Komatsu Australia is developing a close relationship with TAFE organisations around Australia as part of its program to increase the number of apprentices it is training and to deliver an innovative apprentice development system.
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It has developed strategic educational alliances with TAFEs in Queensland, NSW and Western Australia as a key element of the delivery of its Apprenticeship Development System (ADS), which is designed to give entrants to the industry not only key trade and business skills, but also life and personal responsibility skills and awareness.
The alliances include the provision of dedicated Komatsu classrooms, and Komatsu excavators and wheel loaders used exclusively for training that Komatsu's own apprentices as well as other organisations' apprentices can work on to develop their skills on real equipment
while attending TAFE.
"In terms of apprenticeships and training generally, our philosophy is very much to work with TAFE organisations, rather than 'going it alone' and trying to develop our own institutes," said Paul Richardson, Komatsu Australia's national organisational development manager.
"Instead of the do-it-yourself model, our strong preference is for the partnership approach.
"It's very much a two-way process, whereby we can provide equipment and resources donated or otherwise made available to TAFE for training of our own apprentices and technical people, as well as TAFE's other apprentices, while for our part, we are partnering with Australia's leading
training organisation."
Paul said Komatsu has co-located facilities on campuses in Queensland and NSW to provide technical training facilities.
"In Queensland, it is with Queensland TAFE Skills Tech at Acacia Ridge, where we have two new dedicated Komatsu classrooms and workshops, along with a PC200-8 excavator used exclusively for training," he said.
"In NSW, we are working with Kurri Kurri TAFE where we have a long-standing co-operative partnership and where we originally developed our new ADS.
"Here we have two dedicated training facilities, plus we've made available a PC200-8 excavator and a WA480-6 wheel loader exclusively for training our service, apprentices and customer employees, using Komatsu's competency based technical training system.
"These machines will also be made available to TAFE for training of its public students.
"The systems and components on these machines let us cover about 80% of what our apprentices would come across with any item of Komatsu mining or construction equipment," said Paul. The alliances include the provision of dedicated Komatsu classrooms, and Komatsu excavators and wheel loaders used exclusively for training that Komatsu's own apprentices as well as other organisations' apprentices can work on to develop their skills on real equipment while
attending TAFE.
"In terms of apprenticeships and training generally, our philosophy is very much to work with TAFE organisations, rather than 'going it alone' and trying to develop our own institutes," said Paul Richardson, Komatsu Australia's national organisational development manager.
"Instead of the do-it-yourself model, our strong preference is for the partnership approach.
"It's very much a two-way process, whereby we can provide equipment and resources donated or otherwise made available to TAFE for training of our own apprentices and technical people, as well as TAFE's other apprentices, while for our part, we are partnering with Australia's leading
training organisation."
Paul said Komatsu has co-located facilities on campuses in Queensland and NSW to provide technical training facilities.
"In Queensland, it is with Queensland TAFE Skills Tech at Acacia Ridge, where we have two new dedicated Komatsu classrooms and workshops, along with a PC200-8 excavator used exclusively for training," he said.
"In NSW, we are working with Kurri Kurri TAFE where we have a long-standing co-operative partnership and where we originally developed our new ADS. "Here we have two dedicated training facilities, plus we've made available a PC200-8 excavator and a WA480-6 wheel loader exclusively for training our service, apprentices and customer employees, using Komatsu's competency based technical training system.
"These machines will also be made available to TAFE for training of its public students.
"The systems and components on these machines let us cover about 80% of what our apprentices would come across with any item of Komatsu mining or construction equipment," said Paul.