ANCA was nominated as a finalist for the Employer Award for Apprenticeship Development at the 65th Victorian Training Awards in Australia.

The winners from the finalists selected across 16 categories were announced on 6 September at a gala event, where the state’s ‘best of the best’ in the TAFE (technical and further education) and training sectors were showcased.

ANCA (www.machines.anca.com) was the only manufacturing-based finalist for the award, and one of only three organisations in Victoria nominated in this category.

Stuart Gurney, ANCA Apprentice Master, said: “My passion is helping the next generation of talent to enter the fascinating world of CNC grinding.

"This nomination highlights what we are doing to nurture progressive learning and provide career options for our apprentices.

"We sell 99% of our products overseas and successfully compete with German, Swiss, Japanese and US competitors.

"To maintain our position as one of the global leaders in our field, we invest in building teams who can design and create the latest technology — including automation, robotics, precision grinding and software.

"It is rare to have an opportunity to access this type of advanced manufacturing in Australia, and I find it extremely rewarding to see how much my team develops over the four-year programme.”

ANCA says apprentices have always played a vital role at the company. Indeed, one of its co-founders came from a trade background and continues to value high-quality training and development.

“The establishment of a structured apprenticeship programme in 2011 formalised this training and increased the number of participants who could experience hands-on learning in this exciting industry.

"This Victorian nomination acknowledges our innovative delivery of apprenticeship training that offers flexible rotations and develops the specialist skills we need; ANCA apprentices get exposure to CNC machining, precision fitting, electrical testing and grinding applications throughout their four-year programme.”

The winners of the Victorian Training Awards will go on to compete in the Australian Training Awards on 21 November 2019 in Brisbane.