Australian Industry Group member Hastings Deering (Australia) has been recognised for its outstanding commitment to workplace training.
The Brisbane-based Caterpillar equipment dealer was named Small Training Provider of the Year at the recent Queensland Training Awards — and went on to win Large Employer of the Year at the NT Training Awards over the same weekend.
Queensland judges praised the company for its tailored vocational education and training (VET) solutions in mobile plant technology.
“Combining hands-on learning with tools like virtual and augmented reality, Hastings Deering equips students with cutting-edge skills reflective of current and future industry standards,” they said.
“Through flexible delivery, mentoring and partnerships, Hastings Deering supports diverse learners and empowers graduates to succeed in a rapidly evolving industry.”
Hastings Deering’s Executive Manager of Learning and Capability, Suzannah D’Juliet, said the double win was a wonderful surprise.
“You don't really expect to win or assume you'll win,” she said.
“We've won other categories in the Queensland Training Awards before, but never this one. It was a fantastic weekend for us. We’re very proud.”
An Enterprise Registered Training Organisation (RTO), Hastings Deering was recognised for the delivery of its Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology — training that ensures it has the skilled workforce to offer customers ongoing outstanding support.
The company, which has Australian operations in Queensland and the Northern Territory, sells and rents equipment and offers support and parts distribution services for customers in industries including mining, general construction, civil transport and commercial construction, power systems, government, primary industries and marine.
“It's really important for us to train our own skilled technicians of the future, and that's why we focus on the Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology and on selecting specific learners that already want to work with us,” Ms D’Juliet said.
“We give them as much support as we can as they go through their learning journey with us, to make sure they love their training, learn as much as they can about our business and get a job at the end.
“We not only provide them with skills and competencies but deliver an experience of working with Hastings Deering that's enjoyable and really valuable to their career as they move on in areas such as mining or construction.”
In determining the Small Training Provider of the Year, Queensland judges assess the quality of training provided, learner and industry feedback and whether finalists meet all the government requirements of providing learning through VET.
Hastings Deering offers other types of training in areas such as leadership, soft skills, coaching, mentoring — available to all employees and customers, too.
Only the Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology is delivered through its RTO.
“By operating an RTO as part of our business, we are able to ensure the training we deliver is highly relevant to our specific workplace contexts, while still meeting the requirements of nationally recognised training,” Ms D’Juliet said.
“The operational leaders in our organisation are really passionate about delivering not only the training in the Certificate III but also closely connecting this training to the reality of the job.
“This means giving each of our learners as much practical experience as possible on a Caterpillar machine: how to fix them, how to get them moving and how to put them together.
“And that's what people come to us for. We presently have 170 apprentices but get thousands of applications every year for somewhere between 30 to 50 places.
“It’s a hotly contested group of first-year apprentices every year, because they know they're coming to a Caterpillar dealership to get an experience of life as a technician for our machines.
“That's how our program is structured. They work on them straight away, and everything they use, diagnose, test and pull apart and put back together is a Caterpillar machine.
“In the past 10 years, we've trained about 600 apprentices. It’s a relatively small cohort compared to some other RTOs, but they’re acquiring very specific and sought-after skills.”
Those undertaking the Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology need to complete 36 modules.
“There are some core ones, but we choose the electives we want our second and third-year technicians to complete,” Ms D’Juliet said.
“We also design our practical skills assessments and technicians’ work rosters at their home branches when they leave our study environment in Brisbane.
“We make sure their rosters match the skills and competencies they’ve learned.
“It’s a constant learning journey supported heavily by our operational leadership, who are hugely invested in the technicians of the future.”
This significant investment in training is well worth it: retention is high, and the pipeline of talent never dries up.
“It's also important to Hastings Deering, as a large business in Queensland, to give back to the VET sector in terms of the Queensland economies we support, like mining and construction,” Ms D’Juliet said.
“It’s an investment in careers, industry and our customers, too.
“If we don't support our technicians and foster that excellence, we can't support customers in regional towns and we can't support regional economies.
“We wouldn’t be able to support the infrastructure that this state needs to grow, and that's what we're committed to as a large business, although we are a small training provider.”
Ms D’Juliet praised the Queensland Government for investing in the recognition of training.
“Operating an RTO is complex, and delivering vocational education and training is difficult to do well, so the recognition means so much,” she said.
“The more we can celebrate — whether it's a small, medium or large provider doing a good job — the better it is, because we all connect as an industry to make each other better.
“It's important to recognise and support each other and get behind these awards so the Queensland Government will continue to recognise excellence, and we can keep learning.”
The Queensland Training Awards have been shining a spotlight on excellence in training and the transformative power of skills since 1962.
Across a range of categories, the annual awards recognise individuals and organisations that strive for and have achieved success, best practice and innovation in vocational education and training.
The awards recognise apprentices, trainees, vocational students, teachers and trainers, as well as training providers and employers.
As winners in the Queensland and Northern Territory Awards, Hastings Deering will now vie for national recognition at the Australian Training Awards, to be held in Darwin in December.
Australian Industry Group’s Centre for Education and Training works with and for industry to transform the education and training system, so it can better deliver the human capital Australia needs to reach its potential.
Our recent report People powering productivity highlights the importance of putting the workplace at the heart of Australia’s skills and training system. Read it here.
Register here for our next webinar: The importance of careers advice in meeting skills needs on Thursday, October 9.
Wendy Larter is Communications Manager at Australian Industry Group.
A former journalist for newspapers and magazines including The Courier-Mail in Brisbane and Metro, the News of the World, The Times and Elle in the UK, she is passionate about giving businesses a voice.
