Komatsu Australia has established an apprenticeship training system that gives entrants to the industry both key trade skills and life and personal responsibility skills and awareness.
In its first year, the Apprentice Development System (ADS) for plant and heavy machinery apprentices has achieved measurable results. Apprentices are six months ahead of their peers in traditional apprenticeships and set to have a one year advantage at the completion of their training.
The ADS, piloted with Komatsu?s NSW Hunter Valley apprentices in 2009, will be the company benchmark after being runner-up in the Federal Education Minister?s 2009 Awards for Excellence programme.
Gavin Manning and Paul Richardson, respectively the Newcastle service manager and organisational development manager in human resources for Komatsu Australia, accepted the award at a presentation in Canberra hosted by Julia Gillard, Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
In addition to traditional on the job training and TAFE attendance, the ADS offers apprentices important life skills, including Toastmasters (public speaking), road safety awareness, and drugs, alcohol and sexually transmitted infections awareness.
An important feature of the ADS is an alliancewith the Hunter Institute of TAFE?s Kurri Kurri Campus, the main centre for the Heavy VehicleMobile Equipment Certificate III programme.
?The TAFE involvement has established the ADS as a model for apprentice training,? said HR manager Paul Richardson. ?I believe this approach, as well as our integrated ?life skills? system, contributed to Komatsu?s award.
?The ADS sets new national standards for the way Komatsu Australia trains its apprentices, and is now our benchmark for apprentice training throughout the region.
?In its first year, the ADS produced measurable results and a higher standard of apprentice learning outcomes. Its rigorous recruitment methods enabled better hiring decisions, while group age and life experience diversity improved our results.
?Learning outcomes are being met more competently, positively and substantially, while group motivation and skills developmentspeed has been accelerated. We are seeing daily improvements in the workplace.?
Paul Richardson said that work quality from the company?s first year ADS apprentices was noticeably higher than previous groups at the same stage in the process.
?The group?s manual skills are six months ahead of peers in traditional courses. This is significant, as our apprentices can work earlier on Komatsu?s advanced technologies.
?Down the track this is good for customers and Komatsu. A broader skills spread produces a more rounded individual, not a traditional ?techie?.?
In designing the ADS, Komatsu?s Hunter Valley management, service and training people conducted extensive research to learn from its experiences over many years.
?It meant revamping the apprenticeship system with enhancements,? Paul Richardson said. ?New components, like early technical skills development, both on the job and through dedicated technical training, plus our attention to life skills and non-technical business skills development, have added to the engagement of the apprentices.?
The ADS includes online and face to face induction processes at Komatsu, along with a three week TAFE skills acquisition and application programme, followed by the competency based Komatsu Total Technical Picture.
?This integrated process has given our 2010 apprentices a head start and built up their confidence,? Paul said.
The apprentices? performance is reviewed monthly, then at the completion of their four month, work-based rotational assignment, each apprentice makes a presentation to fellow apprentices, managers, supervisors, trades people, HR and TAFE teachers.
?We have all been impressed by the quality and professionalism of the presentations,? said Paul Richardson. ?Having the apprentices attend Toastmasters sessions made a big difference to the standard of delivery from the group.?
The ADS is part of Komatsu?s focus on continuous improvement. Komatsu managers will monitor and review the success of the pilot.
?This gives them a really good start; the early successes of this system have strengthened our resolve to provide the best training for apprentices anywhere. The recognition we received through the Minister?s Award is a real boost to the company, the apprentices and the facilitators,? Paul Richardson said.
Source: Komatsu Australia