AUSTRALIA’s first Pay TV programme solely dedicated to promoting and celebrating the trades has just been launched in Sydney.
SkillsOne Television will air on Foxtel on the Aurora Community Channel with content created by a diverse group of young film-makers committed to creating a wide ranging library of innovative and often humorous films, programmes and resources about the outstanding technical skills of Australians.
Minister for Vocational and Further Education, Andrew Robb AO MP, said the television program was a welcome and timely resource for industry.
“SkillsOne Television will help raise the awareness and status of the trades at a time when the nation is facing a skills and labour shortage,” Robb said.
The program is run by the Institute for Trade Skills Excellence, an organisation set up by the Howard Government in 2004 with funding totalling $22 million over four years.
The Institute aims to promote and advance learning, teaching and training in Australian trades education and is in the process of developing a star rating scheme which will recognise high performing training organisations by awarding a one, two or three star rating for quality trade training.
The Institute will also recognise excellence in teaching for skills and trade teachers through the Trade Teacher of the Year Awards which will be held in November.
Complementing the SkillsOne Television is a SkillsOne website which is designed to create a home for anyone interested in or involved in the trade skills area.
“The SkillsOne Television programme will become the one stop shop for people looking for information about trades training in the vocational education marketplace,” Robb added.
SkillsOne Television will begin broadcasting on the Aurora Community Channel on Foxtel, Austar and Optus at 2pm on the 28 July 2007.
Also launched by the Minister was a new resource for Australian Apprentices.
Going the distance, a guide to the Australian Government initiatives helping you get there, is designed to provide a one-stop guide to the many forms of financial and other assistance available to Australian Apprentices.
“Australian Apprenticeships make an important and valuable contribution to Australia’s future growth and prosperity,” he said.
“We need to support Australians who wish to develop their vocational and technical talents, to raise the status of the trades and to reverse the damage caused by Labor who talked down vocational education and training for so many years.”
The booklet also contains inspiring stories from other apprentices who have seized on the opportunities a career in the trades can offer and high profile Australians give an insight into how their lives changed after graduating with an apprenticeship.
The guide will be available from Australian Apprenticeships centres.