AFTA CEO Dean Long has been out and about in Canberra meeting with key decision makers at a political and policy level to reinforce awareness and solutions to some of the major issues facing travel agents.
Ahead of the Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit on 1-2 September, the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) is continuing its advocacy through strategic engagement across the political spectrum.
As part of this, AFTA’s access to key influencers through the Federal Labor Business Forum and the Nationals Corporate Program amplifies the benefit of AFTA’s ongoing meetings with key Ministers, Treasury, and relevant Departments as well as key Members of Parliament and Senators across the pollical spectrum.
AFTA CEO Dean Long was back in Canberra last week and over the weekend, this time for the Nationals Corporate Observers Program.
“Most of our members are still navigating vacancy rates of 30 per cent plus in front-line positions and AFTA has and will continue to invest in making sure those making the decisions at a political and policy level understand what the problems are and what we need to fix them,” Long said.
“This is especially important in the context of the Federal Government’s National Jobs and Skills Summit and in ensuring that there is wide understanding of the value and plight of Australia’s Travel Sector.
“Advocacy that has impact requires not just flagging problems but also providing solutions.”
According to Long, it is essential that the planned 10+10+5 per cent wage subsidy for those on the priority list be converted immediately to a 25 per cent wage subsidy for year 1 to address the need to keep commencements up.
“Although retention of apprentices is also an important policy objective, the second and third-year wage subsidies are not going to make a material impact on retention as it not the cost to employer that is the key barrier to retention.”
“We recommend that the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System operates for the next two years with a wage subsidy of 30 per cent for 12 months for both trade apprenticeships as well as 2-year traineeships, and for 6 months for one-year traineeships.
“No base funding should be tied to an apprenticeship priority list during our current skills crisis. If a priority list is to remain, visitor economy occupations should be on the list due to the acute skills and labour shortages the sector faces.”
AFTA is also campaigning for a widening and streamlining of the opportunity to sponsor migrants in all skilled occupations, the extension of the refunding of visa fees to Working Holidaymakers and the maintenance of the temporary relaxation of student visa work limits so that international students can work more than 40 hours a fortnight at least until the workforce is replenished.
“The National Party over the weekend passed a resolution calling on the establishment of rules for state border closures in response to a motion from the Victorian members,” Long continued.
“Engaging with debate at this very early stage allows us to ensure the lessons of closed borders are learned while continuing to advocate on our current needs. This is advocacy work that takes time and considerable effort at a very detailed level.
“This is the work AFTA has and will continue to undertake to benefit our members and our sector.”
