With support from its Learning and Development Committee (LDC), HVIA has published a short Position Paper identifying key barriers affecting workforce development in the heavy vehicle sector.
The document will be used to guide HVIA advocacy on workforce and skills with government, training providers and industry representatives.
Australia’s heavy vehicle industry relies on a broad mix of skilled trades, including about 20 distinct apprenticeships that support the manufacture, repair and maintenance of heavy vehicles. These include in-service technicians, such as heavy vehicle and diesel technicians, mobile plant technicians, heavy vehicle electricians and hydraulics technicians, as well as welders, metal fabricators/boilermakers, spray painters, body builders and other technical roles.
The paper identifies four key barriers to workforce development:
► Industry perception: Heavy vehicle careers are still too often viewed as outdated or low-tech, despite modern workshops relying heavily on diagnostics, electronics and software. At the same time, higher-paying industries such as mining, particularly in Queensland and Western Australia, continue to attract workers away from the sector. Together with limited awareness of career pathways, this is narrowing the pipeline of new entrants.
► Day-to-day business pressures: Workshops are operating under tight deadlines and, in many cases, with too few staff, making it difficult to release workers for training. As a result, skills shortages persist, with businesses being pressured to focus on short-term demands rather than building new capability.
► Structures in the training system: The third barrier is the structure of the current training system. Traditional apprenticeship models are struggling to keep pace with the complexity of modern vehicles, which now combine mechanical, electrical and digital systems. Pathways can be long and inflexible, and do not always reflect the skills needed on the job. There is growing support for more practical, flexible training that better integrates mechanical and electrical skills, with clearer options for specialisation.
► Supervisor and frontline manager capabilities: Many managers are promoted for their technical expertise but are not given the tools to lead teams or support apprentices effectively. This can affect retention, safety and overall performance. At the same time, an ageing workforce means valuable knowledge may be lost if it is not actively passed on.
The paper is available here on the HVIA website and is already being discussed and circulated for discussion with government and skills bodies.
Furthermore, at its August meeting, the HVIA Learning and Development Committee will explore practical and effective strategies that can be adopted by industry, government and training bodies to address these barriers, and put in place steps to improve skills and workforce opportunities for the industry.
For further information, or for HVIA members to be involved in the Learning and Development Committee, contact Aaron Johnstone (Chief Advocacy Officer) via a.johnstone@hvia.asn.au or 0423 481 951.