Commissioners Information Bulletin 386
Competitive Manufacturing - Traineeship
Issued: 31 October 2008
Updated: 21 October 2009
The traineeship vocation of Competitive Manufacturing has been established.
Note: Effective from 21 October 2009 this traineeship is available for existing workers only.
Click here for the Competitive Manufacturing Vocational Training Order
Qualifications, structure and packaging
MSA07 Manufacturing Training Package has ten qualifications ranging from Certificate II to Advanced Diploma. Five qualifications cover Competitive Manufacturing. Two qualifications support the traineeship pathway:
- MSA31108 Certificate III in Competitive Manufacturing
- MSA41108 Certificate IV in Competitive Manufacturing.
Job descriptions (Relationship to job roles and occupations)
Go to Job Descriptions for details of the jobs supported by the competitive manufacturing qualifications.
Industrial arrangements
Applications to establish traineeships whether full-time or part-time will not be approved unless the Commissioner for Vocational Training is satisfied that appropriate industrial arrangements are in place.
Some industrial arrangements under which trainees may be employed are listed here.
Training and business plans
A training contract lodged with the Commissioner for Vocational Training to establish a traineeship in Competitive Manufacturing must be accompanied by:
- a full training plan developed by the registered training organisation by which the training is to be provided, and
- a business case developed by the employer.
Both of these documents should be developed with input from the employer and the Registered Training Organisation. They must be signed off by a senior manager in the employer organisation.
Licensing arrangements
There are no currently identified licensing requirements impacting on these proposed traineeship arrangements.
Learning resources and assessment materials
The Competitive Manufacturing qualifications contain many new units of competency as well as some imported from other Training Packages. There have been learning and assessment resources prepared for seven units of competency as exemplars of typical non-endorsed components that could be used. These resources are freely available via the Resource Generator.
Registered training organisations
For registered training providers which can deliver the traineeship qualifications go to National Training Information Service.
Progression from Certificate III to Certificate IV
A trainee who has completed MSA31108 Certificate III in Competitive Manufacturing and who seeks to undertake MSA41108 Certificate IV in Competitive Manufacturing will be entitled to credit for units of competency already completed.
Once the assessment of credit has been made by the Registered Training Organisation, the nominal term of training for MSA41108 Certificate IV in Competitive Manufacturing must be appropriately reduced.
Superseded Commissioners Information Bulletins
This Commissioner’s Information Bulletin supersedes references to Competitive Manufacturing contained in Bulletin 267.
Inspecting Vocational Training Orders
A copy of the Vocational Training Order is available for inspection on this internet site below or at any State Training Services Regional Office of the NSW Department of Education and Training.
Enquiries
For any enquiries regarding this Commissioner’s Information Bulletin, please contact the Vocational Training Tribunal Unit on telephone (02) 9266 8579.
PHILLIP MOORE
Commissioner for Vocational Training
Competitive Manufacturing
Competitive Manufacturing reflects practices and principles that have been developed in the manufacturing sectors over the last 80 years or so, often referred to as Lean manufacturing, Lean production or just Lean. It provides tools, knowledge and skills for establishing work systems and practices that support immediate and ongoing improvements to a business.
Lean relies on several foundational concepts:
- Customer focus – value is only what the customer values
- Eliminate waste – if it is not value then it is waste and get rid of it
- Smooth flow – levelling out any variations to achieve consistent flow of processes
- Manage efficiencies along the supply chain rather than create department silos
- Continuous improvement – continually find ways to make even small improvements
- Respect for people – valuing the expertise of people who know their work
For most businesses this requires significant investment and changes to their:
- Procedures
- Workplace culture
- Management culture
To get the best results a business needs to apply the changes across the whole organisation – it is hard to sustain efficiencies, improvements and culture change in an isolated section of an organisation.
Competitive Manufacturing has a strong process, systems and cultural focus. It is most successful when applied across a whole business, so that the interconnections or ‘chain’ of processes are aligned and not working against each other.
Similarly the culture change that is usually required to achieve a continuous improvement environment needs to be embedded across all sections of the organisation. It is imperative that management provide the leadership and commitment to implement the program and to support and challenge the business and its staff to achieve excellence.
Relationship to job roles and occupations
Competitive Manufacturing provides tools, knowledge and skills for establishing work systems and practices that support immediate and ongoing improvements to a business.
These are additional and complementary to specific occupational skills and general equipment operations. Competitive Manufacturing provides methods for analysing problems, measuring and improving performance and managing the organisational changes needed to achieve its defined goals.
The Competitive Manufacturing training and qualifications are designed for existing workers, including those who are already skilled in their ‘core’ job role, to support organisations who are implementing a continuous improvement culture.
Trainees are trained to use a range of improvement tools designed to enhance manufacturing process operations and their profitability. These tools can include design and innovation, leadership, preventative maintenance, problem solving, quality and integrated business and logistical support.
Guidelines for business case
The business case needs to show that the organisation is committed to implementing competitive manufacturing principles in its day to day operations. It should include, at a minimum:
- reasons for undertaking Competitive Manufacturing. This could be expressed in terms of
- identified problems or crises to be addressed
- specific goals to be achieved
- how it fits with the broader business or strategic plan
- to assist in developing the businesses Sustainable Competitive Advantage
- what measurable outcomes are to be achieved. This should include ‘SMART’ objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely
- how resources (funds, personnel, equipment etc) will be made available. This will show that the firm has thought through the level of investment and support required and is providing a competitive manufacturing environment which enables the application of the skills being achieved through the training program
- approval from senior management – at the level of CEO, COO, State Manager, Site Manager or similar
Industrial arrangements
Manufacturing Skills Australia (MSA) has advised that the following industrial arrangements apply to trainees undertaking the Competitive Manufacturing qualifications.
Employers who are respondent to the Federal Metal, Engineering and Associated Industries Award, 1998 have access to the provisions of the National Training Wage Award 2000. Employers who are neither respondent to the Federal Metal, Engineering and Associated Industries Award, 1998 nor other federal awards linked to the National Training Wage Award 2000 may access the provisions of the Metal Trades (Training Wage) (State) Awardor other state awards with training wage provisions.
MSA has advised that employers who are uncertain of their award coverage should check their award respondence with their relevant employer association.
Competitive Manufacturing - Traineeship
Vocational Training Order
Date of effect |
31 October 2008 |
Courses of study |
|
Terms of training |
Full time:
Part-time: |
Probationary periods |
Where the nominal term is:
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* A trainee who has completed MSA31108 Certificate III in Competitive Manufacturing and who seeks to undertake MSA41108 Certificate IV in Competitive Manufacturing will be entitled to credit for units of competency already completed.
Once the assessment of credit has been made by the Registered Training Organisation, the nominal term of training for the Certificate IV in Competitive Manufacturing must be appropriately reduced.