New training Opportunities

JENNA BUCHANAN

STARTING next year, 30 Illawarra youths will have the opportunity to learn new skills, and improve their chance of gaining employment, at the government’s expense.

Training Illawarra has been operating in Fairy Meadow for the past few months, offering primarily IT and Business courses.

However, they recently opened a new 800sqm warehouse in Fairy Meadow and have expanded the business to include Certificate II in Transport and Distribution, focusing on warehousing or road transport.

The warehousing component includes packing, sending and receiving goods, while the road transport component focuses mainly on loading and unloading goods on to a truck.

As part of the course, participants will have the opportunity to operate a forklift and gain either their forklift or MR licence.

Andrew Park and his business partner, Ngaire McCarthy, are both locals who said they had noticed a definite skills shortage in the area.

They were concerned by the lack of flexible training providers and after partnering with the J2S Group decided to open Training Illawarra.

“It's a real growth area,” said owner Andrew Park.

“There aren't many companies down here that deliver quality and flexible training.”

Andrew and Ngaire have spent the past few months setting up the warehouse so that it's like a real work environment.

“We offer real hands on practical experience,” said Andrew.

The course is covered by the Government Work Skills vouchers that are currently available to people aged over 25 who don't have a Year 12 or equivalent certificate II qualification.
As of next year, however, Andrew has acquired government state funding for 30 people under the age of 25.

“We really want to focus on unemployed youth next year,” he said.

“We really want people who will actually use the skills they've gained at the course.”

At the moment, participants generally attend three days per week for a month.

The courses are extremely flexible though, and can be completed around work and family commitments.

Andrew has been in the vocational training industry for almost 10 years and realises the importance of quality trainers.

He recently recruited two trainers who have a great deal of experience in the local area.

Tony Bate, the warehousing trainer, is a stevedore working on the wharfs, and George Macmillan has over 40 years experience in road transport.

Although they've only been operating for a short time, the success rate is already quite high.

Out of the last group that attended, some already have jobs in the industry.

Andrew has also been approached by a number of local businesses regarding possible employees.