Esso & WPC Group shake up energy sector workforce development
With an aging workforce and desire to invest in developing their future skills needs, Esso Australia embarked on a cutting edge apprenticeship and traineeship program that focuses on supporting youth in their local regions.
Qualifications Available
Certificate III in Engineering (Mechanical)
Certificate III in Electrotechnology and Instrumentation (Dual Trade)
Certificate III in Business
Certificate III in Process Plant Operations
Populations
42% Electrical Instrumentation Apprentices
42% Engineering Mechanical Apprentices
10% Process Plants
6% Business Administration
16% Female Apprentices
Since the program's inception, it has a 100% completion and retention rate, compared to the industry average of 56%.
About the Program
In 2018, Esso Australia appointed WPC Group to establish a mentored apprenticeship and traineeship program customised to the particular industrial needs of Esso’s Longford and Long Island Point plants.
The local Esso team’s support and guidance has been crucial to ensuring young people in the region understand the opportunities that exist in the oil and gas industries.
As a result, the high calibre of applicants has translated to an incredible 100% retention rate of young people in the program. (The average retention rate of Australian apprentice and trainee programs is approximately 50%.) Apprentices and trainees work in various occupations, including electrical instrumentation, mechanical fitting and turning, process plant operations and general business operations.
The Esso Australia –WPC Group program offers participants the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skill set. Further, each apprentice and trainee is supported by an Esso Australia Workplace Coach who is crucial to their development, ensuring they learn the requirements of their trade, including industry safety standards.
A WPC Group Mentor also works in tandem with Esso Australia Management, Supervisors and Workplace Coaches to support and manage the apprenticeship and traineeship programs. Apprentices gain valuable experience, working on state-of-the-art technology in both the new gas conditioning plant and on older equipment that teaches them how to reverse-engineer a repair.
See and hear from the workforce themselves
Key Features
‘It’s the right thing to do’ - for apprentices and trainees, local communities, local businesses, families, schools and Esso Australia
Offers leading employment opportunities to youth in local communities across Gippsland and the Mornington Peninsula areas
Develops industry leading tradespeople from local communities
Keeps young adults in the local community, so they don’t have to leave home to further their careers
“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do nor did I know exactly what this trade was to the full extent, but I gave it a go and I absolutely loved it.”
Chelsea Humphrey | Engineering Mechanical Apprentice, Esso Longford, Victoria
Development and Support of Participants
With a focus on employee safety, incoming apprentices complete EAPL’s ‘Tech One’ site-specific safety training program to obtain necessary safety cards before starting on-site. These initiatives ensured apprentices are able to hit the ground running and be productive from their first day on-site.
Additionally, EAPL tradespeople responsible for task supervision of the incoming apprentices participate in a workplace coaching workshop to provide them with the skills and confidence to manage people new to the workforce, and identify learning styles and suitable instructional techniques. Tradespeople are then selected to mentor each apprentice following a matching process assessing personality type, trade experience, communication style, and the ability to mentor.
This process generated organisational-wide awareness, belief and capability, giving stakeholders a sense of ownership of and responsibility for the success of the apprenticeship program.
Career Pathways
Apprentices are given ongoing opportunities to broaden their skills base and complement their structured training, with access to advanced training opportunities and certification tickets, including maintenance activities using hazardous materials and elevated work platform licences. As well, apprentices receive a fortnightly block of professional development time, which can be used for TAFE training or EAPL training programs or activities such as community work or peer mentoring.
Further, apprentices are provided with dual-trade pathway opportunities to undertake further studies with EAPL after completing their initial qualification, and many of the initial cohort have already transitioned from Certificate III to Certificate IV programs.
Moreover, recognising that the skills required to succeed on EAPL worksites are discrete and industrial, the program includes a four-week work placement rotation to provide apprentices with a breath of professional experience and the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of workplace practices and how their skills could be employed across different industry environments. Providing this work rotation extends awareness of the benefits and capabilities of employing apprentices into the EAPL contractors’ network, leading to renewed interest in engaging apprentices and trainees across the region.
Awards/Recognition
2021 Winner at The Australian Training Awards - Employer Category - https://www.australiantrainingawards.gov.au/all-winners-finalists
WPC Group 2019 Community Award - For their commitment to youth employment across the Gippsland and Mornington Peninsula regions.
“All apprentices leave the site as a highly-skilled and qualified tradesperson, which is extremely rewarding for all the technicians who have invested time to see the apprentices succeed.”
Matt Taylor | Esso Longford Mechanical Supervisor