How Holmesglen is Redefining Apprenticeships for the Future

Are traditional apprenticeships enough to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow or is a new approach needed?

The future of work is changing rapidly, and apprenticeships are no exception. Industries are becoming more digitally integrated, sustainable and innovation focused.

As an employer, how can you find workers with the right mix of skills to navigate this changing landscape while also driving business growth?

The answer may start with where your apprentices are being trained. The role of training provider has become vital in the current context, to ensure that apprentices graduate with not only technical skills but also digital, creative and problem-solving skills that modern workplaces demand.

A Future-Focused Vision

Holmesglen Institute is making a bold commitment to the future of apprenticeships by reshaping trades training. From embedding the latest technology to promoting more inclusivity and investing in industry links, Holmesglen is future-proofing the next generation of apprentices.

“At Holmesglen, we’re not just training apprentices for today’s jobs,” says Elizabeth Jansz, Dean Building Construction Design and Electrotechnology. “We’re empowering them for the challenges of tomorrow, from digital integration to green technologies.”

She says this forward-looking approach is helping Holmesglen-trained apprentices lead the way in their workplaces with superior skills and job-readiness.

“It’s no longer enough to just teach the practical skills. Apprentices need confidence in analysing difficult problems and creating compliant solutions, all while on the clock.”

Tech-forward Training Facilities

Supporting this vision are Holmesglen’s worldclass training facilities. These spaces are fitted with the latest tools and technologies, giving apprentices hands-on experience in environments that replicate modern worksites.

At the Chadstone campus, a $5.9 million upgrade to the Plumbing Training Workshop has introduced ten modular plumbing pods, designed for flexible training across multiple plumbing disciplines. From hydronic systems and medical gas installations to sanitary services, these pods provide hands-on, real-world learning opportunities. Two 25-metre sandpits allow large-scale subsurface training and site simulation.

The Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Centre of Excellence at Holmesglen further enhances applied learning by replicating real-world building systems. It integrates Building Information Modelling (BIM) and augmented reality technologies to teach students about energy efficiency and sustainable design a firstof-its-kind facility in Australia.

Mechanical plumber and graduate, Kyle Svikulis, took his Holmesglen-acquired skills straight to the Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project after his employer won a major HVAC contract.

“Learning practical plumbing skills at Holmesglen’s HVAC Centre of Excellence, which replicates an industry-standard workplace, meant I could directly apply what I learned,” Kyle said. “That set me up to do well at work.”

At the same Holmesglen campus, a Smart House facility funded by the Victorian Government introduces a compact model home, designed to elevate the training experience for plumbing students by visually presenting sustainable plumbing systems. Equipped with a series of smart sensors feeding data to a display screen, the unit enables students to monitor energy efficiencies in real time. School-aged learners attending Holmesglen Trades Academy start exploring the potential for apprenticeships.

Sustainability and technology are introduced early to school-aged learners attending Holmesglen Trades Academy before they start their apprenticeships. This embrace of technology complements the fundamentals of trades training, ensuring these future apprentices can move confidently between hands-on skills and digital tools.

Home to the Victorian Tunnelling Centre – one of the few of its kind in the world – Holmesglen’s Drummond Street Chadstone campus is a major hub for civil construction, safety and electrical supply industry training. Here, the Institute delivers first class solutions to a range of industry partners, such as Zinfra.

“Holmesglen is a valued training partner in Zinfra’s apprentice program, currently supporting 122 of our apprentices. The purpose-built facilities at the Drummond Street campus provide high-quality, industry-relevant training for both Apprentice Lineworkers and Apprentice Cable Jointers,” says Betty Hui, Technical Capability Lead at Zinfra.

Apprenticeship excellence is a hallmark of Drummond Street training. In 2022, Holmesglen civil construction graduate and Cross Yarra Partnership employee (for the Melbourne Metro Tunnel), Chhunly Taing, was named Victorian Apprentice of the Year. In 2025, Holmesglen and partner Spark North East Link were Finalists in the Victorian Training Awards for Apprenticeship Development.

