Background

Covid-19 has resulted in massive disruption to Apprentices and their employers. As with all students, 2020 will be a challenging year for study, training and vocational education.

For Apprentices, many programs have been suspended without any clear messages as to what the future holds.

Our role

One particular cohort impacted by this pandemic are Apprentices currently doing their Certificate III in ESI Cable Jointing in Victoria. These young workers range from new aspirants to fourth year pre-graduates seeking their final signoff.

Representing 10 large and small Employers in the ESI Industry, these Apprentices found that their Training Provider has suspended all classes. 

After approaching Thomson Bridge, our ESI Apprenticeship Team commenced an assessment of each student to determine their program requirements.

We're proud to say that a program for first year Apprentices will commence in April. This will initially focus on the core electrical theory Units, accessing content, tutorials and assessment via our eLearning platform. This will be punctuated by instructor-led tutorials via Zoom on a regular basis to provide guidance and mentoring and team building. Practical, workshop based activities will be scheduled in the later part of 2020, using workshops that are configured to ensure social distancing. On-the-job training will be recorded using digital logbooks,

Additional experience will be established via observation and practical scenario based exercises in live industry settings.

Programs are being established for second and third year Apprentices with a similar format. The forth years will undertake practical “capstone” assessments in the workshop and on the job, as a colaboration between our Subject Matter Experts and Employers.

Covid-19 is presenting many challenges, however, there are opportunities to creative innovative approaches and create quality results by collaborating with  industry, employers and their young workers.

On line tutorials will be less structured and provide opportunity to bond and forge relationships with other students and a range of Subject Matter Experts from the ESI Industry. This will be augmented by face to face practicals and industry excursions.

Whilst the course curriculum does not change, this extraordinary time requires flexibility in course delivery, and a re-thinking of programs to accommodate the logistics, personal and work circumstances.

Project Details

• Client: Cable Jointing Industry
• Location: Victoria
• Industry: Electrcity distribution and cable jointing
• Our contribution: Proving flexible and agile solutions to Apprentices during 2020
• Outcome: Deliver programs to stranded Apprentices seeking to complete their 2020 vocational training

• Resources

  Cable Jointing Programs

• Jamie Ilton
• Matt Hemer
• Guy Broadbent