TAFE Illawarra's Wollongong campus has opened its doors this month to a fresh round of BlueScope Steel employees for an intensive eight-week training program.

Eighteen apprentices and five cadets began the course on January 5.

The two-month program is tailored to prepare employees for their jobs in electrotechnology, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mechatronics, fitting and machining.

Recruits will learn in-field safety, taking on mechanical technology and manual handling in their second week. They will also do on-site work at Port Kembla Steelworks.

The program began in January 2012 as a way to prepare BlueScope Steel apprentices before they began full-time work.

Two weeks into the program, commercial training manager Mark Keech said the group had settled into TAFE and were hard at work on basic hand skills and safety training.

Apprentices taking part in the program are employed by Hunter Valley Training Company, while cadets attend the University of Wollongong.

During what is normally their university break, both cadets and apprentices are learning vital skills to prepare them for the workforce.

TAFE Illawarra's faculty director of trades and technology Marty Burgess, said that the customised training program was a great example of businesses working together with TAFE Illawarra to ensure that recruits are job-ready.

Following the completion of the program, recruits will begin their four-year apprenticeship.