Holmesglen graduate apprentice, Emma Jepsen, now a qualified electrician with WOW Electrical

Part of Holmesglen’s vision for future apprenticeships is providing strong pathways for life-long learning. In its advanced building design course, students use virtual reality (VR) to walk through three-dimensional models of their projects, testing designs and exploring spatial solutions in real time. Popular with graduates and industry upskillers interested in architectural design, the course integrates digital technologies alongside traditional trade skills. This ensures Holmesglen students, graduates and tomorrow’s industry leaders are adaptable and confident across both physical and virtual environments.

Championing Women in Trades

As demand for skilled tradespeople rises, Holmesglen is helping drive greater female participation in fields such as electrical, plumbing and carpentry – areas traditionally dominated by men.

For Emma Jepsen, Holmesglen was where she found the confidence to embark on a career in the trades while completing a commerce degree at Monash University. After completing her Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician, she was named Holmesglen Apprentice of the Year and went on to become a finalist at the 2025 Victorian Training Awards.

“Being a female in a male-dominated industry, there’s power in that,” Jepsen says. “At Holmesglen, I had supportive classmates and excellent teachers. I wouldn’t be the electrician or the person I am today without that experience.”

Through mentoring, peer networks and strong industry partnerships, the Institute is creating pathways for women to feel valued and celebrated – not just included.

Holmesglen is also part of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Allyship in Action program, which engages men in the industry as allies and sponsors to promote female participation, retention and advancement across construction.

Watch Now: Holmesglen grad Emma Jepsen’s journey from university to TAFE to Electrician

youtube.com/watch?v=QFFiqfxufGI

Powering Up Electrical Training Currently, Holmesglen’s electrical courses are in high demand with an increasing interest in renewable energy training such as gridconnected battery storage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

A planned expansion in 2026 will see Holmesglen grow its existing electrical facilities at Moorabbin into a premier destination; an investment that will give electrical employers and apprentices access to upgraded spaces and more facilities.

This expansion will also create more teaching and training opportunities for electrical industry experts to join Holmesglen and share their diverse knowledge and insights.

Adam Hewitt, Electrical Teacher made a switch from industry to teaching and was pleasantly surprised by the community he found at Holmesglen.

“When I was making the switch from trade to teaching, I had some reservations, but I found a great community here of teachers, staff and management that made the transition really easy,” said Adam.

Elizabeth Jansz says professionals making the switch to teaching are strongly supported by the Institute with flexibility, paid training, mentoring and other competitive opportunities.

Apprentice Central: Support That Goes Beyond the Workshop

Holmesglen acknowledges that success in an apprenticeship isn’t just about mastering skills, it’s also about wellbeing, guidance and having the right support at every step. Apprentice Central at Holmesglen is an award-winning apprentice support service dedicated to ensuring each apprenticeship is rewarding and stress-free for employers and students.

A group of Holmesglen apprentices training on mobile plumbing pods which can be customised to match a variety of site requirements.

Here, apprentices can access learning skills support, wellbeing services, and even financial assistance or scholarships through the Holmesglen Foundation. It’s also a place for advice on workplace challenges, employment information and career planning.

Working closely with the Holmesglen Learning Skills Centre, Apprentice Central keeps apprentices engaged and guides them through any learning challenges they face to complete their qualification.

This holistic wrap-around approach reflects Holmesglen’s belief that apprentices will succeed by building resilience, confidence and a sense of belonging alongside technical ability.

Holmesglen’s Debbie Greenberger, Manager Apprentice Central, believes in placing success of the apprentice at the centre of all they do.

“We provide support to both apprentices and employers throughout their apprenticeship journey all the way to completion of their studies. The outstanding results of our student and employer satisfaction surveys are testament to the work we do to support our apprentices and their employers.”

The refurbished Chadstone campus plumbing space which includes dedicated welding and this large, plumbed sandpit for subsurface training and site simulation exercises.

Shaping the Workforce of Tomorrow

Holmesglen’s vision is clear – to shape the future of work and train apprentices equipped to move forward with a mindset of adaptability and innovation. Zinfra’s Betty Hui summarises how this ethos works in practice to benefit apprenticeships, as a valued industry training partner with Holmesglen.

“Our partnership with Holmesglen is collaborative and dynamic — we work closely together to continuously refine and improve the training program to ensure it aligns with both company expectations and evolving industry standards,” she says.

Through investment in technology, support for women, comprehensive student services, and a culture of excellence for employers, Holmesglen Institute is setting a new benchmark for what apprenticeships can be: dynamic, inclusive, and future-ready.