Career starters across Queensland are choosing to take on apprenticeships that support the transport industry, with TAFE Queensland boasting almost 1000 apprentices currently studying heavy commercial vehicle/trailer and mobile plant courses.
The apprentices training with Queensland’s most trusted training organisation will be key to the growth of the transport industry over coming years, especially as it evolves and begins to incorporate more hybrid and battery electric vehicles.
Business manager of heavy automotive training at TAFE Queensland’s Acacia Ridge trade training facility, David Jenkinson, reported great interest in transport industry careers coming from young people.
“The number of school students who are now looking at heavy automotive or mobile plant courses to go with their high school study is growing,” said Jenkinson. “It’s up to businesses now to take on school-based apprentices early to secure a keen worker.”
It is not only school-based apprenticeships that TAFE Queensland offers, with more entry-level, Certificate II courses on offer for students to complete with no employer required.
“The Certificate II courses are great for high school students who have shown an interest in the trade, and have a heavy focus on working safely within a workshop and with heavy commercial and mobile plant vehicles,” Jenkinson said.
These entry-level courses are most students’ first foray into the trade, and as such are an important time for learning the correct and most safe methods of working on vehicles. TAFE Queensland focusses on ensuring future workers are starting their trade journey with good safety habits.
Many businesses are seeing the benefit of taking on school-based apprentices though, especially in helping them secure a worker for years to come in a tight labour market. School-based apprentices typically spend one-two days per week working with their employer and the other days at school.
With the transport industry set to evolve in the coming years, Jenkinson says it is more important than ever to ensure mechanics and technicians are trained correctly, “Safety is paramount in the transport industry, and quality training ensures the workers maintaining vehicles are doing so in a way that is safe,” he said.
“TAFE Queensland upholds a strict teacher to student ratio that every student gets adequate time with the teacher and equipment and learns the industry best practices that will keep workers and the drivers they support safe,” Jenkinson continued.
TAFE Queensland’s reputation for quality training is a key reason that more than half of apprentices studying a Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology (AUR31116) in Queensland are studying at the organisation.