The current Australian labour market is a relentless place for employers looking for staff, and has gone far beyond the skills gap, spiralling instead into an all-out labour shortage. So much so, that recent ABS data revealed a record 480,100 job vacancies in May 2022 – more than double the number at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This is only being exacerbated by an unemployment rate that is at a 48-year low, meaning there is now nearly the same number of people looking for work as there are jobs: with 1.1 unemployed people for every job vacancy. 

The word “unprecedented” has been used frequently within the last two years, but it seems like the only appropriate phrase to describe the current worker shortage being felt by every business across Australia. 

At the same time, there’s a population of school-leavers, TAFE students and other individuals, who have been unable to gain hands-on work experience during this time, Acclaimed Workforce’s National Manager Ed Milne explains.

 

“We’re seeing a whole group of people who have finished school or vocational study who haven’t been able to enter the workforce to gain practical experience – either due to lack of confidence or because entire industries were forced to close or scale back due to Covid-19 restrictions,” he says. 

“These restrictions saw employers trying to support their current workforce while keeping their business afloat, as opposed to creating new job opportunities and hiring staff. As a result, training dried up for those who were looking for pathways into work.” 

To counter this situation, Acclaimed Workforce has developed  training and upskilling services that address and overcome the challenges for both employers seeking staff, and individuals needing on-the-job experience. 

How this program works 

“Typically, when looking for new staff, employers will hire candidates based on their previous industry experience,” Ed says. “But as a result of the pandemic, people who are available and ready to work haven’t been able to access even one or two years of experience. As such, employers can’t gauge their ability to work, call referees or assess their capabilities in working in production environments or with machinery.” 

“In this way, our On-Hired Work Placement Program gives both employees and employers a chance to benefit during a time when labour itself is so scarce.” 

Working closely with employers, Acclaimed Workforce creates a 6–8-week training program tailored to each business, its required skills and workplace environment. This involves participants cycling through the business’s work stations for the duration of the training program, so both the employer and the individual get a feel for which they have a particular interest in and affinity for. 

“It’s a program that we customise completely for employers”, says Renee Ramsay, Acclaimed Workforce’s Victorian State Manager. “Whether it’s a business in the warehouse sector that requires receiving and dispatch staff, or an electrical manufacturer that needs electrical fitters, each participant receives training in the different aspects of the job.” 

Coordinated by the Acclaimed Workforce team 

“Given the on-hired nature of this program, Acclaimed Workforce takes on the responsibility of onboarding participants, managing their performance, and completing all associated employment paperwork, such as time and attendance, and payroll. 

Furthermore, Acclaimed takes on the responsibilities of supporting and educating participants through the job application process itself, as well as workplace practices that may otherwise be foreign to those without practical experience. This includes providing training in skills such as interview etiquette, writing resumes, how to communicate appropriately on site and time-management skills. All of this  gives individuals the support they need to work confidently and independently within the workforce – both in the On-Hired Workplace Training Program and in their future career. 

Benefits for employers 

Acclaimed Workforce is currently running this program for several warehousing and manufacturing employers in Melbourne, however it is available to businesses across the state, as well as South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. 

One electrical manufacturing company engaged in the program has seen a 100 percent success rate, Renee says, with all six of the program participants passing their training. Adding to this, they are all continuing to work with this manufacturer and have also gone to enrol in relevant vocational certificates to continue their education in this sector. 

"Involvement in this program has allowed the business to fill its shifts and have additional staff on hand if someone is unable to work due to illness,” she says. “In the space of just six weeks, they've been able to keep these workers on their books - workers who have the skills they were looking for months ago, but were unable to find prior to joining our program.” 

Additionally, investment in training and progression opportunities such as Acclaimed’s On-Hired Work Placement Program, have been shown to significantly improve employee retention rates, while also being a big draw card for job seekers.

According to attrition research, a key factor seeing people resign from their current role is lack of learning and development opportunities. Employees are wanting to gain new skills, challenge themselves and be increasingly engaged with the work they perform. This craving for a path forward seems especially strong among young workers, with 38 percent of Gen-Z employees looking for jobs with greater training and development.   

Benefits for job seekers 

“Do you remember your first ever day at a job site?”, Ed asks. “Chances are you felt nervous, uncertain and a little bit lost. Now imagine that you’ve spent the last years of your schooling or vocational study - probably the most formative when it comes to building the soft skills you need to enter the workforce - isolating at home,” he says. “There’s so much less opportunity to practice essential skills, such as effective communication and time-management.” 

“This program gives people who can’t demonstrate work history and practical experience in a similar job function an opportunity to gain these skills and, following this, be offered a job. We’re talking about individuals who have great potential, passion and aptitude, and can be fantastic employees, but until we started a program like this, no one was able to see it.” 

The program acts as a steppingstone for individuals to make of it what they wish: they can complete their paid program placement, gain skills and then move on. Or continue to stay working with the business and go on to advance their skills, either solely through practical experience or by enrolling in additional education pathways. 

Why participate in this program? 

Given the on-hired nature of this program, Acclaimed Workforce takes on all the associated responsibilities of being an employer, including recruitment, onboarding, payment, providing feedback and performance management. Each week, a consultant touches base with participants and the employer to assess how individuals are transitioning through the program. When managed by employment professionals, businesses face less employment risk. 

Furthermore, training is tailored to suit individuals’ needs and abilities, as learning styles vary from person to person. This takes a significant amount of pressure off employers, passing the duty onto Acclaimed. 

“We have a stringent compliance process that ensure everything is done correctly,” says Ed. “We ensure each participant is both physically and mentally capable of performing the duties of the role, which reduces OHS risks while also ensuring they don’t face any unconscious bias or discrimination during the recruitment process.” 

“This is a program that’s completely tailored, consistently tested and improved upon, because we’re committed to getting the best outcome for everyone: enough staff that are engaged and learning so employers can fill shifts, and a place where individuals feel they can enter into the workforce in a supported, safe way.” 

To learn more about Acclaimed’s on-hired training program, visit our website, or contact us today for more information.