Scaffolding Jobs Providing Structure For Region's Youth
Illawarra Mercury
Monday July 7, 2008
A PORT Kembla scaffolding business has been recognised for its innovative effort in creating career opportunities for Illawarra youth.
KJ Industrial Scaffolding (KJIS) won the large host employer category at the NSW Group Training Awards.It was recognised as the host employer of 11 general construction (scaffolding) trainees and one business administration trainee employed through Australian Industry Group Training Services (AiGTS). AiGTS regional manager Mick Power said at the end of the two-year scaffolding traineeship the young men involved would be WorkCover accredited in scaffolding, rigging, dogging, elevated work platforms and forklift driving. Most of them come from suburbs with higher rates of youth unemployment and will soon have the opportunity to earn between $50,000 and $70,000 a year.KJIS director Phil Critcher said one of the aims was to raise the status of scaffolding as an occupation."So many lives depend on the quality of the work we do," he said."We've always wanted to bring young people into the industry with a structured training program like they do in the United Kingdom. Over time the arrangement we have established with AiGTS and the Illawarra Institute of TAFE will raise the level of skill and safety in the industry."KJIS chief executive Bob Shaw said the businesses decided to take action because of the skills shortage issue."We could see in the future there weren't going to be sufficient people in this industry," he said.The business wanted to create opportunities for Illawarra youth close to home."We hoped they would be good employees and stay with us. So we trained them to a high level."I believe we are the only company in the Southern Hemisphere, outside the UK, that has a training program in place that is TAFE accredited and WorkCover accepted."From the original intake of 15 trainees, 13 are still with the company. And 10 remain from the second intake of 12.The retention rate is so good KJIS recently interviewed a dozen potential trainees for consideration if it is successful in securing a new contract. It also considering offering a financial incentive scheme for trainees."The most important part of the criteria we are trying to establish is safety comes before dollars," Mr Shaw said. "We have stringent rules in place to protect our trainees."KJIS also encouraged one of its managers to become WorkCover accredited so he could carry out training and assessment of scaffolders. Another two people are accredited for training and development in Occupational Health and Safety."If every company was to take on two or three trainees we wouldn't have that (skills shortage) situation," Mr Shaw said.
© 2008 Illawarra Mercury