Trainee RV builders show off skills
A caravan built by apprentices goes on show to the public in Melbourne.Visitors to the Melbourne Caravan Show at Caulfield, Vic, in late March had a glimpse into the future of Australian caravans and motorhomes, with the display of the Highlander – a caravan built by apprentices at the North Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT).
The Highlander was exhibited by the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturing Association of Australia (RVMAA).
“The Highlander demonstrates in a practical way the skills young people are gaining through an industry-developed apprenticeship program,” RVMAA president Tony Bellamy said.
“Exhibiting the caravan at the show is a positive way of highlighting the quality that is being built into Australian-made RVs. With young people so skilled the future of our industry is assured.”
The RVMAA is continuing to create a sustainable pool of skilled young people, who are passing through a two-year apprenticeship based on a program developed in conjunction with NMIT.
Twenty-five new apprentices have started this year’s course, another five are completing second year, while more than 90 young people have successfully completed the NMIT course since it was launched five years ago.
“All who have completed the course have been snapped up by local manufacturers, because Victoria remains the heartland of manufacturing, producing 70 per cent of the country’s RVs,” Mr Bellamy said.
“More than 18,700 caravans, camper trailers, motorhomes and campervans were built in 2006. Having a pool of highly skilled young people means we can maintain the output of our manufacturing sector to meet the continuing expansion of the industry.”
Part of the industry’s drive to attract newcomers to the apprenticeship program was the launch of a specially created industry training ‘Taster’ program developed as a joint exercise between Work Co and NMIT that gave young people considering RV manufacture as a career an insight into the apprenticeship training they would undertake.
The program was fully funded by the government, sourced through Work Co’s Tim Cronin.
Funding is specifically allocated to organisations for the purpose of addressing skill shortages within industry sectors.
The Taster program earlier this year attracted 12 participants, with seven completing it and going on to enter the apprenticeship program.
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