The Andrews Labor Government is making it easier for gas fitters, bus drivers, real estate agents and driving instructors to get on with the job of building a stronger Victorian economy.
The Government will make a range of trade qualifications more portable between states, improving labour mobility for a range of occupations that also includes building and plumbing workers and pest and weed controllers.
The proposed reforms will make it easier for tradespeople with relevant interstate qualifications to make a start in Victoria.
This will allow them to work while preserving the qualifications they need to do their work safely and to the high standards Victorians expect.
The reforms will make the most difference in communities near state borders, and will be a boost for regional communities and local economies.
Currently these areas often require local tradespeople to obtain duplicate qualifications from different states to be able to work in their community.
This burden will now be removed, as will the requirement that businesses comply with two sets of requirements under different state-based codes of conduct. Removing this requirement will cut red-tape for businesses and make their lives a lot easier.
The Government will now undertake consultation during the next 18 months to hear the views of stakeholders to ensure the best approach is taken.
Quotes attributable to Treasurer Tim Pallas
“We want to make it easier for people to find work, and to also make sure that the state has the skills it needs to further grow the economy.”
“These reforms will allow qualified workers to work in Victoria – as well as making it easier for local trades to work interstate – without getting bogged down in unnecessary and costly red tape.”
“With Victoria’s population growth the fastest in the nation, this will make it easier for people to work across borders, boosting local economies and communities, and helping people find a job – while maintaining the important trade protections and standards that Victorians expect and deserve.”
“The proposal to remove the doubling up currently required will be a helping hand to local businesses that have had to comply with two sets of requirements.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020