The businesses in the manufacturing and engineering industries are represented by the the Australian Industry Group (the Ai Group).
Representing some 11,500 companies, large and small, in every state and territory, the Australian Industry Group is the largest industry body in Australia by far. These member companies provide more than $100 billion in output; employ more than 1 million people, and produce exports worth some $25 billion.
The Ai Group's activities covers a wide area of interest to its members, including:
Employees in the manufacturing and engineering
industries are represented by several trade unions. The biggest of these
is the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (the AMWU). The
peak body representing unions in Australia is the Australian Council of
Trade Unions (the ACTU).
Training in Australia is overseen by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA). Each industry group is represented in regard to training matters by an Industry Training Advisory Body (ITAB). The ITAB covering the manufacturing and engineering industry is the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Industry Training Advisory Board (MERS ITAB). The role of the ITAB is to advise state and federal governments on training needs in the industry and to develop training products for the industry, such as the Metal and Engineering Training Package. The MERS ITAB, apart from its national office also has offices in each state. In each case the board which governs the MERS ITAB is made up of employer representatives (such as the Ai Group), employee representatives (such as the unions) and government representatives.
In each state training is overseen by a state training authority. In New South Wales this is the Board of Vocational Education and Training which is administered by the Department of Education and Training.
The work of registering of apprenticeships and traineeships is carried out by the New Apprenticeship Centres (NAC's). Any employer, who is planning to employ an apprentice or trainee will need to consult with a NAC to have the agreement formalised. Some NAC's are operated by the Department of Education and Training while others are privately owned.
Training under any national training package can only be carried out by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) who must be endorsed by the relevant state training authority to deliver training in the particular training package.
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