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 From SkillsTech Australia's Managing Director,
Steve Ghost
Dear
Welcome to Industry's right hand, SkillsTech Australia's industry newsletter.
SkillsTech Australia is the lead TAFE institute for trade and technician training in Queensland. We work in partnership with industry in Australia and overseas to deliver your training needs. | | | |
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SkillsTech Australia water quality training at Lihir Gold | |
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Australian owned Lihir Gold Mine, 900 kilometres north of Port Moresby Papua New Guinea, has contracted SkillsTech Australia to train its water quality management staff to Australian standards.
Lihir Gold is a major global gold producer, with operations in Papua New Guinea, Australia and West Africa.
SkillsTech Partners, the commercial and international division of SkillsTech Australia, signed the contract last year and is delivering Certificate II and Certificate III Water Industry Operations onsite to the Lihir Gold workforce.
Training is being delivered in line with the National Training Information Service (NTIS) National Water Package standard NWP07.
The SkillsTech Australia training agreement follows the extension of TAFE Queensland Mining Services’ two-year contract to oversee workforce training for the Lihir Gold Limited’s 150 processing plant workers.
SkillsTech Australia Managing Director Steve Ghost said: “PNG is Australia’s nearest neighbour and a place of shared economic opportunity for both countries so it makes sense that we partner on training to the highest possible standards.”
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Trainer and builder forge on-site training deal | |
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| SkillsTech Australia has partnered with Hutchinson Builders on apprentice training. | | |
A partnership between SkillsTech Australia and Hutchinson Builders to recognise on-site, industry relevant training is getting the stamp of approval from apprentices and the employer.
The agreement between Hutchinsons, the largest builder in Queensland; and SkillsTech Australia, the lead TAFE institute for trade and technician training, delivers training to over 170 apprentices in six trades.
The parties restructured block release training for Hutchinson's apprentices and trainees to reflect a task based model that will see up to 80 per cent of the training delivered on the job.
The deal provides capacity for Hutchinsons to eventually take on up to 400 apprentices, some placed with sub-contractors.
SkillsTech Australia Business Manager Peter Beatton said the Co-Provider Agreement had benefits for the employer and the trainer.
“This is training based on skills that relate to current industry practice."
Hutchinson Builders Training Manager, Alan Waldron, said the partnership was the first time apprentice training had been delivered on this scale, with new resources, on a Queensland construction site.
“A lot of people think it’s too hard. If it wasn’t for our strong relationship with SkillsTech Australia this wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
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Apprentice training sparks up on the worksite | |
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| Q Electrical is training apprentices onsite. | | |
SkillsTech Australia, the lead TAFE Institute for trade and technician training in Queensland, is training Q Electrical apprentices at the company’s purpose built site in Brisbane.
The institute is delivering the Electrical Technology Training Package to roughly forty apprentices three days a week in a classroom at Q Electrical’s Morningside workshops.
Mick Bould from the Q Electrical Group said management believed the best way to train apprentices was throughout the year rather than releasing them for concentrated blocks.
Second year apprentice Jeremy Lehner said he liked the onsite classes. “My mates think it’s great. You get to meet everyone in the company and it cuts down on travel time.”
Currently Q Electrical apprentices are covered by the UTE Training Package for second to fourth year apprentices. Those who commenced their apprenticeship in 2009 will train under the new UEE07 competency-based training package.
The new package will contain nationally consistent competencies meaning Electro Technology tradespeople trained under the new system will have further recognition of their qualifications anywhere in Australia.
Managing Director, Greg Hutley said the Q Electrical Group had raised the bar for the training of apprentices.
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Roof industry standardises training | |
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| The roof tiling industry is standardising training. | | |
The Queensland roof tiling industry is working with SkillsTech Australia to make apprentice training faster, more flexible, industry relevant and nationally consistent.
SkillsTech Australia and the Queensland-based Roof Tiling Industry Group aim to have a new training package ready for first year apprentices in 2010.
SkillsTech Australia roof tiling teacher Garry Leworthy said the new package would be delivered through a combination of workplace and online TAFE classes, meaning most apprentices would have to attend less formal training.
An apprenticeship may be completed under the new package in 27 months if the apprentice is considered competent in both formal and on-the-job aspects of work.
“Everyone wants quality training delivered in the shortest possible time and the best way to achieve this was by SkillsTech Australia working in partnership with the industry,” said Garry.
Craig Watts from Boral Roofing Queensland said: “The new training package is just a lot better for the industry all round.”
“Under the current model the apprentice is only getting the training delivered by the individual contractors who employed them. Under the new system all employer training will be benchmarked against industry standards."
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Trainer and steel industry partner on welding DVD | |
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| Welding apprentices can learn basic principles online | | |
A DVD demonstrating real life welding principles to apprentices is now available free online to industry.
The Gas Tungsten Arc Welding E-Learning Demonstration was developed to address the skills shortages of stainless steel fabricators and welders.
For the first time, a nationally-recognised e-learning module is available to teach the foundations of Gas Tungsten Arc Welding online, without the need to attend a theoretical class.
The DVD was produced by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, the Australian Stainless Steel Development Association, Stoddart Manufacturing and SkillsTech Australia.
Stoddart Manufacturing Managing Director Bill Stoddart said traditionally, the basic principles of welding were shown by the trainer to the apprentice one-on-one.
"This e-learning initiative means apprentices are already across the basics before they come to a real demonstration so it saves time and improves skills levels," he said.
To access the industry e-learning demonstration, go to
www.industry.flexiblelearning.net.au | | | |
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Lubricant maker sharpens competitive edge | |
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| ALMC employees contributed to productivity gains trhough lean manufacturing | | |
Australasian Lubricants Manufacturing Company (ALMC) is reporting productivity gains after training its employees in competitive manufacturing.
ALMC National Quality Manager Joanne McDonald implemented the program after participating in a lean manufacturing project in Malaysia.
“It is a cost effective training initiative,” Ms McDonald said.
Delivered by SkillsTech Partners, Certificate IV in Competitive Manufacturing was delivered in the ALMC’s Brisbane plant by skilled ‘lean consultants’.
Participants were mentored through projects designed to make sustained business improvements.
“The program involved people at different levels of the organisation and really helped build the team,” Ms McDonald said.
Promising results were achieved including reduced set-up times on filling lines, increased pass rates on production lines and reduced additive costs.
“This course compliments the ALMC’s strategic decision to embark on Competitive Manufacturing training across our sites,” Ms McDonald said.
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Who is SkillsTech Partners? | |
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SkillsTech Partners is the commercial and international division of SkillsTech Australia, one of Australia's key vocational education facilities.
SkillsTech Australia is the lead TAFE institute in Queensland for training in automotive, building and construction, electrical/electronics, manufacturing and engineering, and sustainable technologies.
SkillsTech Partners is well positioned to help you develop one of your business’s best assets, your staff. Businesses that invest in training are more productive, proactive and profitable. SkillsTech Partners will help your business achieve its full potential by managing the entire training process (including all the complexities of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system) and providing:
- convenient training delivery options
- customised training solutions
- training funding source advice
- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment
- Training Needs Analysis.
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