Skills, training, procurement policies should drive election campaign: CCF

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Focusing on Australia’s future by supporting skills, training and procurement policies, which ensure a fair share of work for contractors of all sizes, is the call that the Civil Contractors Federation has made to parties advocating their policies for the 2010 federal election.

National CEO of the CCF Chris White said, “Our members are already experiencing skills shortages in key occupations like grader and excavator operators, pipe layers, road and bridge constructors and supervisory positions such as foremen and leading hands and this needs to be a major priority for an incoming government.
“Civil occupations are just not supported properly by a number of current incentives in training for which we don’t qualify. The current government has made some good steps such as setting up the Critical Skills Investment Fund, but we need to make things happen right now,” White said.
Procurement policies also play a very important part in providing capacity to meet our future infrastructure needs, but too often work is let in one contract which doesn’t support small to medium sized contractors.
“We are calling on all parties to focus on three key principles of equity, competition and collaboration in letting works to tender. It is also important that there be rolling capital works and maintenance programs.
“The Government made a good start on infrastructure projects, but in the 2010/ 2011 Budget this stalled and we would like to see projects given a kick start,” White added.
The CCF policy on procurement, with its focus on supporting small to medium sized contractors, has real and tangible outcomes as many CCF members are significant employers, particularly in rural and regional Australia.
“Our contractors play a very important part in their communities – in helping in emergencies like floods and fires, building fire breaks and levies and other communal activities. Supporting our members through sensible procurement policies has a benefit for the community overall,” White said.
The CCF has policies on a number of key issues such as procurement and prequalification, skills and skills training, employment and workplace relations and OH&S.
“We will be assessing the parties’ policies against these policy positions,” he said.

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