Alan Brown, President of the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) and Tony Arnold, Chair Master Electricians Australia (MEA) have today released the following joint statement >>

A stronger and united voice for Australia's electrical contracting industry

For many years, the Australian electrical contracting industry has been represented by two organisations, the National Electrical Communications Association (NECA) and Master Electricians Australia (MEA).

Both organisations have worked tirelessly to advance the interests of their members and industry, to improve safety standards and statutory compliance for contractors, their employees, their customers, supply chain partners and the community.  Both organisations continue to provide services to their respective members, including technical support, training and business advice.

The organisations – through their members, Registered Training Organisations and Group Apprentice Schemes – also support the largest cohort of Electrical Apprentices in Australia.

In recent years it’s become clear that the industry would benefit from having a stronger and united voice as well as providing a more comprehensive suite of services to members. As a result, both NECA and MEA have listened to their respective memberships and have entered a memorandum of understanding.

This will allow the two organisations to collectively explore better ways to represent and be the single voice of a united industry.

These talks have been led by the two organisations’ national presidents – Alan Brown for NECA and Tony Arnold for MEA. The discussions to date have been focused on a single goal – to deliver a better deal for members. While the process is ongoing, there are a number of core principles guiding these discussions.

These principles include:

• Keeping the best interests of all members at the absolute forefront of what we do;
• Respecting the extensive history of both organisations;
• Understanding the different needs and expectations of the two memberships;
• Harnessing the power that combined advocacy to government would create;
• Appreciating the high-quality staff employed by both organisations and their tireless commitment to serving members and the broader industry;
• Providing the best possible deal for members, including the services and expertise of both organisations being made available to all members;
• Providing the highest quality apprenticeship services to the industry;
• Ensuring that the next generation of contractors is well represented; and
• Recognising the huge opportunities in combined industry and networking events.

The final outcome of these discussions is still to be determined. However, there is considerable goodwill on both sides and we are confident that we can agree on a strong platform, and a united voice, all of which will result in a more prosperous and sustainable future for Australia’s electrical contracting industry. We will keep members informed as the discussions progress.

Whether you are currently a member of NECA or MEA - or both – you can be assured that this process will only strengthen your association and your industry. We look forward to a very bright future and working as one.

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STUDENTS from Brisbane to Queensland’s far north west will this week get up close and personal to mining careers when they attend an engineering camp in the iconic mining city of Mount Isa.

The would-be engineers will go onsite at Glencore’s Mount Isa Mine for the Make It Now in Engineering (MINE) challenge in which they’ll solve real-world problems.

They will be mentored and guided by Glencore staff, before presenting their project to senior Glencore mining professionals.

Meanwhile, local students from Mount Isa and Cloncurry schools interested in trades will work with Glencore apprentices who will help them to assemble a powered pushbike, using bike parts rescued from the dump.

The event will take place at the Spinifex College Trade Training centre where they’ll work in a simulated mine-site environment.

The bikes will be judged by Glencore Management and a winner selected based on criteria such as safety, design and attention to detail.

The camps, run annually by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) encourage students to consider science technology engineering and maths (STEM) related occupations and trade careers.

Manager of human resources for Glencore’s North Queensland operations Leanne Ryder said the company was very proud to support local kids to engage in STEM subjects through such an innovative program.

“These camps are highly regarded by Glencore as we know a high proportion of students who attend end up on STEM or trade career pathways,” Ms Ryder said.

“This program is really important in not only demonstrating the kind of careers kids can pursue in resources, but also in equipping the next generation of technical specialists with the skills they need to drive and grow the sector, which plays such a critical role in the health of our nation’s economy.”

The QMEA is a partnership between the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program. It has 46 schools throughout Queensland.

QRC is the peak representative body for Queensland ‘s resource sector. The Queensland resources sector provides one in every $6 dollars in the Queensland economy, sustains one in eight Queensland jobs, and supports more than 16,400 businesses across the state, all from 0.1 percent of Queensland’s land mass.

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Queensland Resources Council has congratulated Thuringowa State High School (SHS) – one of 46 Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy schools across the State – on a State Government regional Showcase Award for Excellence in Industry Partnerships for its Global Tropical Futures Program.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the QMEA works with the school to prepare students for a career in the resources sector and other related industries. 

“I congratulate Thuringowa SHS on this important recognition. By working with industry the school is expanding the educational opportunities for students living in North Queensland,” he said.

"The Showcase Awards is a great initiative of the Queensland Government which encourages excellence in a range of teaching and learning platforms. 

“Through QMEA the school only this week was working with Downer professionals to deliver a mining innovation class, which is part of the Global Tropics Futures Program."

Downer’s general manager for talent, Clare Hudson said, “Downer is delighted to support the QMEA and Thuringowa SHS, and help students understand the range of interesting and challenging careers available in the resources sector. 

“We expect to see some fantastic innovative solutions from the students through this project,” she said. 

The school now has the opportunity to compete in the next round of the awards to be in the running as a state finalist. 

QRC is the peak representative body for Queensland ‘s resource sector. The Queensland resources sector provides one in every $6 dollars in the Queensland economy, sustains one in eight Queensland jobs, and supports more than 16,400 businesses across the state, all from 0.1 percent of Queensland’s land mass.

The QMEA is QRC’s education arm. It is a partnership between the QRC and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program. 

www.qrc.org.au

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MASTER BUILDERS has applauded Labor’s decision to reverse its earlier decision to repeal tax cuts for small businesses that turnover between $10 million and $50 million.

Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said, "Labor deserves credit for this decision. It shows that they have listened to the concerns of thousands of SME builders. 

“Company tax cuts for small and medium business is heartland issue for Master Builders as SME builders make up 98 percent of our members and of our industry. We have been very direct in saying that scrapping tax cuts is the wrong call and Labor has listened,” Ms Wawn said. 

“However, we note that this decision applies to tax cuts that will already be implemented if Labor were to win the next Federal Election and not the future cuts that have already been legislated with the strong support of the Parliament including the Senate crossbench," Ms Wawn said.

"Master Builders will continue to constructively engage with Labor on further reductions in company tax for SMEs."

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