The issue of skills poaching in mining: is a training levy the answer?

Michael Sacco, contributor to the Mining for Skills blog, comments on job poaching in the mining industry, and its effects in a skills shortage.

Already, we’ve heard talk of a training levy to be imposed on resources companies in Western Australia, as mining companies are accused of poaching workers without helping to train them. There are arguments on both sides. Representatives for the resources companies say they already invest millions of dollars into training initiatives, while organisations like the WA Construction Training Fund argue that resources companies are attracting workers, particularly skilled tradesmen, away from other construction projects without putting in their fair share to the training funds that ensures workers are skilled appropriately.