4 minute read
GPC recognised in AFR Awards
The automotive parts corporation has been declared a great place to work
GPC Asia Pacific (GPC) has been recognised in the Australian Financial Review 2021 Best Places to Work as the Best Place to Work (Retail, Hospitality and Tourism). GPC is the parent company to some of Australia’s most iconic automotive names, including Repco, NAPA, and more recently Rare Spares. In addition, GPC is home to motorcycle parts businesses AMX and McLeods, and it says it takes pride across all businesses in helping keep Australians on the road. GPC claims this mantra was a key focus for the organisation during the 2020 global COVID pandemic, as the GPC teams worked tirelessly to keep its valued customers, and essential services working, as Australia and New Zealand went into lockdown. The business, which collectively has a history spanning 100 years, employs 6200 team members. Chief Executive Officer Rob Cameron pins its success and status as a great place to work on the exceptional quality of those team members. “We’ve always known our GPC Team members are the key to our success. The culture is focused on our people and bringing our values into everything we do every day. What we saw in the past year was that the urgency created by COVID kicked our team into another gear,” Rob said. “This is why we made it our priority as a leadership team to keep our team safe and keep them in a job. Over the course of the year we prioritised communicating with our team and keeping them informed every step of the way about how we were navigating lockdowns and restrictions. We were able to keep our commitment to the team during a time of heightened uncertainty. “We regularly check in with our GPC Team via employment engagement surveys, and we were very proud last year to see a substantial increase in our results. Our team are sticking around for longer to be part of the GPC family.” Across the business, the teams have a history of giving back to the community via established arrangements with the Starlight Foundation and Canteen. It’s also common for team members to fundraise for their own passion projects such as the World’s Greatest Shave and Movember. This passion and culture led to the formal establishment of the GPC Foundation in 2020. The Foundation has been launched to support not only the Australian and New Zealand communities, but GPC Team members who themselves may be experiencing unexpected financial hardship. In 2021 the Foundation will continue to grow by launching a pilot volunteering program and a GPC Scholarship program, which enables disadvantaged individuals the opportunity to undertake training and employment to set them on a path in the automotive industry. For more information visit www.gpcasiapac.com
VICROADS LICENSED VEHICLE TESTER COURSES
VicRoads Licensed Vehicle Tester Courses train and certify motor mechanics in the testing of vehicles so that they meet minimum safety requirements. A Certificate of Roadworthiness is issued to ensure that when vehicles are sold or transferred, they meet a consistent level of safety for use on our roads. For the purpose of testing, vehicles are categorised as follows: • Light Vehicle – Vehicles and trailers under 4.5
Tons Gross Vehicle Mass GMV • Heavy Vehicle – Vehicles and trailers over 4.5
Tons Gross Vehicle Mass GMV • Motorcycles • Light bus – Buses under 4.5 Tons Gross
Vehicle Mass GMV, up to 10 passengers plus the driver • Heavy Bus – Buses over 4.5 Tons Gross
Vehicle Mass GMV Each category requires an individual approval process from VicRoads. To become a VicRoads Licensed Vehicle Tester, businesses must meet several requirements which include: • A physical check of the premises • Staff qualifications (to ensure mechanical qualifications in the above areas) • Undertaking of a VicRoads Licensed Vehicle
Tester course A vehicle requires a Certificate of Roadworthiness when it is sold, transferred or has been issued with a defect notice (a defect notice is issued when police, VicRoads or the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator deems a vehicle unsafe to drive). For any of the above, the vehicle must pass a Certificate of Roadworthiness Inspection. Currently there are approximately 2,500 businesses approved to represent VicRoads as Licensed Vehicle Testers in Victoria. Within these businesses, there are approximately 10,000 qualified mechanics who have completed the VicRoads Licensed Vehicle Tester Courses. VicRoads has Licensed Vehicle Testers operating in convenient locations throughout Victoria. For businesses, VicRoads accreditation can provide a positive revenue stream. Businesses charge fees for the Certificate of Roadworthiness inspection as well as for repairs that may be required to ensure the vehicle meets the minimum safety requirements. Kangan Institute has been delivering VicRoads Licensed Vehicle Tester Courses since 1994. Kangan Institute delivers all VicRoads courses from its convenient Automotive Centre of Excellence campus at Docklands, online, as well as in the workplace. For further information about VicRoads Licensed Vehicle Tester Courses at Kangan Institute, please visit www.kangan.edu.au/auto
