Three Whittlesea businesses have been disqualified from hiring apprentices following an investigation into the quality of their training.
Representatives of the state government’s Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) have banned two food businesses in Bundoora and one in Mill Park after a recent investigation found they were not adequately supervising and training their commercial cookery apprentices.
Training and Skills Minister Steve Herbert said the disqualifications followed an investigation of 76 employers and their treatment of 152 trainee employees. Businesses included takeaway food shops, fish and chip outlets, sushi and noodle bars and bakeries.
The main problems the VRQA found were poor supervision, inappropriate work tasks, and apprentices not being released or paid to attend formal training.
The VRQA’s investigation resulted in 93 training contracts between employers and apprentices being torn up, 29 voluntary cancellations and 45 employers banned from hiring apprentices.
In September, the state government committed $30 million to conduct more onsite audits and increase contract compliance with training providers.
Since July, training providers who have had their contracts terminated have been listed on the Department of Education and Training’s website.
