Education and Training
The establishment of the Trades Hall and Literary Institute of Melbourne was a direct result of the Eight Hour Day movement. Classes started there in 1859. Long before any higher educational establishment had been provided, hundreds of the youth of the young metropolis could be seen in its class rooms receiving instruction.
In 1887 the Workingmen's College (now RMIT University) opened. Francis Ormond gave £5,000 with £10,000 raised by Trades Hall and the general public. With a focus initially on evening classes, over six hundred students enrolled in the first two months.
The trade union movement continues to play an important role, together with government and educational institutions, in developing and facilitating traineeships and apprenticeships. They also ensure that young workers are protected and trained about their rights at work.
|
