The Yamaha Training Academy team recently held its inaugural Immersion Day at Yamaha Motor Australia, and a group of Year 10 students from St Gregory’s Boys College at Campbelltown, NSW, were the first to experience the new program.
Organised with the assistance of Michael Ivancic from St. Gregory’s College, the Immersion Day took place at the Yamaha Motor Australia head offices in Wetherill Park.
An Immersion Day aims to show students that Yamaha Motor Australia is more than just motorcycles and WaveRunners; there are various career paths available, including marketing, finance, sales, legal counsel, and warehouse operations. An Immersion Day is an excellent opportunity for visiting students to broaden their perspectives about Yamaha Motor and explore potential career opportunities.
Cory Hillsley and Brodie Davidson from Yamaha Training Academy set out a full day of activities for their guests, including presentations by department heads from across the business, giving students a good understanding of what it’s like to be part of the YMA family. The day also included a warehouse tour, an opportunity to work with Yamaha technicians, and an exclusive sneak peek at a top-secret Yamaha project that was off-limits to cameras.
While showing the students the high-tech world of Yamaha’s Sky Division, Cory Hillsley emphasised the variety of professional pathways available within Yamaha Motor. “It’s not about where you start but where you can progress to once you become a member of the Yamaha Motor Australia family,” Cory explained. “We are in the Sky Division workshop, showing off the exciting world an Unmanned Ariel Vehicle (UAV) pilot faces each day, but we have also been to Spare Parts, Sales, Servicing and much more. These areas are all potential career paths, and I think it has been an eye-opening day for these boys.”
Accompanying the St. Gregory’s students was Michael Ivancic, Leader of Learning for Transition and Pathways at the college. The seemingly endless range of Yamaha products, including the new YDX-Moro 07 e-MTB, caught Micheal’s eye, and he was impressed by the inner workings of YMA. Michael said it is essential for the boys to see the inner workings of a real business and the various functions that combine in the day-to-day operations. “The boys have heard from various departments, including legal, finance, marketing, and sales, as well as experiencing hands-on activities with some of Yamaha’s best machinery,” he said. “What the boys have encountered throughout the day couldn’t be taught in a classroom. Some of the people with senior roles at Yamaha didn’t have any qualifications when they started; they have worked their way up from the ground level. That’s important for these boys to see and hear about.”
With the students working under the guidance of Yamaha technicians, as they explored the inner workings of motorcycle and WaveRunner engines, Student Sidney revealed he was amazed to see what goes on around the facility and what the staff experience in their day-to-day roles. “Before I got here today, I thought that a career with Yamaha would restrict me to dealing with motorbikes and boats,” he said. “But being here, I’ve discovered there are a lot more career opportunities than I imagined, and a lot of them do not have much to do with bikes and boats at all. It’s the sort of stuff you don’t expect a motor company to be offering.”
Following the success of its first Immersion Day, the Yamaha Training Academy is now looking to expand on the idea and fine-tune elements to make it even more engaging for the next group of students who attend.
If you would like further information about the Yamaha Training Academy Immersion Days, their in-school program, or Try-a-Trade day events, email the YTA team
