INDUSTRY SKILLS DEMAND MEMBER SURVEY

BACKGROUND

Each year the National Skills Commission undertakes labour market research that forms the basis of its Skills Priority List (SPL). The NSC have determined that there is no shortage and a soft to moderate demand across all the trade based roles and occupations in our industry.

The SPL informs government thinking around skilled migration and VET, among other things. The results of the SPL flow directly into the creation of the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List

(AAPL), which determines the level of government prioritisation, support and incentives for apprentices and their employers. Over the last couple of years the NSC modelling and outcomes of the SPL has resulted in our industry apprenticeships being moved off the AAPL.

The PVCA is highly critical of the erroneous methodology behind the Skills Priority List. Identifying skills demands based on internet job vacancies, and without industry consultation or input is ultimately flawed. This approach has resulted in skewed data and results for our industry. The approach taken in the SPL, is unedifying and results in preferential treatment towards certain skills and occupations.

Therefore, we are seeking member and industry feedback via this survey to advocate our industry’s actual position to overcome the NSC’s erroneous methodologies and outcomes. We would greatly appreciate if members can provide answers to the following questions for that purpose.

Question Title

* 1. How many employees does your business employ? (please tick the appropriate box):

1 -10 employees 

11 – 20 employees 

20 – 50 employees 

50 – 100 employees 

More than 100 employees 

Question Title

* 2. From the following list of occupations, how many does your business employ? (please insert the numbers in each appropriate boxes)

Print Finishers (including Guillotine Operators and Mailhouse Operators) 

Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers

Printing Machinist (including Flexographic, Gravure, Label, Letterpress, Lithographic Reel and Sheet Fed Machinists and Printers) 

Small Offset Printers

Digital Printers

Screen Printers

Printers Assistant/Offsider 

Printing Table Workers 

Paper Machine Operators

Paper Products Machine Operators

Question Title

* 3. How many of your trade based employees identify as female, male, non-binary?

Female

Male

Gender non-binary

Question Title

* 4. Do you have, or have you previously, employed women in a trade-based occupation within your business?

Yes

Question Title

* 5. Does your business currently have vacancies for any of the listed occupations in question No. 2 within your business?

Yes

None

Question Title

* 6. If you answered yes to the previous question, how long have those positions remained vacant or vacant prior to filling the role? (please tick appropriate box):

1 - 5 weeks 

6 – 10 weeks 

11 - 15 weeks 

Longer than 15 weeks 

Question Title

* 7. For which of the following occupations do those vacancy periods relate? (please tick appropriate boxes):

Print Finisher (including Guillotine Operators and Mailhouse Operators) 

Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker 

Printing Machinist (including Flexographic, Gravure, Label, Letterpress, Lithographic Reel and Sheet Fed Machinists and Printers) 

Small Offset Printer 

Digital Printer 

Screen Printer 

Printers Assistant/Offsider 

Printing Table Worker 

Paper Machine Operator 

Paper Products Machine Operator 

Other (please specify)

None of the above

Question Title

* 8. Looking to the future, and for business reasons such as employee retirement, business diversification and growth, how long do you believe your business will need to employ into the listed occupations in the next number of years? (please tick appropriate box):

1 - 2 years 

3 – 5 years 

6 – 10 years 

Question Title

* 9. For which of the following occupations will your business likely need to employ? (please tick appropriate boxes):

Print Finisher (including Guillotine Operators and Mailhouse Operators) 

Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker 

Printing Machinist (including Flexographic, Gravure, Label, Letterpress, Lithographic Reel and Sheet Fed Machinists and Printers) 

Small Offset Printer 

Digital Printer 

Screen Printer 

Printers Assistant/Offsider 

Printing Table Worker 

Paper Machine Operator 

Paper Products Machine Operator 

Other (please specify)

None of the above

Question Title

* 10. Does your business advertise job vacancies via online platforms such as SEEK, CareerOne, LinkedIn?

Yes

Question Title

* 11. Are you registered and do you utilise the job active/workforce Australia government employment service in your search for candidates?

Yes

Question Title

* 12. Using the last time you advertised a job vacancy via an online platform as an example, how long did it take before getting a response to that advertisement? (please tick appropriate box):

Within 1 week 

Within 2 weeks 

Within 4 weeks 

Longer than 4 weeks 

Question Title

* 13. Using the last time you advertised a job vacancy via an online platform as an example, how many applicants responded to that advertisement via the online platform:

Nil 

1 -5 

6 – 10 

More than 10 

Question Title

* 14. If you advertise job vacancies via online employment platforms, are you generally content with the skills and experience level of the applicants that you receive?

Yes

Question Title

* 15. If you do not, or no longer, advertise job vacancies via online platforms please provide details of why you do not use those platforms.

Question Title

* 16. If you do not advertise job vacancies via online platforms, how do you usually source candidates for job vacancies at your business?

Question Title

* 17. Final thoughts: Given the subject matter of this particular survey, are there any other details, thoughts or considerations you would like to add?

Thank you for participating in this PVCA Skills survey. The results will help to better represent the interests of the industry and our apprentice programs. Your de-identified survey answers will be used to inform the submission into government, which may also be used for subsequent reporting, and for promotion and utilisation of the submission, report and or program into the future. We will not use any information that could identify you unless we receive written approval from you.