Apprenticeships and traineeships have long been a core part of the Australian vocational landscape. Hiring an apprentice or trainee can be a great way of nurturing the next generation of employees, while also helping to cover specific skill gaps or anticipate future needs within your business. 

At the same time, completion rates for apprenticeships and traineeships are surprisingly low. Non-completion can be disheartening for employers, who may feel their investment of time and money has been squandered; and equally for the apprentice or trainee, who may feel they have stumbled in their career journey just as they were starting out. 

There are a number of reasons non-completion may occur. These can include, but are not limited to: the apprentice or trainee being ill-prepared for the required load of work and study; their expectations for growth and development not being met by their host employer; or by there simply being a poor “fit” in terms of culture, personality or working style. 

A Group Training Organisation (GTO) can help with all of these factors. But what else can you, as the employer, do to ensure you get the most out of your apprentice or trainee – and that they get the most out of their time working with you? Here are a few of our top tips. 

Set clear goals, and a pathway to reach them 

Both you and your apprentice or trainee will benefit if there’s a clear plan from day one about what you and they want to gain from their time with you. Put some thought into this before they commence, so you can communicate clearly to them what it is you envision for their time with you. But also have a conversation with them on the first day about what their overall career objectives are, and how you can support them to reach those goals.  

Like any employee, your apprentice or trainee is likely to be happier, more motivated and more engaged if they feel their time with you is helping them to develop and grow in a way that is aligned with what they are trying to achieve – in work and in life. 

Assign them a mentor 

Commencing a new job is always a daunting experience. That’s especially true for an apprentice or trainee, who is likely to be at the very start of their career journey, with little or no experience of a professional work environment. 

Assigning a mentor to your apprentice or trainee will provide them some reassurance that there is someone looking out for them. The mentor also acts as a role model, who can demonstrate the kind of behaviour and work ethic that is appropriate for your workplace, and support them to follow suit. 

A mentor is different to a manager. It should be someone the apprentice or trainee can relate to on a personal level, whom they can talk freely with about any anxieties or uncertainties they might be experiencing, feel comfortable asking questions, or debrief with in an informal way if issues arise. 

If you’ve sourced the apprentice or trainee via a GTO, the GTO will provide some mentorship, but can only do so up to a point. It’s important to have someone on-site to model behaviour, assist with developing skills, and be a go-to person they can depend on over the course of a normal workday. 

Monitor progress 

You’ve had a discussion with the apprentice or trainee about their goals, you’ve laid out a plan, and you’ve established clear objectives. But how do you make sure they are ticking the boxes that are going to help them, and you, get the most out of their time with you? 

It’s important to monitor the progress of your apprentice or trainee, with regular (probably weekly) structured one-on-ones where you and they can discuss their achievements, what headway they have made on specific goals, and what obstacles they may be facing. 

Again, monitoring the apprentice or trainee’s progress is part of what a GTO will do. This includes supporting the apprentice or trainee to stay on top of their required study load. If you’ve sourced the apprentice or trainee via a GTO, monitoring their progress involves an ongoing three-way conversation between the apprentice or trainee, the GTO, and you as the host employer. 

Be agile in providing development opportunities 

The plan you set on day one doesn’t have to be set in stone. In fact, it’s likely that it will change and evolve as the apprentice or trainee does.  

Maybe they are progressing at a different rate to what you or they expected. Maybe they have shown a particular aptitude or passion for an aspect of their work that you had expected to be peripheral to their main duties. Maybe your goals, or theirs, have simply changed. 

Whatever the reason, it’s good to be prepared to offer different development opportunities as the need may arise. If you have good mentoring and monitoring processes in place, conversations about goals and progress will emerge naturally, and plans can be readily adapted.  

Once again, if your apprentice feels like they are developing and growing in a way that aligns with both your business goals and their career and life goals, they are likely to be happier, and more motivated, engaged and productive.  

And at the end of the apprenticeship or traineeship, you may find yourself with an employee you want to engage on a permanent basis, who you have nurtured in line with your skill needs, and who wants to work with you for the long term. 

As a recognised GTO, Acclaimed Workforce employs apprentices and trainees and places them with host employers, and provides ongoing support and management. Contact us to find out how we can help you get the most out of your apprentice or trainee.