Fasttrack scheme benefits apprentice and employer

YOUNG apprentices looking for a way into the automotive industry will be fasttracked thanks to a new preapprenticeship scheme.
Education and Training Minister Lynne Kosky said the move would help counter the skill shortages in the industry in the south eastern suburbs and throughout Victoria.
The State Government announced on Tuesday that 3500 young Victorians undertaking training in automotive trades would be able to take advantage of the scheme next year.
It will allow young people to complete TAFE study in 16 weeks before taking up an apprenticeship.
It is designed to allow employees to start on a second year apprentice wage and gain their qualifications faster, while employers take on a more skilled and productive worker faster.
Similar preapprenticeship programs are already in place in the construction industry.
The deal was reached between the State Government, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union and the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce.