May/June - MTA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
By MTA-SA Executive Director John Chapman
The next phase of the
development of automotive
training by the MTA is rapidly
taking shape.
The new $2.7 million heavy
vehicle workshop has been
completed and is now
operational hosting its first
intake of heavy vehicle
mechanics completing their stage
1 training.
In June of this year we will
bring in our first group of
apprentice trailer technicians
who will be trained in a whole
range of aspects for semi trailer, b
double and other trailer repairs
and maintenance.
The apprenticeship package has
been developed by the MTA and
its national training body MTAA
to fill a major
gap in the heavy vehicle
market place and is now
endorsed nationally by the
Federal Government.
There has literally been no
qualification which covers one of
the largest areas of transport in
Australia. The MTA has now
fixed that!
For every prime mover, there
are at least two trailers according
to industry intelligence with
some operators having three
and four trailers per prime mover
depending on their industry and
extent of their geographic spread.
The trailer maintenance and
repair has been left to people
trained generally in other
automotive trades or staff
without formal training.
In addition to apprentice
training, we will be able to review
current unqualified employees
working in the trailer sector
under a structured process to
recognise prior learning and
undertake gap analysis training
to ultimately provide a formal
qualification to these staff
members.
From an industry perspective,
we have a responsibility (as far as
we are able) to ensure that the
vehicles on our roads are
maintained in a manner which
ensures efficiency, safety and
takes into account environmental
impacts.
The modern heavy vehicle
trailer of today, has technology
embedded that is starting to rival
automotive vehicles. And rightly
so, given the loads and speeds at
which they are running on our
roads.
Anti-lock brake systems,
stability control programs,
remote lighting systems, load
management and protection
equipment are a few of the
innovations which are changing
the nature of the heavy transport
industry. In addition we are
seeing more and
more “bespoke” or specially
designed purpose-built trailers
for specific uses.
Our new course will ensure
that we have staff who are welltrained
to support the heavy
vehicle sector in this changing
and growth area.
In the past 18 months the
MTA and its Group Training
Scheme have expanded the
training program and developed
training aids to deliver on diesel
engine maintenance and repair.
This training will enable us to
provide a wider range of training
to both light and heavy vehicle
apprentices.
Alternative fuelled vehicles are
firmly on the agenda and diesel
continues to grow steadily as a
power source in the light vehicle
area and we need to ensure our
“There has literally been no
qualification which covers one of the
largest areas of transport in Australia.
The MTA has now fixed that!”
training reflects the changing
workshop mix.
The training scope is also being
expanded to include electric and
hybrid vehicle training and we
are very pleased to be able to
embark on this project with our
first Toyota Prius which was
generously provided by the South
Australian Government recently
(see cover story).
We are also watching with
interest the developments by our
local manufacturer Holden,
which will launch a version of
the Commodore later this year
that will be capable for running
on as little as 15 per cent petrol
and up to 85 per cent ethanol.
The MTA is also fuelling
debate in other areas following
the March 2010 State Election.
The issue of WorkCover and
the removal of the bonus/penalty
system without any form of
replacement has been at the
forefront of initial lobbying
efforts with the new Minister for
Industrial Relations Hon. Paul
Holloway. The employer
community is rightly upset that a
scheme which has delivered
significant benefits to employers
who focus on safety and welfare
of their employees, is being
scrapped and as a result it
appears they will have to pay a
higher WorkCover levy.
The MTA is firmly of the view
there MUST be a bonus/penalty
system which (in part) will
encourage all employers to strive
to improve safety in the
workplace AND that the average
levy rate must be reduced to
levels about half of where they
currently sit.
The issue of training is also at
the forefront with the new
Minister for Employment,
Training and Further Education,
Hon. Jack Snelling on apprentice
training issues as well as our
concerns at high priced
institutionalised training being
aimed at overseas students and
the apparent failure of at least
one organisation to deliver
meaningful training outcomes.
www.mta-sa.asn.aumotor trade 5