s ripped asunder at the neo-liberal hand, social partners seem no more
Is it too late to call for union, when the tri-part-ite has died?

At least some hope seems on the cards, quality training in the mix again
The sector can be rescued, pegged to self-assur-ance
But new rules just keep on comin’, and constant changing packages remain
All it manages to be testing, is provider ultra-endur-ance.
Key arrangements for the sector, such an odd dilemma actually hold it back
The chance is close at hand, to keep industry in the loop
Despite the Joyce ambition pilots in the hand, new plans appear off-track
In the best tradition, there is now a Transition Advisory Group.

New skills each day are needed, the world moves fast and can’t afford to wait
What benefit the commotion, if a student or employer
Must wait for finished product, that once finished is already out of date
Let’s choose a better target, and produce a skilled all-rounder.
Let’s hope the group can ponder, the way these needs are met
There is a new code – ASC, that could be the missing link
Elaborate industry arrangements does little responsiveness get
Trusting good RTOs to deliver will do better than you think.

This bard does humbly beg forgiveness, of this humour badly phrased
He hopes there is a message even after he’s long gone
We are at a point in history, when the difficult issues must be raised
The old ways just don’t cut it, to face a brand new dawn.

No one expert holds the answers, and we get little from unilateral action
We must find new ways, for more to have their say
Cause when this chapter they unearth in the archives of this nation
Will tell of the chance of VET reform, that simply got away.