Group Training Australia (GTA) and Illawarra Group Training are hosting a visit from Senator Fierravanti-Wells at Bisalloy Steels Pty Ltd, Unanderra, Thursday 19 January. GTA is the peak national body representing over 150 Group Training Organisations (GTOs) employing more than 40,000 apprentices and trainees.

Bisalloy Steels has earned an outstanding international reputation for the quality of its products and hosts a 2nd year Group Training mechanical apprentice, Mr Dean Thomson. Bisalloy Steels manufactures high-tensile and abrasion-resistant steel plates used in: mining, construction, general fabrication, pressure vessel and defence.

“GTA Ltd welcomes the Senators visit. We are keen to highlight the many positive aspects of the Group Training Network. The Network is known for its diversity and delivery of proactive, innovative and responsive training and employment strategies in the community. Senator Fierravanti-Wells will see these attributes in action when she visits Illawarra Group Training,” Jim Barron the CEO of GTA said.

“Dean Thomson is an extremely capable apprentice, the GTA network is filled with similar success stories. We hope that by talking to our Nation’s leaders, more success stories will emerge as a result of greater government understanding of further investment in apprenticeships,” Mr Barron said.

“2006 is an important year for the Group Training Network. We are looking forward to working with government, business and schools to address Australia’s response to the current national skills shortage. I am encouraged by Senator Fierravanti-Wells’ visit and her commitment in the area of vocational training,” Mr Barron said.

GTAs latest research paper, Getting it Right: what employers and apprentices have to say about apprenticeships, highlights the need for government to continue to invest in skilling Australia’s workforce.

“Particular points GTA Ltd will be highlighting to Senator Fierravanti-Wells include: the need to boost the public sectors engagement in apprenticeship training, the need to invest further in national training infrastructure, the need to back our young people’s activities, the need to bolster the group training arrangements, and additional funding to high skill apprenticeships,” Mr Barron said.

“At GTA we are keen to explore constructive policies with the government to ensure that what we are doing now, in terms of implementing training policies and programmes, continues to have a positive and lasting effect on the nation’s future economic activities,” Mr Barron concluded.

For further information regarding the Getting it Right policy document, please visit:
http://www.grouptraining.com.au/about_gtraining/national_projects/nat_skills_shortages/getting_it_right.html

ENDS