Furnished With Good Ideas
The Age
Wednesday June 22, 2005
INCREASING the value placed on the skills of tradesmen is a passion of furniture manufacturer Ian Cook. The owner of Pascoe Vale-based furniture manufacturer Alexander J. Cook believes it's only when the concept of master tradesman is recognised and valued in our society that the current skills shortage in Australia can be truly addressed.
Mr Cook, who is active in training in the furniture industry, was among 10 leaders who gathered at the International Specialised Skills Institute in Camberwell last month to discuss ways of achieving progress in the industry. The meeting was the first of 11 half-day sessions that the ISSI is holding over the coming months. The next one, to be held in mid-July, will look at heritage-related work and is expected to involve government representatives and heritage groups such as the National Trust and those working in heritage-related jobs, such as conservation architects and tradespeople.Other discussion groups will focus on industries such as food and wine, textiles, clothing and footwear, building and construction, manufacturing, engineering, marine, environment and arts and crafts. Carolynne Bourne, chief executive of the institute, says the groups try to identify skills gaps in particular industries and to understand what was happening in them in Australia and overseas."It's about looking at what do we need to do tomorrow and in the years coming to build sustainable and growing - in this case furniture - industries," she says."It's not looking back to what's been in the past, it's very much looking at what do we need to build our economic growth."The events are invitation-only and are intended to include people who are involved in all aspects of the industry under discussion.The furniture industry session involved representatives from furniture manufacturers, state and federal governments, industry training bodies and those working in design, along with noted Danish furniture maker and ISSI fellow Erling Christofferson.Ms Bourne will document the gathering's results and send them to participants, who will identify what needs to be done in the furniture industry. This feedback will then be included in a recommendations paper that will be sent to federal and state governments and education and training groups, industry-based groups and consumer groups.Another of those who attended last month's meeting was Andrew Watkins, who has spent much of the past 10 years working in product innovation at furniture manufacturer Moran. Mr Watkins says the session was a useful counterbalance to the negativity that has been in the industry in the past - fuelled largely by the flood of imports." Sitting around the table with people who have a passion for good design and good quality materials and, I suppose, old-world virtues - that was what I got out of that discussion," he says. "There is a viability about (the industry) and it's just a matter of the right people getting together to make things happen."-- DAVID ADAMS
© 2005 The Age