The FAQS on the Construction Industry Apprenticeships

 

Here is Part II of the Hiring an Apprentice series.  If you haven’t yet read Part I: Employing an Apprentice head over and check it out! Otherwise read on…

Australian apprenticeships are offered in all manner of industries however, we’ve taken a close look at civil construction apprenticeships and those in the building and construction industry (like carpentry, tiling, painting, landscaping apprenticeships etc.) because that’s what we’re good at. We’re working with clients on the ground and these are the questions or matter-of-fact statements we often come across.

So, without further delay here are the all-too-common FAQs we get, answers (that will hopefully simplify what hiring an Apprentice really means) and some things we’d like you to consider.

I’ve had apprentices before and they are a pain in the arse…

Our question to you: How can you recruit better and get the right help to better understand what you have to do?

Recruitment of the right talent is a challenge for all businesses, large and small.  What the bigger guys have is more resources.  I don’t agree with the saying “Hire slow, fire fast” – the right people won’t sit around waiting for you to make a decision if you’re slow, they will be snapped up. Because – yep you guessed it, another company could make a deliberate and decisive decision (DDD).

On the flip side, we can possibly all recount poor recruitment choices, thought ‘they will get better’ but alas no. After six months of training, coaching and encouraging you realise you got it wrong! But you keep them on anyway because, well, they are better than no body! Right? Wrong!

Small business operators certainly don’t have the resources of larger organisations, that’s obvious. Wearing many hats, being everywhere to everyone.  BUT, and this is a big BUT if you are not selective with who you hire, and make time to get this right, then the time you will actually waste on ‘fighting the fires with employees’ will far out way the front-end investment.

Your team are an investment in your business’s future. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t go and bet $500 each week on a horse you know nothing about. So why do you do it with your team?

This is what many small business operators are doing with their hiring practices.

Do your interviews, ring the referees, ask them to come and do a half or full day trial – does all this take time, yes it does, but be efficient with your time in a planned manner.  Don’t make excuses – just execute.

With regards to ‘fire quick’ I believe it’s more about human compassion – and I don’t mean this is woo woo either.  This is about having the hard conversations, no one likes these conversations, but it takes leadership and it takes compassion and respect.

There are a number of employment organisations in the market place who support small business with their employment relations, they charge a fixed monthly fee and quite frankly are worth every cent.  We recommend Employsure.

All this training stuff seems complicated.

Our question to you : Who will you work with when you have a Training Contract?  

Employing an apprentice is an investment in the skills progression of your industry and business and the future growth and development of the person you select.

Now let’s declutter the training partnership!

Who’s involved?

There are a number of stakeholders or parties involved when an Apprentice or Trainee commence with an employer, they are:-

• The prospective apprentice / trainee
  • if they are under 18 years of age, also their parents or guardians
• The Employer
  • This involves various personnel within the company at differing time during the course of the training contract delivery:-
  • the person who can commit on behalf of the company to an Apprentice Training Contract
  • supervising personnel of the apprentice
  • accounts personnel – payment of student contribution fees / incentive claims
• A Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
  • Provide the training (refer to types of delivery mechanisms)
  • Support the apprentice in their progression through engagement, coaching and encouragement
  • Support the employer with the training requirements to claim incentives
• Australian Apprentice Support Network (AASN)
  • AASN providers administer the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive Program
  • Eligibility checks, application and progress of allowances, loan and incentive applications
  • Manage apprenticeship administration such as Training Contracts (including cancellations, withdrawals and recommencements), completion arrangements, change of details
  • Provide free support to employers and apprentices throughout the life of an apprenticeship
• Department of Education Small Business and Training (DESBT)
  • Approve Training Contracts and issue Registration Numbers approval
  • Work with employers, by conducting site visits to ensure adequate training arrangements are in place
  • Monitor student progression

 

https://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/employers

https://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/publications/summary-australian-government-australian-apprenticeships-incentives-programme