Thirty-five-year-old diesel fitting apprentice Chris O’Brien and 30-year-old electrical fitter-mechanic Ben Anderson achieved their qualifications in less than a year.

They were training with Anglo American’s metallurgical coal business.

NAP program director Alan Sparks said it was important to understand that the candidates were not “fast-tracked”

In O’Brien and Anderson’s case they already had significant work backgrounds and they underwent “gap” training.

Ideal NAP applicants, mostly aged 24-25, include people who have partly completed an apprenticeship, are permanent Australian residents with overseas qualifications not yet recognised in Australia, are ex-members of the defence forces with aligned qualifications or skills, have related trade qualifications, or are trade assistants for construction and engineering trades.

“There are two stages to trade qualification,” Sparks said.

“Firstly a formal recognition of prior learning assessment to demonstrate applicants achieved 40 per cent of trade requirements and then gap training to complete trade qualification, potentially within 18 months.”

Anglo American was NAP’s first host employer with an intake of 21 diesel fitters and electrical fitter/mechanics.

The NAP is also recruiting 400 apprentices for Bechtel Australia’s three LNG construction projects in Gladstone as well as 200 engineering diesel-fitting and carpentry formworker apprentices in Queensland and Western Australia for Macmahon.

It is seeking expressions of interest in six trades: electrical fitter mechanic, dual trade electrical/instrumentation, metal fabrication trade – boiler maker/welder/pipe fitters, engineering diesel fitter, mechanical fitter and carpentry.

On August 1, O’Brien will receive his qualification and Anderson will get special mention because while he has completed his training he is yet to formally sign off from his training contract.