Mentor/Adviser Apprenticeship Program

1. Mentor/AdviserApprenticeship Program

2. Program Overview The national Apprenticeship Adviser and Mentor programs are part of a direction setting response to the Apprenticeships for the 21st Century Expert Panel report The Australian Government has committed around $101 million for these two programs.

3. Program Overview The overarching aim of the mentoring program is to increase retention rates for Australian apprentices, particularly in their first 12 months of training The programs also have a target of supporting the supply of skilled workers where skills shortages exist; and this includes automotive.

4. Facts about the automotive industry: Contributes over $34 billion to GDP annually Supports many other smaller industries Australia is one of only 13 countries that can design and build vehicles domestically.

5. Jobs and Employment Employs more than 385,000 Australians 50,000 personnel are employed in automotive manufacturing with the rest employed in the retail service & repair industries It is estimated an additional 200,000 people are employed in the provision of services to the auto manufacturers Over 64,000 automotive businesses; 53% of these are small businesses.

6. Skills Challenges The automotive industry is competing in the same youth labour market as other trades i.e. building, plumbing Attracting skilled labour is the single biggest issue facing the automotive industry The development of highly skilled technicians takes around four to six years.

7. Skills Supply Around 40,000 people are undertaking training in automotive subjects at any one time in Australia 30,000 of all people in training are undertaking an apprenticeship The industry needs to start 10,000 new apprentices each year.

8. Skills Supply (2) A need to improve perceptions of the industry and particularly in schools and with parents Good career paths in the industry exist but they are not always easily defined More work needs to be undertaken to find ways of retaining apprentices and skilled workers more broadly Improved national consistency in training is needed to support the movement of workers across state borders

9. Great News Australian automotive apprentices are well regarded both locally and overseas The industry offers a myriad of potential career paths The industry is at the forefront of technological change In many automotive careers it is possible to cross-train for instance, from light to heavy vehicles Having a trade qualification is still one of the best pathways to employment.

10. MAAP goals: Reducing the rate at which apprentices leave the industry To increase the quality and quantity of potential automotive apprentices To liaise directly with potential apprentices and employers interested in apprentices Improve the image and understanding of the automotive industry to all stakeholders Provide accurate advice to potential apprentices and those advising people in careers in the industry for instance, careers advisers and teachers.

11. The National Automotive Adviser/Mentor Project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education through the Australian Apprenticeships Mentoring Package. The views expressed in this document are those of Auto Skills Australia and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government or state and territory governments.