NISSMAP Apprentices Blitz the WorldSkills Competition

WPC Group is proud to announce that three NISSMAP (Nissan Mentored Apprenticeship Program) apprentices have secured places in 2015 WorldSkills Australia Competition (Sydney Region) in the Automotive Services category.

Jamie Campbell, a second year NISSMAP automotive apprentice at Goulburn Nissan won gold, Braiden Moncrieff from Maitland City Nissan won silver, and Ryan Levkich from Macarthur Nissan placed fourth.

Nissan Managing Director and CEO, Richard Emery, believes that this strong result in the WorldSkills Competition is a great tribute to Nissan, each of the dealerships and service departments, and the apprentices themselves who have been trained and mentored by both Nissan and WPC Group.

“At Nissan we are all about our customers, and making sure that their total experience is the best that it can possibly be. A NISSMAP apprentice is a first critical step in having the right, well trained, high quality service staff in our dealerships and is an investment in our collective futures,” said Mr Emery.

The three apprentices were selected to compete due to their outstanding NISSMAP results, their above average practical skills, and the commitment that they show regularly in class. WPC Group General Manager, Andrew Sezonov, said, “It is extremely rare that you have two students from the one class participating in WorldSkills, let alone three. It just goes to show how effective the NISSMAP program really is.”

The WorldSkills Australia Regional Competitions are held biennially across more than 30 regions. Apprentices, trainees and students under the age of 23 can test their skills and knowledge and, if successful, go on to compete at the National Competition for the chance to win the coveted title of Australia’s best in their field. This year’s competition was held at Ultimo Institute on Wednesday 25th June. For more information about WorldSkills Australia, visit: www.worldskills.org.au

About NISSMAP

Facilitated by WPC Group, NISSMAP has gone from strength to strength at every level. The program offers an accelerated automotive apprenticeship over 2.8 years (most automotive apprentices are completed over four years), delivered in state-of-the-art training facilities, in conjunction with the Nissan Learning Academy. Participants attend dedicated classes, working on Nissan components to ensure in-depth knowledge of Nissan’s technological advancements. Upon completion, apprentices not only receive a Certificate III in Automotive Mechanical Technology, but are also qualified as Certified Nissan Technicians.

The most important ingredient of the NISSMAP program is the one-on-one mentoring provided to all apprentices. Experienced, dedicated mentors, help Nissan apprentices bridge the gap between school and the world of work. NISSMAP also includes rewarding, skills-focused on-the-job training opportunities, such as working with the pit-crew at the V8 Supercars Races. The combination of real world training and opportunities and one-on-one mentoring has helped Nissan secure an apprenticeship retention rate of 86%. This is much higher than the industry average of just 49%.