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National Heavy Vehicle Driver Apprenticeship to start 2023
TThe Transport and Logistics Industry Reference Committee (IRC) is proposing a new Heavy Vehicle Driver Apprenticeship in response to industry’s call to professionalise the Heavy Vehicle Driver occupation.
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The apprenticeship will address driver shortages across Australia, create career pathways and ensure the safety of those working in the industry and all other road users and is expected to commence in 2023.
The road transport industry plays a vital role in ensuring the safe, productive, and environmentally sound movement of goods and services throughout Australia. The attraction of new entrants and the retention of professional heavy vehicle operators is a critical strategy for the achievement of these goals – and the establishment of a national apprenticeship is considered to be long overdue.
The common misconception is road transport operators simply ‘drive a truck’. In reality, they are a profession that is integral to the achievement of the Transport Industry’s broader environmental, economic and social (i.e., safety) obligations to the Australian community.
In the wake of the COVID experience that has shone a light on the vital role played by road transport in supporting the Australian economy, the IRC believes that now is the time to create a national Heavy Vehicle Driver apprenticeship.
Such a move is a necessary first step towards raising the profile of the professionalism of the Australian road transport driver workforce in line with the significance and vital standing of the industry
within the overall national economy.
It is the belief that the creation of this apprenticeship will help mitigate some challenges, particularly in relation to the national heavy vehicle licensing system and the current utilisation of national traineeships.
The IRC acknowledges these issues and that the establishment of an apprenticeship will not solve all the current workforce challenges facing the road transport industry.
Rather, the creation of a national apprenticeship for heavy vehicle drivers constitutes the first significant step towards the professionalisation of the road transport industry in Australia.
School students and recent school leavers should be able to take up truck driving apprenticeships from early 2023, the Chair of the Australian Trucking Association, David Smith, said.
Mr Smith was releasing the ATA’s response to an Australian Industry Standards proposal to introduce a two year truck driver apprenticeship.
“There are great driving jobs available in our industry, but too many job seekers don’t know they exist or don’t know how to get the skills and contacts they need,” Mr Smith said.
“A truck driver apprenticeship would enable apprentices to move around to different types of driving, as well providing supervision, coaching and mentoring to help them through their training.
“The apprenticeship should be targeted at current school students (through school based training) and recent school leavers. The apprenticeship should be amended to include a forklift licence as a core unit, so apprentices can do meaningful work as soon as possible.
“The apprenticeship could also be made relevant to people changing careers by including business skills electives.
“The units in the apprenticeship should be subject to regular reviews as technology changes, and the qualification you get at the end should be renamed as a Certificate III in commercial heavy vehicle operations.
“It won’t happen in livestock any time soon, but many of the people starting their driver apprenticeships in the coming years will spend most of their careers managing selfdriving vehicles, not driving them,” he said.
Mr Smith said AIS should develop a project timeline that would see the first apprentices start their training within 18 months, from early 2023.
“Over the years, we’ve seen so many proposals for improving truck driver training get bogged down without results. AIS needs to have a project plan to get us from here to the first apprentices starting on the job in 2023,” he said.
“As part of this plan, the future supervisors of apprentice drivers should be able to access free, nationally recognised training in how to supervise apprentices.” To find out more information visit www. australianindustrystandards.org.au/heavyvehicle-driver-apprenticeship/
