The Apprentice and Traineeship Company appoints Joe Valenti as new chief executive

The Apprentice and Traineeship Company has a new man in its top job.

Joe Valenti has recently been appointed as chief executive of the training provider, taking over from the retiring Stan Liaros.

He has a significant background in tertiary education and training, moving back to WA following a stint as the deputy chief executive of New Zealand Indigenous education provider Te Wananga o Aotearoa.

Mr Valenti said he was excited about the prospect of working with the community.

“I can’t wait to start forging partnerships with individuals, businesses and governments to start the process of helping those wanting to work in their community,” he said.

Mr Valenti has previously worked as general manager of the Northern Land Council and spent 20 years at Curtin University.

He takes over the position from Mr Liaros, who became a stalwart at the not-for-profit organisation during his more than two decades of service.

“I have big shoes to fill ... Stan was with the company for 23 years,” Mr Valenti said.

“I have a great team and look forward to working with them to build on the foundations laid by my predecessors.”

One of Mr Valenti’s challenges will be to find more people wanting to join the construction industry, which is currently struggling to keep up with high community demand.

He said one of ATC’s strengths was its understanding of industry and employers’ needs.

“The good news is employers want apprentices. Demand is there, opportunity is there,” Mr Valenti said.

“Our commitment is to maintain and enhance our strong reputation as a quality provider in the vocational education and training sector. We are a values-driven organisation that aims to benefit the individual, their families and the community”.