Regional Training and Max Employment often work closely throughout the region. Max’s placement consultants identified a Queensland industry wide skill shortage in the Tyre and Accessory fitting sector of the automotive industry. Most of these organisations are small businesses and need skilled staff, however in the current economic climate have been reluctant to commit to taking on totally untrained and unskilled jobseekers and training them up. Max then approached Regional Training to develop a pre-employment skill set training program for this industry sector. It became immediately obvious with challenges facing jobseekers in the region, including distance and the lack of public transport equipping our existing automotive workshop to deliver tyre fitting and balancing training would not be viable.
The Concept
Working with Max Employment and Industry representatives, Region Training put forward an innovative concept to develop a mobile training facility capable of taking practical hands-on training direct to jobseekers regardless of where they are located.
How it Works
Regional Training had custom built a Pantech style trailer which is fully equipped as a mobile training workshop. It has been fitted out with tools and equipment such as computer tyre balancing, and tyre fitting equipment as used in this sector of the automotive industry. These tools and equipment allow the delivery of focused, practical, hands-on pre-employment training to Jobseekers within their local areas.
This innovation allows us to deliver industry experience and training to participants located in small towns in regional areas an opportunity that has never been available to these often highly disadvantaged groups previously.
The project will give participants the skills and knowledge essential to begin working in the industry. Employers will have access a pool of trained, work ready staff that can be quickly integrated into their business.
Regional Challenges.
The Wide Bay, South Burnett and Sunshine Coast Region presents a number of challenges for both young and older jobseekers, these can include:
• Long distances between towns
• Poor or non-existent public transport.
• Lack of quality face to face training
• Little entry level trade style (practical) training available.
