Training partnership between dealer and school

A new partnership between St. Philip’s Christian College in Newcastle, NSW, and WesTrac, a leading Caterpillar equipment dealer will allow local students to obtain a Certificate II in automotive vocational preparation through workshops run through the school’s trade training centre.

The program will involve WesTrac delivering automotive training from the school as well as completing work placements with local businesses.

St. Philip’s head of senior school Tim Shields says that the program will expose students to real industry experience and give them the skills required to begin a career in the automotive and associated industries.

“We are delighted with this new and significant relationship,” he told the Cessnock Advertiser.

The training program will provide first-class training to young people in the region. In addition to training in the workshop, trainees will also complete work placement with businesses in the region.

The relationship between St. Philip’s and WesTrac seeks to be mutually beneficial.

“We know that WesTrac will deliver excellent training. We also know that St. Philip’s will prepare trainees to be respectful, to show initiative and be hard working,” Shield says.

The Auto Skills Australia 2014 Automotive Environmental Scan found that 51.7% of automotive industry employers currently have apprentices and intend to employ additional apprentices in the next 12 months.

WesTrac general manager Michael Lehman says that the program will allow students to develop the necessary skills to enter the workforce.

“Pre-apprenticeship training combined with a well-structured work experience program is vital in assisting young people to make informed choices about future careers,” he says.

“A program that includes structured work experience, such as the one planned for St Philip’s trade training centre, enables the participants to develop foundational skills, become workplace aware and job ready.”

The $2.2 million trade training centre opened in 2012 offering Certificate II in Construction Pathways.

The facility is a development under the Government’s Trade Training Centre in Schools program. As the trade training centre continues to expand, the school hopes to offer even more courses.