Category Archives: AENWA News

Today’s Skills; Tomorrow’s Leaders Program

Australia’s top apprentices and trainees are about to embark on an intensive career and leadership program that will help equip them as future leaders.

The National Apprentice Employment Network’s ‘Today’s Skills: Tomorrow’s Leaders’ (TSTL) program brings together 23 outstanding apprentices and trainees, selected from across Australia.

It comprises 20 apprentices and trainees selected by group training organisations, and three finalists from the 2021 Australian Training Awards. (List of participants attached).

All the participants are regarded as emerging leaders in their fields. They are engaged in industries including, business, electrical, engineering, community services, automotive, education, maritime, construction and logistics.

Thousands of apprentices, trainees and employees to benefit from digital skills pilot project

The National Apprentice Employment Network (NAEN) and the Digital Skills Organisation (DSO) today announced the establishment of a pilot program to examine ways to better assess, incorporate and fast-track digital skills in the apprenticeship sector.

At a time when digital skills are becoming increasingly important, the pilot project will enable large numbers of apprentices and trainees, as well as their employers, to assess and improve digital literacy in the workplace.

Under the initiative, DSO will provide access to digital assessment and upskilling tools, and NAEN will facilitate the engagement of member group training organisations (GTOs) who employ apprentices and trainees.

The announcement was made at the NAEN Conference in Hobart today.

Dianne Dayhew, NAEN Chief Executive Officer, said the need for digital literacy and fluency is growing across all industries, and apprentices and trainees are at the forefront of this change.

“We are very excited to be working with the DSO. We think this is the ideal time to collaborate and help the next generation to meet the challenges of the digital landscape.”

Patrick Kidd, the CEO of DSO said, “NAEN has an incredibly broad network that, combined with the right digital upskilling pilot, will provide benefits, not only to individuals but also to their employers through improved business performance.”

A Turbocharged Apprenticeship

To maintain highly specialised turbomachinery equipment, a local team is re-imagining apprenticeships as a path to excellence.

Andrew Woods (second from the left) and colleagues while working on site in Australia.
Andrew is the 2021 AEN WA winner of the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Apprentice of the Year Award

It takes a team of professionals to guide an apprentice to Field Service Engineer (FSE) standard at Baker Hughes, but Andrew Woods was extraordinary from the outset.

A Traineeship can take you anywhere and set you up for a fantastic and rewarding career

Richard Variakojis was employed by the Apprentice and Traineeship Company (ATC) as a School-Based trainee back in 2010 undertaking a traineeship in Animal Studies (Level 2).

To complete the on the job training for this traineeship, Richard was hosted to the Eagles Heritage and Raptor Wildlife Centre in Margaret River, within the South West of Western Australia.

ATC and Richard’s host employer were so impressed with his attitude and enthusiasm that they nominated him for the Group Training WA School Based Trainee of the year award.

Richard won the 2010 WA award and went on to be runner up on the National stage.

He then completed a further traineeship in Animal Technology (Level 3) while still employed with ATC and attending school. After completing this traineeship and high school, Richard went on to further studies, completing a double major in Zoology and Indigenous History and Knowledge at University.

Richard is currently working as a National Park Ranger for the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation on the Murujuga National Park, Burrup Peninsula, where he is undertaking fauna, flora and petroglyph surveys.

Murujuga National Park is best known for its dense concentration of rock art, petroglyphs, with some dating back approximately 47,000 years.

Richard is a perfect example of how a simple start in a school-based traineeship can inspire you on to further studies that can lead to a rewarding career.