Kangan Batman TAFE and Vawdrey Manufacturing embark on an innovative approach to training
29 July 2002
In association with Kangan Batman TAFE, Vawdrey Manufacturing has opened a new unique Apprentice Training Centre.
It is one-of-its-kind in training new apprentices who are given upfront and practical training in a specialist trade in one consecutive block of 14 weeks.
They are then introduced to the main stream workplace to further develop their practical skills through a combination of specialist training initiatives over the duration of their apprenticeship.
In this new and unique project, Vawdrey Manufacturing supplies the building and resources and Kangan Batman TAFE supplies the expertise and the training.
The training centre that opened in January 2002 is housed at the Vawdrey manufacturing facility. This manufacturing facility is built on 40,000 square metres.
Vawdrey Manufacturing is a privately owned family company that manufactures a complete range of semi trailers and rigid truck bodies for the transport industry throughout Australia.
This project is unique as the students attend their classes at the training centre located within Vawdrey Manufacturing on the South Gippsland Highway at Dandenong South.
The training centre consists of a classroom for theory lessons and a practical training centre that is complete with welding bays, tools and a safe working environment where the apprentices learn their trade.
The students get to work and study at the Vawdrey ManufacturingÂ's manufacturing centre where they train with state-of-the-art technology preparing them for their job as soon as they leave the classroom.
Mr. Mick Vawdrey, the Managing Director and founder of Vawdrey Manufacturing believes that the new group of apprentices are more advanced in their trade than many apprentices who undertake the normal training that is longer. “We are pleased with the project and look forward to training the next group of apprentices in association with Kangan Batman TAFE,” he says.
“The first intake of apprentices are now out on the factory floor. They rotate through the various stages of production in the factory before completing their apprenticeship. We have found the first batch of apprentices to be very advanced in their trade and could beat some apprentices who take the normal time in training.”
This new training centre is an example of Kangan Batman TAFEÂ's commitment to flexible delivery of training. Teachers from Kangan Batman TAFEÂ's Vehicle Body Building Department located at Richmond are currently training and assessing 22 apprentices in the centre. The centre also includes a workshop simulating the production area at Vawdrey Manufacturing.
“Our partnership with Vawdrey is a unique approach to apprenticeship training in Australia. On-the-job assessment is fairly common, but it is rare to see on-the-job training being delivered on this scale,” says Kangan Batman TAFE teacher Colin Cass.
In September 2001, Mr. Mick Vawdrey contacted the Vehicle Body Building Department at Kangan Batman TAFE to discuss the future of his company. Mr. Vawdrey wanted to formulate an innovative approach where his company along with Kangan Batman TAFE would produce top quality tradespeople and they would be ingrained with the ‘Vawdrey cultureÂ'.
Vawdrey Manufacturing wanted to employ at least 24 tradespeople each year for the next five years. It was therefore jointly decided to conduct all training ‘in-houseÂ'.
Vawdrey Manufacturing committed to the cost of setting up the training centre, whereas the Vehicle Body Building Department at Kangan Batman TAFE designed the facility, produced the curriculum and committed the staff to deliver the training.
