As our members know all too well, attracting and retaining the right staff is one of the biggest challenges facing business owners throughout the automotive industry. For 4WD accessories businesses, this challenge is exacerbated by the lack of a suitable training pathway. Existing ‘off-the-shelf’ training courses have been seen as either too specific or largely irrelevant for businesses who are more concerned with fitting accessories and swapping out components, than carrying out repairs and major modifications. To meet the needs of this industry segment, the 4WD Industry Council has worked in partnership with Kangan Institute to develop a training course that acknowledges the benchmark skillset required to work as an accessories technician. The course culminates in a Certificate II qualification, which not only serves as a national recognition of basic skills and knowledge, it establishes a pathway for future learning for those graduates looking to further their skills.

A 28-week pilot program for the 4WD Accessories Technician Course will begin in Melbourne on April 1st, with the intention of a subsequent national rollout to follow. Watch this space!