Master Builders' Assn commended on having trained 1,000 apprentices

4/4/98

Employment and Training Minister Cheryl Edwardes tonight congratulated the Master Builders' Association on reaching the impressive milestone of training 1,000 apprentices.

Mrs Edwardes congratulated the MBA at their annual Apprentice Award Night and paid tribute to their dedication to produce quality apprentices.

She said the organisation was the largest employer of apprentices and trainees in the State's building construction industry.

"The Master Builders' Association group training scheme trust has trained 1,000 apprentices since it opened its doors 18 years ago as a forerunner of other schemes," the Minister said.

"This group training scheme is committed to training apprentices and trainees for the building construction industry and serves as an excellent example of how industry and government can work together to offer a very successful training system."

Mrs Edwardes said group training schemes were ideally placed to be major players in the rapidly changing vocational training and employment market.

The MBA scheme was one of about 25 such schemes, 18 of which received Commonwealth and State funding totalling $1.6 million.

"This scheme is currently employing a record 214 apprentices in trades such as carpentry and joinery, bricklaying, plastering, painting and cabinet-making," the Minister said.

"Many sub-contractors and builders who received their apprentice training through the trust are now carrying on the tradition by host-hiring apprentices from the group scheme."

Mrs Edwardes said close to 100 long-term unemployed had been placed in apprenticeships through the Build-A-Job program, piloted by the MBA in 1993 to provide off-the-job training for young and disadvantaged people aged 15-19.

"This very successful program was the pilot for the Australia-wide introduction of competency- based training for the building and construction industry," she said.

The scheme trust is now piloting the new apprentices and traineeships with the start of the construction worker traineeships (CWI).  Long-term unemployed people are being targeted and 15 positions have been filled already, with 60 placements expected by the end of this year. 

Media contact: Nicole Trigwell 9421 7777