The appointment of a new training contract consultant will boost support for new apprentices in the Colac region.

Westvic Staffing Solutions has taken on Frank Park as its first full-time Colac-based consultant for its Apprentice Centre.

Mr Park hopes his new position will improve services and opportunities for local apprentices and he will work with other sections of the Westvic operation to ensure a full employment service is available.

“The majority of my role will be field based and working with local industry to identify options for new apprenticeships and traineeships and to help people move into their roles,” he said.

“It will be handy to have someone based permanently in Colac who knows local industry and can promote the features of the Apprentice Centre and the incentives available to employees and employers.”

Mr Park has close ties with the Colac community. He operated a Jim’s Mowing business in the city for three years before working as a gardener for Colac Otway Shire Council for the past decade.

He is also a sub-contractor for the Good Sports program which aims to reduce alcohol-related problems in sporting clubs, “I have strong links with the community through my work with the Good Sports program and with the council so I have a good understanding of the needs of young people in our

area. I will be working with a lot of familiar faces and I think it will help to have someone on the ground in Colac.”

“The business sector is quite close knit and works well together. There are plenty of job ads at the moment and hopefully some good opportunities out there for people.

Mr Park said he hoped to target a broad range of apprenticeship options in the area. “We’re hoping to sign up more people to our apprenticeships and traineeships and also introduce them to the other streams of our business.”

“It will be rewarding for me to help people to move into their preferred career, just like I have done,” he added.

Westvic’s Apprentice Centre manager Brendan Hawkins said the appointment was a vote of confidence in the Colac community.

“Until now Apprentice Centre staff from Warrnambool travelled to Colac each week to undertake tasks such as signing up new apprentices,” Mr Hawkins said.

“It will be very helpful to have someone working in this field on a full-time basis.”