A car service centre in Campbellfield has been disqualified from hiring apprentices after an investigation found it wasn’t fulfilling its training duties.
A Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) investigation into low-quality training in the automotive industry found eight employers had been shirking their responsibilities.
The Minister for Training and Skills, Steve Herbert, said the VRQA investigation looked into the practices of 115 employers to check whether they were fulfilling their obligations for 160 apprentices under their watch.
As well as banning eight employers from taking apprentices again, 60 training contracts between employers and apprentices were cancelled and another 39 were voluntarily ripped up.
A VRQA spokesman said six training contracts were cancelled in Hume and 10 in Whittlesea, but he declined to name and shame which workplaces were not fulfilling their contractual duties.
There are currently 1786 apprentices in Hume and 1122 in Whittlesea.
The national secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union vehicle division, Dave Smith, said: “The announcement that the VRQA will conduct regulatory campaigns targeting specific occupations and qualifications is an initiative that will place dodgy employers on notice that this government won’t tolerate their behaviour.”
Any apprentice or trainee with concerns about a lack of supervision or training can call the VRQA on 1300 722 603.
