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TAFE Queensland Reaches Milestone In Caravan Training Apprenticeship Program

TAFE Queensland, an institute that provides industry-related training programs in Australia, proudly announced a few days ago that it reached a milestone in its RV apprenticeship program.

After a year of being the first RV training provider in Queensland, TAFE reached 100 concurrently “active” students enrolled in its RV apprenticeships, according to the institute’s website.

TAFE Queensland was introduced as Queensland’s RV training provider in August 2021 to address the lack of qualified workers in the Australian caravan industry. Their training courses include Certificate III in Recreational Vehicle Service and Repair and Certificate III in Recreational Vehicle Manufacturing.

Local businesses in the caravan sector have already embraced the training program, as seen in the 100 active students, in addition to the almost 120 graduates who received their qualifications last year.

Experienced workers interested in joining the institute’s programs can still participate. TAFE’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) system built in the courses allows them to enroll and fast-track their training, improving the skills they want to improve or weaknesses that need to be addressed.

The RPL system is how 119 students have received qualifications in one year, which would usually take three to four years, according to TAFE’s LinkedIn post.

The interest in caravanning and RV use has increased since 2020. In the TAFE report, Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) CEO Stuart Lamont called the caravan manufacturing sector as “the largest remaining bastion of automotive manufacturing in Australia,” adding that 2021 saw the highest Australian-made production rates in 30 years.

A Timely Solution To The RV Industry

TAFE Queensland has introduced these courses at just the right time, with tighter quality control laws to come into effect on June 30, 2023. These regulations are part of the Road Vehicles Standards Act (RVSA) and are intended to crack down on low-quality and dangerous vehicles.

The local caravan industry fully supports TAFE Queensland’s new courses, with Queensland industry giants Caravanning Queensland and recreational vehicle insurance specialists CIL Insurance donating to the new facilities and courses.

Located at the Acacia Ridge campus, the all-new Caravan Industry Training facility was opened in August 2021 by the Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer.

CIL Insurance donated two complete caravans to the facility for students to put their newly acquired skills into practice. Business Development Manager at CIL Insurance, Matt O’Connor, said CIL was happy to assist with quality training for the industry it insures.

“We’re proud to donate these caravans because we know that future apprentices will be well trained and well established into repairing them. It’s good for the industry, and it’s good for the community. We fully support it, and we’re more than proud to be part of it.”

Caravanning Queensland General Manager Jason Plant was equally excited about introducing the new courses, having played a major role in their inception.

“We are so excited that this is at the stage that it is, where we’re getting to the point where we can deliver these courses and move forward with this fantastic initiative,” Jason said at the facility opening.

The addition of these courses and their immediate success are key indicators of TAFE Queensland’s strong and long-held connections to industry and its ability to adapt to what industries need now and for the future.

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Hi, you might find this article from Modern Campground interesting: TAFE Queensland Reaches Milestone In Caravan Training Apprenticeship Program! This is the link: https://moderncampground.com/australia/tafe-queensland-reaches-milestone-in-caravan-training-apprenticeship-program/