Providing training motivates staff, they therefore feel valued and part of the business.

Trained staff are much better able to deal with those non-routine issues that arise, they are confident enough in their knowledge to solve problems and show initiative. Training can also point out the limitations and when help is needed, before disaster strikes.

For many companies displaying their staff qualifications is an important part of their marketing strategy. Customers like to deal with someone who knows what they are talking about. Training can give your staff the confidence to ensure your customers are satisfied and keep coming back. Reduced reworks and complaints are another common benefit from training.

We can help you put in place a career structure supported by recognition and training which will help you retain your staff, and motivate them to achieve. By training your own staff through your own career structure you can ensure you have things done your way, you are not employing someone else’s bad habits. Training can also involve formal recognition of staffs existing skills. An independent recognition that they are doing a good job and possibly highlighting some areas where additional training will help is a powerful motivator.

Every business is subject to legislative requirements covering staff action. It is important for your survival that your staff know their responsibilities under Occupational Health & Safety Legislation, Environmental Protection Legislation, Fair Trading Legislation etc. Breaches by your staff in any of these areas can result in hefty fines against your business. Staff properly trained in these areas will protect you from penalties and make your workplace safer for you, your staff and your customers.

What type of training is available?

There are a range of qualifications to select from, over 30 in the automotive industry. These are nationally recognised qualifications, developed by industry experts to meet the specific needs of automotive businesses. A list of these is at the end of this document. More detail on each of these is available on our web site under Careers and Qualifications.

All of these qualifications allow for the selection of some units by the employer to meet the specific circumstances of your business.

Some qualifications provide a flexible structure, while others are more defined. What ever your need we can find a qualification for you.

The qualifications range from entry level suitable for employees straight from school or new to the industry through to management positions. All of these qualifications entitle the person on successful completion to a nationally recognised Certificate.

How is the training provided?

The training sector now allows a range of flexible and innovative training solutions to meet you business needs.

Some training provision can be by distance learning, with the student provided with structured materials to work through at your place of business. The training provider visits the student on a regular basis to check progress and resolve any difficulties. The training provider will assess and record individuals’s progress towards their skills goal.

Other training is delivered in the more traditional way with students attending a training institution at specified times.

Recognition of existing skills against a national qualification can also be done at your workplace.

A combination of the above two methods is also available in some areas. It depends on your needs.

How much will it cost?

Under either New Entrant or Existing Worker arrangements, you will not be out of pocket.

Employers in the Automotive and associated industry (Retail Service and Repair, Aftermarket & Manufacturing) can receive Commonwealth Government funding of up to $4,400 per person if they enroll Existing Workers in an Existing Worker Traineeship. Out of this money the employer has to contract a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to train and assess workers according to National Standards. The National Standards are included in the Traineeship, which is a Certificate III or IV in Automotive or Frontline management.

From the $4,400 for Existing Worker Trainees the employer has to pay the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to cover training and assessment costs. Based on current trends it will cost between $1,000 to $3,000 for the RTO to train and assess your workers (you negotiate this with the RTO). It depends on how much training is needed and which RTO you choose.

You retain what is left after the Training is paid for.

You, as the employer can receive up to $4,400 for each New Entrant Trainee if they undertaking a Certificate III or IV, or $1,375 if they are commencing a Certificate II.

With New Entrant Trainees, the Government pays the Registered Training Organisation. The money you receive is to compensate you for any Training, which is done on the job or other cost associated with employment and training. You don't pay the RTO.

An ideal situation for a company is to have your existing workers under the Existing Worker Trainees scheme so that get recognition of their existing skills and training for any gaps, and then make every new employee a New Entrant Trainee. This way you will ensure a fully trained workforce.

Special National Training Wage Awards rates of pay may also be applicable for your new entrant trainee. These are rates of pay that recognize the trainee is not fully productive while they are still learning. These rates are based on the same concept as Apprenticeship rates of pay.

Existing Worker Trainees keep being paid at their normal rate of pay.

Increasingly people are taking advantage of these arrangements in the automotive industry in NSW.

What Financial Incentives Does Your Company Get?

In addition to all the benefits training can offer, the Government Assistance available is:

• Existing Worker Trainees undertaking a Certificate III or IV
  
  -after 3 months and completion of the necessary paperwork
  -on completion of the training program by your worker and any necessary paperwork.

Additional incentives may apply.
From these incentives you pay the agreed fee to the training provider.

• New Entrant Trainees undertaking a Certificate III or IV
  
  -after 3 months and completion of the necessary paperwork
  -on completion of the training program by your worker and any necessary paperwork.

Additional incentives may apply
The government pays for the training provision

• New Entrant Trainees undertaking a Certificate II
  
  -after 3 months and completion of the necessary paperwork.

Additional incentives may apply.
The government pays for the training provision

New Entrant Trainees

New Entrant means a person employed by you for less than 3 months full time or 12 months part-time. Once these time periods have expired trainees are considered existing workers and not eligible to have their training paid by the government.

