On 25 February BUSY At Work and the Motor Trades Industry of Queensland (MTA Queensland) hosted the first ever motor trade industry overview.
Twenty five Industry Liaison Officers (ILOs) from schools around Brisbane South and the Logan Shire came together for a day of industry tours and professional development.
BUSY At Work Career Pathway Officer, Julie Rogan who helped coordinate the event said the aim was to give ILOs, Vocational Education and Training Coordinators and Career Advisors some firsthand information on apprenticeships and traineeships in the motor trade industry.
“The industry has changed significantly over the past decade and career advisors don’t always have the time to keep up to date with what is happening in various industries. Employers have also advised us that they are finding it difficult to get apprentices that ‘fit’ their business.”
“This type of event between BUSY and the MTA Queensland is a valuable way for us to promote apprenticeships and traineeships as a viable career path in the motor trade industry,” Ms Rogan said.
The ILOs were taken for a tour of a state of the art car dealership, motor cycle dealership and where they were able to talk with current apprentices in the workshops and hear what industry is looking for. The tour also allowed the ILOs to see firsthand the broad spectrum of careers available from administration to the trades.
Following the tour the group returned to the MTA Queensland headquarters at Eight Mile Plains for lunch where they were given an overview of BUSY At Work’s Apprenticeship Central website, the Harrison Online Career Assessment tool and the Careerme® App.
Divisional Executive MTA Queensland, Ian Cole praised the motor trade industry overview saying it was a great way for the MTA Queensland to showcase the vast opportunities that are available to students within the motor industry.
“There is the potential for people who do an apprenticeship as a mechanic to move into roles as diverse as a sales manager, finance manager, service manager or maybe owning their own business.”
“It is also important for our MTA Queensland members to see that we are supporting the industry as a whole and are active in promoting apprenticeships for the industry,” Mr Cole said.
Windaroo State High School Industry Liaison Officer, Bel Brown said the motor trade industry overview was an excellent idea.
“Talking with employers and hearing what they are looking for as well as seeing the sophisticated equipment used in the motor industry provided valuable information for me in my role as a career advisor. More importantly we are now in a better position to be able to advise students on careers which they may not have thought of previously,” Ms Brown said.
BUSY At Work CEO, Paul Miles said BUSY At Work was proud to partner with the MTA Queensland in the first ever motor trade industry overview.
“We have received overwhelming feedback from Industry Liaison Officers that the quality of the industry tour and relevance of the information was very high. Through this excellent industry initiative between MTA Queensland and BUSY At Work we now have the ability to better promote apprenticeships and traineeships as a viable career path in the motor industry,” Mr Miles said.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Leanne Macnamara, Public Relations Coordinator 0438 173 960 leanne.macnamara@busyatwork.com.au
