SuniTAFE was grateful to receive engines from Isuzu in a commitment to strengthening regional workforce development and skills training in the heavy automotive industry.  

Representatives from Isuzu attended a thank you event at SuniTAFE last month, along with representatives from Mildura Truck Centre who aided the donation by providing transportation of the equipment from Melbourne to Mildura.  

There were nine engines in total donated by Isuzu which will assist SuniTAFE in continuing to provide vital skills training to the more than 300 apprentices trained annually at the Mildura and Swan Hill campuses.   

Students will be able to dismantle the engines to understand their inner workings and teachers can also put problems into the engines to allow the apprentice to conduct diagnosis and repair.  

Isuzu Australia Limited Head of Aftersales Brett Stewart attended the event to formally hand over the equipment to SuniTAFE.  

“These engines were excess stock needing to find a home and we thought what a fantastic opportunity to be able to donate some of these assets and make sure that the technicians of the future are getting trained up on the Isuzu product,” he said.  

“Being all brand-new engines, and there’s even some really late model engines there from an emissions standpoint, so to be able to work on that kind of equipment compared to some of the older engines gives students a bit more of a realistic training compared to what is out there now.” 

The donations come amidst a known skills shortage within the heavy vehicle industry; something that both Isuzu and SuniTAFE are committed to alleviating.  

“I think nationally now from an automotive and heavy trucks standpoint, we’re about 32,000 technicians short,” Mr. Stewart said. 

“If we don’t support the TAFEs that are training our young people, it’s going to be very difficult for us in the future to have a strong technician base to look after our customers.  

“To be able to look after the amount of product that Isuzu has out there in the market, we need to make sure that, as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), we’re supporting TAFEs to bring up those students and to make sure that they’re working on new equipment to make it exciting for young people coming throughout to keep them engaged in their apprenticeship.”  

An apprenticeship in heavy automotive can open doors for students in a diverse range of exciting careers, and this is the message that Isuzu is hoping to convey in their support of TAFEs.   

“If you had told me when I was a first-year apprentice pushing a broom around the workshop that one day I’d be the head of aftersales for such a successful truck OEM as Isuzu, I would have laughed at you,” he said.  

“So, we’ve really got to get that message out there that being a mechanic is a fantastic career and there’s so many opportunities and you’ll never be without a job.  

“There will always be career pathways, whether that’s in service parts or training or at dealers. It’s critical that we get people excited about being technicians and mechanics again.”  

SuniTAFE Chief Executive Officer Brett Millington welcomed the teams from Isuzu and Mildura Truck Centre to campus on behalf of the Institute.  

“We’re very grateful for the immense generosity of this donation,” he said.  

“This equipment will be used in the vital day-to-day training of our students and will make a significant difference in the classroom. 

“We pride ourselves on the training we deliver, and this will help us to teach skills that are needed for our region now and into the future.” 

This donation exemplifies the need for industry and TAFE to work together to address vital skills needs, which forms a large part of SuniTAFE’s strategic direction.  

“We don’t exist without partnerships and this equipment will help us hugely in the workforce development of the heavy automotive industry,” Mr. Millington said.  

“This is also a great local story because of the support from Mildura Truck Centre in getting this equipment here. Mildura Truck Centre have been ongoing supporters of SuniTAFE which has meant that, in turn, we have been able to train their employees to a high standard.  

“We have built some great industry relationships, with our teachers and Education Delivery Manager at the forefront of this, and we look forward to the continuation of this for years to come.” 

SuniTAFE would like to thank Isuzu Australia Limited and Mildura Truck Centre for this donation and the impact it will have on the training of apprentices across Sunraysia. 

Interested in a career in the heavy automotive industry? At SuniTAFE, you have the option to complete an apprenticeship across a range of specialties including heavy commercial vehicles, agricultural machinery, and mobile plant technology. Click here to see the courses on offer and get started on your career today.