“Study anyone who’s great, and you’ll find that they apprenticed to a master, or several masters. Therefore, if you want to achieve greatness, renown and superlative success, you must apprentice to a master” – Robert Allen _________________________________________________ Government Projects and Programs Manager Omesh Jethwani highlights the successful implementation of the CAMS program and its milestone achievements in the last three years.

1. M A S T E R B U I L D E R S A S S O C I A T I O N O F N S W J A N U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 5
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CAMS – THREE YEARS ON
Government projects and programs manager Omesh Jethwani highlights the successful implementation of the
CAMS program and its milestone achievements in the last three years.
In May 2012, the Commonwealth agreed
to fund the Construction Apprenticeship
Mentoring Scheme (CAMS).
CAMS is a comprehensive, nationally
coordinated approach to supporting
apprentices, and trainees in the building
and construction industry. It integrated an
online engagement strategy with access
to one-on-one mentoring support, and an
innovative approach to supporting ‘out-of-
trade’ apprentices.
The primary objective of the project is to
increase the apprenticeship completion rate to
62 per cent, per annum over the initial three-
year period. A secondary objective of the
project is to increase significantly the number
of employers who report apprentices are
well-prepared for a career in the building and
construction industry.
The CAMS project is a nationally coordinated
approach to supporting apprentices in the
building and construction industry, delivered
through Master Builders’ network of 33 offices
around Australia including major regional centres.
“Study anyone who’s great,
and you’ll find that they
apprenticed to a master, or
several masters. Therefore,
if you want to achieve
greatness, renown and
superlative success, you must
apprentice to a master”
– Robert Allen
What have we achieved?
• CAMS NSW team has trained 60 volunteer
mentors (53 male mentors and seven
female mentors) to work with industry
apprentices and trainees. The mentors
are from a diverse work background,
ranging from construction managers,
project managers, business owners,
training managers, safety officers and
apprenticeship officers.
• The mentors undertook an intense two-
day training course around apprenticeships
and traineeships, how to deal with
Generation Y, suicide prevention and
Aboriginal cultural awareness training and
anti-bullying workshop.
• CAMS NSW has over a 90 per cent
completion of the 273 apprentices and
trainees, which were signed onto the
program. These apprentices and trainees
either have completed and gone onto
become tradespeople, or have completed
a full-year in the program. From now and
to the end of June 2015, 36 mentees will
continue to be mentored.
• Through the funding, CAMS NSW was
able to assist ‘out-of-trade’ apprentices
and trainees by upskilling them with
training, and then help placing them back
into employment. CAMS NSW worked
with Master Builders Association of NSW
Apprenticeship Services, as well as the
broader industry to successfully place 37
Left to right: Government projects & programs manager Omesh
Jethwani and apprenticeship mentoring officer Jack Long

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‘out-of-trade’ apprentices and trainees.
• As of February 2015, CAMS NSW has
attended 81 career expos with over 28,000
trade flyers, career pathway flyers handed
out to 1700 high schools for distribution to
students, from years nine to 12.
• 25 careers trade flyers, career pathway
flyer, a Jump Start career booklet, a
business start up kit booklet and 15
factsheets were developed under the
CAMS program.
• CAMS NSW has delivered PowerPoint
presentations at 49 high schools, which
have been attended by 580 non-VET and
VET students from years nine to 12.
• Posters to promote careers in the
building industry were distributed to over
200 high schools.
• CAMS NSW developed ALink NSW, an
online resource (www.alinknsw.org.au)
that aims to communicate opportunities to
apprentices and trainees and particularly
provide information on career pathways in
the building and construction industry.
• On 20 February 2014 Master Builders
NSW presented CAMS and ALINK
programs at the Investing Of Women
Program, at the NSW Council for Women’s
Economic Opportunity, chaired by the
Honourable Pru Goward, MP – Minister for
Planning and Women.
• On 19 March 2014, Master Builders
commenced a project co-branded with
Franklyn Scholar to deliver the Apprentice
to Business Owner (AtoB) program for 10
apprentices (Sydney metropolitan) who
have completed their trade certificate.
