Occupational licensing is back on the agenda after being filed in the ‘too hard’ basket back in 2014.
Back then the excitement was palpable after 20 years of ‘pillar-to-post’ policy games, national licensing was ready for sign off and implementation.
Anyone who attended CCN Live 2013 will recall the board chair of the National Occupational Licensing Authority (NOLA) Elizabeth Crouch, excitedly announcing its introduction was only months away.
Incredibly, all it took was a single COAG (Council of Australian Governments) meeting and the entire plan was dumped! Oh the joys of bureaucracy!
Crouch knew that occupational licensing was a fragile beast.
She told the audience at CCN Live 2013 to “grab this opportunity” with both hands.
She warned that this particular reform had been bounced around for decades.
“If we don’t do it now, another 20 years could pass,” she said. “We need to pull together and make this happen.”
It’s laughable now but I remember talking to CCN LIVE 2013 participants and being surprised by their cynicism. They weren’t convinced occupational licensing would happen.
In fact, industry veteran Kevin Lee said: “I bet we still won’t have national licensing in the year 2025.”
His crystal ball gazing skills have proven to be spot on.
So ladies and gentlemen here we go again ready to give it another try in 2025.
Not surprisingly, this time around my excitement has dulled a little, lost its original shine. But, I am still hopeful, eager to see how this turns out.