The Victorian Transport Association’s (VTA) acclaimed training program has received a significant boost thanks to a grant from the Victorian Government designed to help workers transition to a career in transport.
The grant was confirmed by Victorian Roads, Ports and Road Safety Minister Luke Donnellan at the VTA’s annual Ministerial Breakfast on Thursday 23 March.
It will provide the VTA with capacity to offer an additional 207 training and education places in both new and established courses.
“The Victorian Government welcomes the opportunity to partner with the Victorian Transport Association in expanding its training program and – importantly – targeting former automotive industry workers looking for second careers,” Minister Donnellan said.
“It’s a program that will introduce new people to the transport industry, train and educate them to be job-ready, place them in suitable roles and mentor them through the transition.”
Each of the places will lead to a position within a transport operation, fulfilling a key Victorian Government requirement that the grant place new employees into the transport industry.
“The major benefit of the VTA training program is that it produces job-ready candidates and then matches them with real employers, providing real jobs, paying real money,” said VTA CEO Peter Anderson. “As well as benefiting our industry, the Victorian economy gets a boost as well from having more people in the workforce.”
Anderson said training, education and skills development are vital parts of staff attraction and retention, especially for the transport industry which experiences frequent ebbs and flows in regulatory, licensing and operational requirements.
“Keeping pace with change can make or break a transport business. The VTA recognised this long ago and included skills training as a critical service offering, with hundreds of transport workers since participating in accredited VTA programs, whose benefits flow to employers and customers alike,” he said.
The program will be delivered across three streams including short- and long-form courses and workshops:
- Transition to Transport is an eight-module course that will attract those that are new to the industry and require more in-depth knowledge of supply chain, logistics, transport operations and associated regulations. Participants will be job-ready at the conclusion of the program and the VTA will mentor candidates in their first three months of employment.
- Driver Delivery is an intensive nine-day industry-ready driver-licensing course to be delivered in either heavy rigid synchromesh or heavy combination standards. Over 60 hours of hands-on training and instruction, drivers will receive advanced skills training covering OH&S, cabin drill, load restraint, loading docks, reversing and standard transport runs.
- The Transport Cadetship so successfully run under the auspices of the VTA Academy gets a considerable boost through the program with additional places available for young people joining the industry. The 10-month cadetship provides candidates with a Certificate IV in Transport and Logistics and matches them with employers looking to expand their team.