WA leading the way in asbestos training

WA is leading the way by being the first state to introduce mandatory asbestos awareness training.
In partnership with the Construction Training Fund (CTF) and the Western Australian building industry, Reflections is pleased to announce that WA recently introduced a core unit into the Cert II, Pathways to Building and Construction.
“WA is leading the way in protecting young tradies when it comes to the handling of the deadly material, asbestos. Cancer, such as mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos has plagued Australians, but a new program is hoping to wipe it out for the next generation.”
Channel 7
This Channel 7 exclusive tells of the new initiative ensuring trainees entering the construction industry are made aware of the ongoing risk of asbestos exposure.
In May 2018, we shared the news that we initiated a review of the curriculum, leading to a workshop hosted by the Construction Training Fund (CTF) where Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and industry stakeholders agreed to adopt a consistent approach to training around asbestos awareness. As a result, resources were made available to RTO’s.
Reviewing the uptake of the resources later that year, it became apparent that the best way to ensure trainees are given adequate training, was to embed a core unit into the curriculum. In an article with The West, CTF’s Director Skills Development, Rob Berryman talks about the outcome and importance of this initiative…
“My father was the apprentice carpenter who didn’t know about the risk of asbestos and paid the ultimate price,” says Jo Morris. “It became even more personal when my son started a pre-apprenticeship in electrotechnology, and I realised that trainees were not being given enough information around the risk of asbestos.
Knowledge is power! By empowering the next generation of tradies, we are reducing the impact on future generations.”
We look forward to the next step… working with the other states and stakeholders to embed asbestos awareness training into the Certificate III across all affected industries.
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