On-line Apprenticeships

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daniel.wurm
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On-line Apprenticeships

Post by daniel.wurm » Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:24 am

The National Institute of Painting and Decorating will soon be introducing on-line apprenticeships, using cutting edge e-learning technology.

Imagine getting lessons from Australia's best painting trainers, right in the comfort of your own home, or on your iPad!

No more boring books or teachers to hold you back! Animation, 3-D modeling and videos bring your lessons to life, helping apprentices grasp the principles of how painting works.

Study when you want, where you want.

We want to know what you think about this fantastic concept.

daniel.wurm
Site Admin
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:03 am

Re: On-line Apprenticeships

Post by daniel.wurm » Thu Feb 20, 2014 5:13 am

Apprenticeships in Victoria are now available on-line
http://painters.swtafe.vic.edu.au/

daniel.wurm
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Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:03 am

Re: On-line Apprenticeship Training

Post by daniel.wurm » Tue Feb 02, 2016 2:08 am

How On-line Training Has Become the Gold Standard for Apprentices

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The National Institute of Painting and Decorating is the peak professional body for the painting industry. Its board of directors are some of Australia's leading award-winning professionals, with proven track records as both fully qualified painters, and trainers.

As professional qualified trainers we have been concerned with the quality of training being conducted by industry associations, private colleges and TAFEs. Due to recent cuts to funding, some colleges, including TAFE, have been unable to provide the type of quality training needed by the industry. Most of the training resources used by many colleges is out of date, and there has been no industry standard for the learning resources used by colleges.

The government has also been concerned that the training conducted by TAFE and private colleges has not been meeting the needs of industry, and that is why the Australian employers and industry will be placed at the heart of a new approach to the development of vocational education and training products announced by the Federal Government.

“In an increasingly competitive, globalised and technologically-advanced economy, Australian industry needs skills training that meets the demands of their modern workplaces,” said Senator Simon Birmingham last year.

“As the Minister responsible for vocational education and training I have placed a priority on finalising a new model for training product development, with Australian industry taking the lead, because it is employers who best know what skills and competencies they need in their current and future employees.

“This important overhaul in the way training packages and products are developed is all about responding to the needs of industry, to boost economic growth, business productivity and employment outcomes.

It was with this in mind that NIPD commenced work on the what has become the industry best practice for training of painting apprentices.

In 2013 NIPD introduced a world-first to the painting industry; e-learning. Over a period of 8 months 5 trainers from 4 states created a state-of-the-art learning system for the painting industry, with the support of leading manufacturers, and in consultation with WorkCover NSW, Macquarie University, and the Construction and Property Industry Skills Council's E-learning Co-operative.

The project took 8 months, and involved the creation of over 1500 questions, and 500 multi-media lessons using video, animation and 3D modeling. The team had to learn to shoot and edit video, create and use e-learning tools, and so it was essential that they were able to benchmark the system against industry best practice. The CPSISC Co-operatives helped them achieve this. Some of the learning objects created by the team are now on the CPSISC web-site as best practice examples:

http://www.cpsisc-elearning.com.au/learning-bytes

The majority of the information is presented by multi-media, reducing the amount of reading needed. We have taken the approach that painting is a practical skill, which is best learned by watching, learning, and practising the skills on the work-site. The purpose of the e-learning system is to improve the quality of training conducted in TAFE and other RTOs providing training to the industry.

By March 2014 the project was complete and RTOs were invited to start using it. In May 2014 the first painting apprentice enroled in the system. The Northern Territory was chosen as the ideal place to introduce e-learning, because of the vast distances involved, the fact that apprentices were scattered over a large area, and the fact that the quality of training had been poor. Employers and apprentices have embraced the concept, and now there are over 160 apprentices enroled in 5 states and territories. The system is ideal for training apprentices in regional areas, and saves employers up to $3500 per year in travel costs and downtime. There are 3 RTOs using the system, and new trainers have been trained to use it. Many employers have commented that the e-learning system allows them to put on an apprentice, because they no longer need to send them to TAFE, as much of the training can be conducted on-site. There are another 50 students enroled in Certificate III Painting and Decorating using the on-line RPL tool, and over 500 students have started or completed short courses on-line. Many of these workers would not have been able to complete any formal training if they did not have access to the system.

In 2014 Aussie Painters Network, in partnership with Australian Consolidated Training, introduced e-learning for apprentices in QLD. The commitment of the trainers who use it has made it the fastest growing training provider to the industry.

We note with interest that some industry organisations have vocally opposed the adoption of e-learning to the industry, and this is surprising, since they have never tried it or even had it demonstrated to them, and have no experience in its use. They are therefore in no position to comment on it.

The system is perfectly suited to student's at school or with no previous experience, as most students at school are already used to learning this way, and have excellent IT skills. In fact, there are a number of apprentices that are currently using the system for school-based apprenticeships, with excellent results.

Most employers using the system find it reduces the stress of training their apprentices, because it gives them complete flexibility. They must still allow time for the apprentice to work on the on-line theory, but now they can choose when that takes place. It could be on a rainy day, or when work is slow.

Of the 160 apprentices using the system, there has been a 90% retention rate, which is far higher than those studying at TAFE using traditional methods. Most apprentices comment that they love using the system, and find it far easier to learn than by sitting in a classroom with books. The cost of downloading data has been found to be minimal, as the videos are optimised for small file sizes. It is far cheaper than when compared to travel and accomodation costs for sending apprentices to traditional colleges.

Most employers find that the system has increased their profitability and productivity. "I always hated sending my apprentice to college to learn simple skills that I was teaching him anyway", said one employer. Any gaps in the training curriculum that cannot be met by the employer are met by the trainer and government funded Registered Training Organisation using the system. For example, the trainer may train the apprentice how to install wallpaper if the employer does not have the opportunity to do so. This has led to innovations such as Aussie Painters Network's 'Painter Training Wheels', which is a purpose built mobile training centre for painting and decorating. Other employers share their apprentices with near-by businesses who can train their apprentice the practical skills. Some employers have even found that it is cheaper to use the e-learning system to train their apprentices themselves.

With this new model of training delivery we have seen a dramatic improvement in the quality of training, with apprentices now learning at their own pace, instead of being rushed through competencies in a classroom. We are confident that this new generation of painters will be more highly trained and qualified than their predecessors.

The proof of the success of this revolution in training for the painting industry is now evident.

In 2015 NIPD manager Daniel Wurm won Trainer of the Year at the Southern Sydney NSW Training awards, and Blayd Farrugia became the first e-learning trained apprentice to compete at the Worldskills Regional Competitions in September 2015. He won his regional competition. Aussie Painters Network were featured on the TV show '60 minutes' as an example of a quality training provider, and in the Construction Skills Queensland E-newsletter.

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