South Metropolitan TAFE (SM TAFE) and the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Tuesday, 26 February to deliver the Higher Level Apprenticeship Program.
The signing of the MOU will cement the partnership between the Ai Group and SM TAFE, marking SM TAFE as their official Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in Western Australia. Ai Group are a progressive and well established industry organisation, who will work collaboratively with SM TAFE and employers to identify and select students with the capabilities required for this higher apprenticeship program.
“The Higher Level Apprenticeship Program creates an exciting opportunity for South Metropolitan TAFE to continue the focus on creating job-ready graduates who enter the workforce with the in-demand skills required to match thriving industries within Western Australia,” said Terry Durant, Managing Director, South Metropolitan TAFE.
“Ai Group is embarking on a major collaborative project that could reinvent apprenticeships in Australia. The aim is to create an apprenticeship model that will support the higher skills needed for the emerging fourth industrial revolution or what has become known as Industry 4.0,” Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said.
The Higher Level Apprenticeship Program is an initiative developed to support the specific skills needed for the demands of Industry 4.0. The qualification will integrate automation, STEM principles, PLC and control systems, and workplace behaviours into a combination of ‘on-the-job’ and theoretical training environments.
The program is an innovative combination of vocational education and training (VET) and higher level skills, focusing on the tools and advanced technical skills needed for the future workforce.
“This is a ground-breaking initiative. Not only will this provide higher level qualifications, it will also appeal to a broader cross-section of young people who will gain these qualifications while working in a company that is a technology leader,” Mr Willox said.
The Pilot program is intended to deliver training and consolidation of skills into the Advanced Manufacturing, Applied Engineering, and Automation related roles across a diverse range of industries including Defence, Advanced Manufacturing, Resources, Engineering and Design, Energy and Processing, and Electrical and Electronics.
