Like you, I took a deep breath at the end of 2020 and thought ‘I’m glad that’s over!’. It was also an opportunity to think about all that we (you) achieved in response to the challenges of COVID 19, even using it as a stimulus to innovate. Put simply, the future is in our hands. My learning already is that we as an Association win every time we talk to and listen to our members. That will be my mantra for 2021, so be warned I will want to talk to you.

Of course the challenges of 2020 are not quite behind us. However, COVID-19 has exposed what the role or raison d’etre of our Association must be: to provide genuine support to members, keep them informed of all things relevant (e.g., government and industry information) and provide quality services and solutions. Based on this, MTA Queensland has embarked on a fundamental review of the services we offer. This will not be a review in name only. We are genuine about redesigning our services, communications and engagement. We can use virtual technology to offer regular opportunities to engage and learn.

This won’t be a ‘build it and they will come approach’. We are committed to finding out what members are looking for and testing ideas with members, divisions and ultimately our Board.

The Review

The review provides an opportunity to reflect on what works, what doesn’t and to identify what members really need to prosper. At a minimum this can be expected to include:

• Review of key services and development of opportunities where we can add value in areas such as workplace relations, workplace health and safety and environmental compliance
• Development of digital e-products to better meet needs
• Regular member webinars and Zoom sessions across the state on key areas of interest, breaking industry news and repair solutions, including external speakers
• Regional visits incorporating sharp and short workshops on critical topics (such as workplace dismissal) and opportunities to engage on key issues impacting on the industry

We look forward to discussing improvements, changes and services with members.

Training

The Productivity Commission has released its final report on the vocational education and training (VET) sector. There have already been major skills policy developments. These include the Heads of Agreement for Skills Reform setting out high-level directions for a new National Skills Agreement and the $1 billion JobTrainer package jointly funded by all governments, which provided from September 2020, low fee, or no fee, training to support about 340,000 additional places. It is expected to continue to December 2021.

While the report did not find that the sector was in crisis, it did call for a serious overhaul of VET’s confusing and underperforming aspects, providing an important evidence base for the reform road ahead. In my view, many of the current structures of the VET sector are obsolete and are no longer serving the students’ needs or industry’s requirements.

The fundamental building blocks of reform need to include genuine industry engagement, targeting of funding to industry and job needs, a qualification system that keeps pace through recognising stackable micro-credentials and nationally consistent pricing and contractual terms.

For us, we will be talking to members very soon about a suite of micro-credentials to be delivered flexibly to meet immediate skills needs. They will be quality, industry-endorsed, non-accredited short courses focusing on members real needs. The idea being to add the skills your employees need when you need them.

Technology advancement

A major issue for industry is technology advancement and its acceleration. The pace of technological development is ever increasing, and it is now deployed much faster due to innovations around things like Apps.

While it is certainly disruptive, it is also the future. The top ten skills identified by the World Economic Forum largely relate to tech, problem solving and other softer types of skills (problem solving, as an example). This fourth industrial revolution, driven by transformative technologies, will both increase productivity and will change the nature of work. A key is that automation will affect, but not replace, all jobs, so we all need to improve our understanding and skills.

Our Carmageddon IV on 22 July 2021, will have on its agenda technological advancement, automation and all aspects of innovation connected to the automotive and mobility industries. Knowledge experts will deliver keynotes and participate in a panel to answer questions. Current trends driving change include advanced automation and robotics; machine-to-machine and human-to-machine communication; artificial intelligence and machine learning; and sensor technology and data analytics. The impact of these changes has the effect of transforming entire systems of production, management, and governance.

Meetings

I have been meeting with other industry associations to discuss common issues, share experiences on service delivery and to identify where we can do better. Like us, during COVID-19 most associations stepped up communications and provided clear and timely information to members. My assessment is that our opportunity is to continue that service model at all times, not just during a crisis.

I have had some very informative discussions with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) through the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Multiscale 3D Imaging, Modelling and Manufacturing, regarding our research project in motor vehicle recycling. We have direct input to the research through our MTAiQ Innovation Hub which has QUT’s PhD candidate Sarfraz Ali in residence working on his Recycling of automotive parts for additive manufacturing thesis. There is much for our industry to consider as we progress this initiative.

Industry divisions will commence their quarterly meetings in the coming month. I’m looking forward to hearing members’ views about sectoral and automotive issues in general. These now can be face-to-face, but we have the technology for members to participate remotely. It will be an ideal opportunity to test my thinking outlined above.

I have also begun discussions with our interstate counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest and particularly the agendas they have for informing members of new innovations and technological changes.

The last word

A Commonwealth government initiative that members may not be across is the development of a scheme for the automatic mutual recognition of occupations across states and territories. The scheme allows a person who is registered for an occupation (approvals/registrations) in their home jurisdiction to be considered registered to perform or trade in the same activities in another state or territory, without further application or additional payment of fees. Our Deputy Chief Executive Office Kellie Dewar and I are scheduled to meet Office of Fair Trading, State Treasury and Department of Transport personnel shortly to discuss its application. It is pleasing that an issue identified through our divisions has now progressed to real change – that is why we are here.

As we progress into the 2021 Year, best wishes to you and your endeavours as we push past the pandemic.