The company has operated since 1989 and has six divisions designated for various functions, including wheelsets, bogie, traction motor and gearbox overhauls.
Inver Engineering has a comprehensive apprenticeship training scheme to maintain a skilled workforce across all areas. Some years ago, the company’s board made a decision to aim to employ 10% of its skilled workforce as apprentices and this currently sits as seven apprentices, working in the mechanical engineering and electrical machine repair fields.
Inver’s present direction provides for a mix of mature aged apprentices, usually employees who have worked as trades assistants, and young apprentices straight from school. Over the years, the company has developed excellent relations with the local community, especially the local secondary colleges, and offers tours for school VCAL students and work experience placements each year to ensure a steady stream of applicants for apprenticeships. Inver also encourages internal referrals for apprentices. One recently commenced first year is the son of their longest serving employee.
Inver’s retention rate for apprentices is very high, because many are existing workers possessing knowledge of the business and skills required prior to undertaking their training program. However, when employing young apprentices from school, the company takes the time to make sure the apprentices, and their parents, are familiar with the workplace before making any commitment. The view is that the company employs apprentices for the long term, not just for a four-year contract, educating apprentices for a career within the trade and the business.
Inver has established strong relations with the TAFE providers at VU Polytechnic and Bendigo Kangan TAFE (Victoria’s only electrical machine repair trainer), ensuring to maintain open communication streams. Those apprentices undertaking their apprenticeship in the electrical fitting stream with Kangan are required travel to Bendigo one week per month for the first two years. This puts a strain on the company, having to cover wages, accommodation, travel and meals while the apprentices are away, but there are no alternatives. In the later years the apprentices are able to complete training via a mobile machine repair unit that visits them, and to complete work-based projects supervised by the company’s own skilled workers.
Supervising the apprentices has an impact on the productivity of the skilled tradespeople, most notably in their rotations through the machine shop and in their formative time within workgroups, but what is lost in productivity is gained by developing and retaining a highly skilled and loyal workforce.
Apprenticeships and traineeships underpin the pipeline of skills needed to deliver some of the biggest priorities facing our nation. In an environment of widespread skills and workforce shortages, a strong apprenticeship and traineeship system is more important than ever.