If your trainee already has a national qualification you may not be eligible for the full or any of the subsidy.

Additional incentives include $1,000 in some rural and regional areas. Employers of women in designated non-traditional automotive trades may also receive an additional $1,000.

This information is correct at time of printing but provided as a guide only. To find out your absolute entitlement you must seek professional advice.

Getting Started

If you have decided you want to have Trainees, whether they are EXISTING WORKER Trainees or NEW ENTRANT Trainees you need to:

Undertake the following steps:

1) Think about the qualification most appropriate to the job you want done
2) If it is an existing worker traineeship, you will need to discuss the matter with the staff member.
3) Find a NAC and complete the necessary paperwork
4) Find an RTO that delivers the qualification you want, when, where and how you need.
5) Select your electives
6) Complete ongoing paperwork to claim incentives

The Paperwork

To establish the traineeship a Contract of Training is completed by the employer and employee and lodged with the NAC. In completing the form you must indicate which particular qualification your trainee is enrolling in and which RTO will be delivering the training.

A Training Plan summary is also completed between the employer, employee and the RTO and lodged with the NAC.

Registered Training Organisation (RTO)

Once the documentation is lodged with the NAC and processed the Registered Training Organisation commences training and assessment in accordance with a Training Program negotiated between you and the RTO.

It is important that the training plan reflects what you need.
Refer to the Guide to Selecting a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).

Normally the RTO will assess everybody to recognise prior learning (RPL) and recognise current competency (RCC) prior to any training.

Claim Form 1261

After 3 months (from the registration date) Claim Form 1261 is sent to you confirming details of the Traineeship (including your bank account details) for signature by you, by the Trainee and by the RTO.

This form is returned to the New Apprenticeship Centre (NAC) to generate the $1,375 first incentive payment.
N.B. This is the only incentive payment for Certificate II (New Worker) Trainees.

Monitoring

The New Apprenticeship Centre (NAC) will visit you and your Trainees (in person) approximately every 3 - 6 months to see how things are going, including to check that proper records of Training and Assessment are being kept, and that the RTO is following the agreed Training Program (Training Plan).

Completion Certificate

6 weeks before the end of the Traineeship the Department of Education and Training (DET) will send you a Completion Certificate.

This form must be filled in and returned to DET stating what day the Training Agreement will finish, and have a copy of the Trainees qualification that was issued by the RTO.

DET will then send the Trainee a Certificate of Proficiency, which they can frame along with the Certificate II or III or IV issued by the RTO.

Provision is available for early completion if you and the RTO believe the trainee is competent. It means your trainee can be recognised when they are competent and the traineeship signed off.

Selecting a Registered Training Organisation (RTO)

Find a list of RTOs from a New Apprenticeship Centre (NAC). Compare the RTOs you select by asking them the following questions. You are interested in the RTO that can give you what you want, not what the RTO wants you to have. You could send a photocopy of this section to the RTOs you are considering.

1. Can the RTO give you the names and contacts of Companies they have worked at before?

2. Can the RTO show you materials and learning resources that they will give to Trainees?

3. Dose the RTO offer the qualifications and range of elective units you want?

4. Can the RTO provide you with a Training Program, which shows quite clearly when they will do assessments and when training will need to be done?

5. Will the RTO's Training Program tell you how often they will come to your workplace and what they will do when they are there?

6. Is the training delivered in a way that suits your needs?

7. What price is the RTO charging for Existing Worker Traineeships?

8. Does the RTO want the same price for each Trainee, or are they willing to have a price per person that reflects what Units are chosen, and how much training the person needs to do? This applies for Existing Worker Traineeships only.

9. Where you want the RTO to do assessments only is the RTO comfortable with you providing any training that is needed, or you hiring in someone else to do the training? (Existing Worker Trainees Only)

10. Will the RTO provide you with a Trainee Record Book for each trainee so that a record of where the trainee is up to is kept?

11. Is the RTO offering to guarantee that all people assessed will in the end be assessed as competent? (i.e. that everyone will pass) (N.B. They should not guarantee this, no-one can).

12. Does the RTO understand that you have a choice of RTOs?

FOR EXISTING WORKER TRAINEES:
If you can do the training yourself, or if you know of an organisation that can do all or most of the training that is not an RTO (such as your association), you can hire an RTO to assess only.

FOR NEW ENTRANT TRAINEESHIPS:
The RTO cannot request that you or the trainee pay for anything in relation to the training.
However you can separately contract the RTO (at your instigation) to provide additional training, over and above the traineeship.

Choosing a Qualification

There are a Current range of automotive qualifications available.

If your not sure which one best suits your needs call ATB and we can help. For each of these qualifications you will also be required to choose some electives.

Additional qualifications are available in apprenticeship categories and management.