Partnership to boost employment for youth

Powerhouse apprentice and trainee employers the Motor Trades Association and The Apprentice and Traineeship Company have joined forces to help employ the region’s youth.

The organisations have come together to offer both employers and those wanting a career in automotive trades a one-stop solution that will see graduates trained and employed throughout the South West

The Motor Trade Association already has about 50 apprentices in training and it is hoped that number could more than double through its partnership with The Apprentice and Traineeship Company.

The company’s chief executive officer Stan Liaros said he hoped the alliance would increase employment and training for youth in the South West.

“Every apprentice employed by us and trained by the Motor Trade Association will stay on site and receive training through a mobile lecturer, ” he said.

“It’s more targeted training for each individual workplace for both employer and apprentice.

“If classroom training is required it will be done at our skills centre here in Bunbury.”

The Motor Trades Association’s group chief executive officer Stephen Moir said with the enormous growth that was occurring in the South West, demand for high quality automotive technicians would continue to grow.

“The partnership with Apprentice and Traineeship Company means that as a service provider, we were ready to meet the challenge, ” he said.

“Our big point of difference is that our trainees and apprentices are trained in the workplace and not in a remote classroom.

“This immediately improves the retention rate for apprentices and ensures that they are trained on the most up-to-date equipment that is available.”

Mr Moir said both organisations were committed to providing high quality training solutions for the long term and that this would benefit both automotive businesses and the South West’s community and economy.