Think about the future of your industry. Who are the torchbearers, upholding the trade, the specific skills and the quality of work?… writes MPAV/TAS Marketing and Events Manager Portia Postlethwaite
It’s the apprentices. They’re dedicating four years to learn the full scope of their trade, being trained to Australian Standards so they can step onto a jobsite with the confidence and knowledge to get the job done right, and to the level of quality the industry expects.
Learning on the jobsite
National Apprenticeship Week ran 9–15 February, with TAFEs, support services and employers coming together to celebrate apprentices.
Master Painters Association of Victoria and Tasmania got on the road and met painting apprentices from across Victoria, from TAFE Gippsland to Bendigo TAFE, with a few jobsite visits along the way.
We met apprentice painters of all years.
Classes of shy first years to job-ready fourth years. Each apprentice received an Apprentice Pack courtesy of Monarch Painting so they have the right tools and accessories to get the job done.
Chances are, many of those apprentices will be using Monarch brushes for decades to come.
We also checked in with the employers guiding these apprentices day to day. The ones teaching the practical skills, sharing the trade knowledge and modelling leadership on site.
Long gone are the days of the apprentice spending four years just gapping and filling. Today’s apprentices are stepping up early.
By fourth year, many are confidently running sections of jobs, thinking on their feet and solving problems as they arise.
Investing in the future
Hiring an apprentice is not just an investment in your current business.
It’s an investment in the future of the trade. When you train the next generation, you’re shaping the standards they will carry forward into their own businesses and pass on to their apprentices.
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If we don’t pass on our knowledge, someone else will — and they may not understand the intricacies of the industry the way we do.
Seeing the skill and enthusiasm in these apprentices was genuinely encouraging.
While the construction industry continues to face the challenge of low apprentice numbers, one thing was clear: the apprentices coming through are passionate, capable and ready to carry the trade forward.
Get the support and advice you need by joining the Master Painters Association of Victoria/Tasmania. For more information, please contact the Master Painters Association on 03 9813 5922 or email us at mail@mpav.com.au.
