After 4 years the 3- year block release apprenticeship format is functioning extremely well and all partner companies are extremely satisfied with the quality of training.
Each year is evenly divided up into On the Job and Off the Job block releases (See layout calender below). At the VETA centres 3 Block releases/year, each of a number of weeks totaling 20 weeks/year, amounting to a total of 9 block releases over the full 3 years of the apprenticeship.
The apprentices are engaged by the companies under contract for the duration of the apprenticeship and are obliged to keep them at least until their training is complete, provided the apprentice(s) behave accordingly. At the end of the apprenticeship the company is free to release the apprentice, but the apprentice is obliged by contract, to remain with the company for a minimum of 2 years.
The companies agree to pay a monthly allowance to each apprentice during all the On (In VETA) and Off The Job blocks of training.
Since May 2013 apprentices have completed a number of VETA Off-The-Job blocks and a number of company On-The-Job blocks. The first apprenticeship began with an initial 7 week block at VETA.