Furthermore, a CAMS Mentor will provide
12 months of mentoring to students.
• On 11 April 2014, Master Builders NSW
partnered with Glenwood High School to
volunteer and mentor in the Handyman
Project for 11 disengaged students from
years nine and 10, who had expressed
interest in an apprenticeship in construction.
The project was selected on its ability to
complete work in a practical setting.
• On 17 July 2014, Master Builders NSW
partnered with the Babana Aboriginal
Men’s Group to support Alexandria Park
Community School NAIDOC Celebrations.
Over 1000 students and adults attended
the event to celebrate the occasion.
Master Builders NSW raised $300 along
with $600 contributed from Babana to
award four students (two from junior and
two from senior) for their outstanding
school performance.
• On 18 September 2014, Master Builders
NSW partnered with Yarn’n Aboriginal
Employment Services and Hospitality
Training Network (HTN) to support the
Putland Education Training Unit (ETU) /
Cobham Juvenile Justice Centre Careers
Expo.
• As of February 2015, CAMS NSW has
delivered 57 powerpoint presentations
on CAMS and ALINK at several NSW
TAFE sites to 1119 TAFE students in the
residential, commercial and civil industry
sectors. Some of the advice provided were
information on CAMS program, benefits of
mentoring, awards, wages, government
incentives, suspension, payslips, bullying
on site, training contract, apprenticeship
terms and conditions, career pathway and
mental and health topics.
• Approximately 2000 apprentices and
trainees, who are prospective future
members, have signed on to a free
membership for the duration of their
apprenticeship and traineeship. These
apprentices and trainees have the luxury
to shop online in the comfort of their own
living room due to suppliers coming on
board to offer discounted rates on tools,
cars, insurance and much more.
• Furthermore ALink NSW also offers
parents and careers advisers a one-stop-
shop website that provides all information
in relation to the building trades, school-
based apprenticeships and traineeships,
pre-apprenticeship courses and career
paths in the building industry.
• Master Builders NSW has partnered with
Saint Yon Trade Training Centre, McCarthy
Catholic College Trade Training Centre
and Southern Cross Catholic Vocational
College to provide mentoring to 37
school-based apprentices and to provide
advice to future students on careers in the
building industry.
Several articles were published in Master
Builder Magazine:
• Skill Shortages in the NSW Building
Industry
• Becoming a Great Mentor
• The Importance of Workplace Mentors
• Hiring a Female Apprentice
• Female Tradies in the Building Industry
• The Handyman Project
• CAMS NSW Co-Host an Apprenticeship
Evening
• Working with Aboriginal People and
Communities
• CAMS NSW Supports the Cohbam
Juvenile Justice Centre Career Expo
What people are saying about
accountability
In November 2013, industry liaison manager
Nicola Pegum from the Saint Yon Trade Training
Centre commented, “These partnership
collaborative activities have resulted in the
following organisational and community benefits:
• Increased enrolments in construction
• Increased enrolments in students
wishing to complete a school-based
apprenticeship in Certificate III in carpentry
• Better completion rates with students
being supported with industry mentors
• Guidance with work and life issues and
better links to industry
• Quality career advice and networking
opportunities within the industry
The Saint Yon Trade Training Centre is proud
to be an industry partner of the NSW Master
Builders Association.”
Industry liaison officer Patrick Carroll from
McCarthy Catholic College Trade Training
Centre said the following in November
2013, “We are endeavouring to continue
the relationship that we have forged with
the NSW Master Builders Association and
the CAMS program, as it has benefitted the
apprentices in the following ways:
• Gives students access to people with real
industry experience
• Guidance with work and life issues
• Better links to the industry
• Quality career advices and networking
opportunities within the industry
• Guidance with industrial issues and their
industry award”
CAMS is implemented by Master Builders
around Australia with funding assistance
from the Department Of Industry, Innovation,
Science, Research and Tertiary Education
Under The Apprenticeship Mentoring Program.