Three young workers hoping for a career in construction are the faces of a billboard initiative aimed at raising awareness of the need for more apprenticeships for locals and fewer workers on 457 overseas temporary work visas.
The billboards were created by Australia’s main construction industry trade union, the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), as part of the ‘Let’s Spread It Around’ campaign.
CFMEU Construction Division NSW Secretary Brian Parker said that the campaign highlights the growing concern in the community that young locals are missing out on training and employment opportunities while companies engage greater numbers of temporary overseas workers.
“Youth unemployment in huge swathes of Western Sydney is sitting above 15 per cent,” Mr Parker said.
“That means there are plenty of young locals who would benefit from apprenticeships in the construction industry. This campaign is about highlighting the fact that securing such an apprenticeship can be extremely difficult, and for many young workers, impossible. At the same time companies are upping the number of temporary overseas workers.”
“There has also been a recent spate of very high–profile insolvencies that have left many construction workers out of a job, including apprentices. We should be prioritising these people and giving our young people opportunities instead of relying on temporary overseas workers.
Mr Parker noted that in the 12 months to February 2013, Australian construction industry employment grew by only 1.1%, but the number of 457 visa holders employers had working in the industry actually increased by 25% to 14,080. Between December 2012 and March 2013, trades apprenticeship numbers dropped from 67,500 to 53,400.
He said billboard initiative, and the ‘Let’s Spread It Around’ campaign aim to ensure that the greed of companies is not prioritized above opportunities for young people in Sydney and across New South Wales.
The billboards will appear around Sydney in Ryde, Camperdown, Leichardt and Chinatown.
