Caravan workers flock to TAFE courses

TAFE Queensland has announced its 100th 'active' student enrolled in recreational vehicle apprenticeships, introduced last year to address a lack of qualified workers in the Australian RV industry.

The TAFE institute was the first training provider in Queensland to introduce courses catering specifically to the RV industry, including a Certificate III in Recreational Vehicle Service and Repair, and Certificate III in Recreational Vehicle Manufacturing.

More than 100 other student workers have already 'fast-tracked' their training and received qualifications in the past year; thanks to a 'Recognition of Prior Learning' system available to mature or experienced workers.

The industry-specific courses are backed by Caravanning Queensland as well as CIL Insurance after the RV insurance specialist donated two complete caravans for students to practise their skills on at the new Caravan Industry Training facility opened at the TAFE Acacia Ridge premises in August last year.

The first 'official' training course for RV workers in Queensland has also been supported by local manufacturers and repairers including the Caravan Repair Centre (CRC) of whom a number of employees have already graduated or are currently enrolled in the courses. 

CRC Director Renee Flynn said one upside of the TAFE program is minimal disruption in the workplace, with around 30 per cent of the training taking place on campus, and the rest at the Caravan Repair Centre's Sunshine Coast facility.

Rising demand for caravans has resulted in a shortfall of qualified workers across the industry, and TAFE Queensland said it "is uniquely placed to service the recreational vehicle industry due to its ability to train the wide range of skills needed for servicing and manufacturing these vehicles to the highest quality".

Interest in the RV-related TAFE courses has also been boosted by the Queensland Government's free TAFE and apprenticeship program scheme for young people aged under 25 which was recently extended after providing training to 56,000 people since 2018.