Komatu's ADS Highlights Long-Term Commitment to Industry-Leading Training

Throughout its history, Komatsu Australia and its predecessor organisations have been committed to offering industry-leading training and support to its employees, and in turn delivering the highest standards of service and support to customers.

In 2010, Komatsu Australia rolled out its innovative apprenticeship scheme, the Apprentice Development System (ADS), designed to give entrants to the industry not only key trade skills, but also life and personal responsibility skills and awareness.The ADS program has been highly successful, producing more "well-rounded" apprentices and trainees, who have the trade, life and people skills for satisfying long-term careers within Komatsu Australia and the broader industry.

The end result is highly trained, motivated and enthusiastic service technicians and tradespeople, with clear benefits for Komatsu and its customers.

Following a pilot program in NSW in 2009, nearly 300 apprentices and trainees have participated in the ADS program. Komatsu is committed in continuing to train, develop and engage apprentices nationally through the ADS program, even at a time when sectors of the industry are experiencing a downturn.

The first intake of apprentices completed their training in January 2013 and are now fully qualified tradespeople working on Komatsu equipment and with our customers.

In addition to "traditional" on-the-job training and attendance at TAFE (Technical And Further Education) and vocational education facilities around Australia, Komatsu's ADS aims to give apprentices and trainees important life and people skills.

These include Toastmasters (public speaking), road safety and fatigue management, personal interaction training, and drugs, alcohol and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) awareness.

Komatsu Australia's ADS has set new national standards for the way Komatsu Australia trains its apprentices and trainees, and has become an industry benchmark for training throughout the region.

It has produced measurable results and a higher standard of learning outcomes than had previously been achieved.

Komatsu's rigorous recruitment methods incorporated within the ADS enables better hiring decisions, including targeting group age and life experience diversity such as mature-age people which further improves results.

Ultimately this is good for customers and Komatsu and ensures our people are powered for ongoing success into the future.