The case for and against*

And so after an agonising six-month waiting process Professor Roy Green has finally exposed to us his little bag of tricks.

I will start by stating unequivocally there is not enough Sauvignon Blanc on the planet to coerce me into completing the task asked of the Macquarie School of Management head. Fortunately I wasn't asked to and Dean Green stepped in instead.

Assigned by Minister Kim Carr in March the job of conducting a review of the complex TCF industries, Green was put in the unenviable position of having to sort through the individual agendas, well-intentioned advice and self-serving politicking to get at the heart of what really makes this industry tick.

With a deadline of reporting back to the Rudd government by late August, Dean Green and his merry team of supporters travelled the country conducting public consultations and meeting with key TCF stakeholders. With so much frank and open discussion going on around the table, we all expected big things from Dean Green. Unfortunately most of us were disappointed.

Central to his 15-point plan to move the industry forward was the dean's recommendation that a new TCF Innovation Assistance Package be introduced. Set to run over a six-year period (2009 to 2015), the package would be introduced with a budget of $250 million.

Green suggests the great bulk of this ($200 million) be allocated to developing a TCF Innovation Capability Program to support innovation - recommending at least $15 million of this be put aside for small business.

The industry union, the TCFUA - one of nearly 80 submitters to the review - was quick to jump on the fact the funding on offer was in "stark contrast" to the $2.5 billion of assistance recommended by the Bracks' review of the automotive industry. Nor did it escape the union's notice that it fell far short of the $184 million per year sought by the union until 2020.

Is $41 million a year enough to solve the myriad of problems facing a $2.8 billion industry employing 48,000 workers (with many more in home-based employment)? I don't think so.

Reading between the lines it seems obvious that Green's intention is to phase out the industry's reliance on the government and seek to introduce framework that allows it to be more self-sustaining. In essence he is imploring us to be more creative - in both the way we think and the way in which we manage our businesses.

Life pre-report saw a $2.8 billion industry struggling to cope with the challenges of low cost competition, a declining skill base and a disjointed sizing structure well behind global standards. I see little in post-report life that addresses any real change.

But while the immediate term may not look that inviting, I do have a shred of hope for the longer-term view.
It was an enlightening experience being invited to chair the TAFE NSW external review committee charged with looking at the relevance of the educational provider's diploma and advanced diploma fashion courses recently.

It was heartening to be part of a rigorous process that leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that the fashion programs offered the very best opportunities for vocational training in this demanding sector.

What was best was the eagerness of all concerned to ensure the students graduating from the course not only finished the courses with a basic knowledge of many sectors of the industry but actually emerged employment-ready.
Assuming of course we still have enough of an industry for them to find work.

* For comprehensive coverage of Professor Green's report see the next issue of Ragtrader on sale October 17.

By Tracey Porter