Page 24 - Australasian Paint & Panel Magazine Sep-Oct 2020

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Industry Training
PAINT&PANEL SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020
BRINGING ON NEXT GEN
D
DAIRO TONON OWNER OF EBLEN COLLISION IN ADELAIDE IS ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING APPRENTICES, HE SHARES HIS EXPERIENCES.
prentices to feel trusted in having a go and when they accomplish something it motivates them to push harder the next time as well as giving them pride in ac- complishment. While working on jobs on their own it is also important they have the confidence of having trades- people they can approach and ask ques- tions no matter how simple. If an ap- prentice doesn’t have this ability then they tend to be left to their own devices and so the learning process takes longer and if they are not strong willed this can affect confidence
Once an apprentice has developed to a point where they are working more in- dependently on their own jobs, intro- ducing goals for them to achieve keeps them engaged and they know what the business requires from them.
Seeing the qualified technician continu- ally improving their skills through I-CAR training sets a good example to the ap- prentices and also shows that the business owner continues to invest in their team.
Businesses should never view appren- tices as a cost effective proposition for cheap labour. Investing time in these young people is investing in the future of our businesses and the industry at large.
All of us need to be involved, we can all make a difference to our own busi- ness and the industry by truly being in- vested in training for the future.
EVELOPING YOUNG PEOPLE
through apprenticeships and traineeships is one of the most valuable processes a
business can do for long term sustainability of the business and the industry. With ageing staff and large amounts of experience leaving our industry everyday, there is only one way of capturing that knowledge for the future- and that is through ongoing
training of our people.
Training both technicians and ap-
prentices is one of the key factors that will drive our businesses into the future. I’ve found that trades people get a real buzz from training someone, it gives them a sense of purpose and boosts their pride especially after nurturing and growing someone to succeed and become qualified. Teaching standard operating procedures also keeps trades- people honest and helps in keeping eve-
ryone on the same page.
Patience is an absolute requirement
for employers of apprentices, as some take much longer to mature their skills than others and they are all of varying personalities. We must change our thinking and come up with solutions to the challenges of having apprentices to keep them motivated about having a ca- reer in the industry.
At Eblen Collision we have employed countless apprentices and successfully produced many tradespeople from many different backgrounds. First and fore- most is finding apprentices who are pas- sionate about motor vehicles and we find most applicants are. It is important to identify this passion as it will drive your workers much longer than any in- centive program.
Having a great attitude is also a re- quirement. A bad attitude is hard to teach or mentor out of someone so hold- ing people accountable for their attitude
at the forefront and reminding them of their promise to having a good attitude can be half the battle. With these two at- tributes in place any apprentice can be turned from unskilled labourer into an asset for any company.
Giving apprentices the opportunity to dive in and experience the trade from the absolute beginning is vital. This gives us the ability to see the potential right at the start and what direction of training will be required.
We don’t believe in pushing brooms around and washing cars for a year, we have high ambitions for our apprentices and that is to keep them motivated as well as failing fast. Failing faster means they learn faster and while there are ar- eas we cannot afford them to fail in it is important that they do.
Throwing apprentices in the deep end may seem a bit scary however we have found that hovering over them and not letting them experience the ins and outs of the trade can be just as detrimental as experiencing failure. It is good for ap-
LEFT TO RIGHT: Kristie Hughes; Dario Tonon;
Cori Roberts; Alex Koschenow; Lachlan Moseley