Apprenticeship program to lift the standard of Aussie tradies

Household appliance company Fisher & Paykel has set out to eliminate ‘dodgy’ tradespeople in Australia and improve safety, following the rollout of a new apprentice program aimed at increasing electrical service technicians' standard of care.

The pilot program aims to train students specifically for appliance servicing, therefore better equipping graduates to repair household electrical items.

Fisher & Paykel National Technical Manager Grant Pearson noted that students currently had to study a four-year electrical or commercial refrigeration apprenticeship at TAFE, but only a fraction of the course concerned household appliance repairs.

“Our apprentice program solely focuses on appliance servicing and repairs, which is excellent news for students interested in an appliance servicing career as well as consumers who will benefit from far more specialised service technicians,” Pearson said. “Unlike traditional courses, this training is competency based, meaning less time will be spent in classrooms, and more spent on practical training.

“Although time frames will vary due to competency and the amount of time invested, an apprentice can potentially complete the course in three years and gain a Certificate III in Appliance Servicing.”

Pearson said he would be lobbying for the program to be a national standard, to ensure only professional technicians operate in Australia and dodgy tradies are eliminated.

“Fisher & Paykel would like to see an increase in licensing requirements for servicing household appliances, such as washing machines and refrigerators,” he added. “We believe this program, in conjunction with more stringent licensing requirements, will dramatically increase the standard of Australian appliance technicians and I am proud that Fisher & Paykel is being such a pioneer in the industry.”

The Fisher & Paykel apprentice program is a national program which is available in all Australian states, with 32 apprentices currently enrolled in the program.