Westvic Staffing Solutions CEO Representing Regional Apprenticeships at Conference
Westvic Staffing Solutions CEO Dean Luciani has flown the flag for regional apprenticeships and traineeships at an international conference.
Mr Luciani was chosen as part of an expert panel to present at the Engaging Employers in Skills Development for the 21st Century workshop on June 2-3 in Adelaide.
The workshop was a joint Australian Government and OECD initiative.
Mr Luciani was part of a panel discussing how to help employers engage with young people and career guidance opportunities.
Mr Luciani is also the Chair of the Victorian Apprenticeship Employment Network, is actively engaged with federal and state governments and has run apprenticeship and traineeship programs across Victoria over the past 18 years.
“I have a specific interest and real passion in representing the future of apprenticeships and traineeships with small and medium businesses in regional areas,” he said.
Mr Luciani said the majority of apprentices are employed by small businesses with about 60 per cent coming from regional areas.
“Regional areas play a huge role in skills development and building the number of apprentices,” he said.
Mr Luciani said his industry experience had shown what works in employer engagement and building successful apprenticeships and traineeships. “Community leadership is critical,” he said. “It is essential that you have a community that pulls together to provide employment opportunities, understands the importance of vocational pathways, and supports young people to finish a trade.”
Mr Luciani said he would present south-west Victoria as a “classic example” of a community keen to build linkages and pathways for successful apprenticeships and traineeships.
“There is a lot of community leadership and ownership around the south-west; we’ve been successful as a whole in developing vocational pathways,” he said.
Mr Luciani said the relationship between employer and a new generation of employee had changed and there was a need to work between both parties to broker successful connections.
The workshop brought together industry, government and vocational education experts from around the world to discuss current international and national research on engaging employers in skills development and work-based learning.
Mr Luciani’s session also focused on how companies can work successfully with young people and highlight the important role of career guidance in providing information about educational and labour market pathways.