Gone are the days when an apprenticeship meant you had to be someone’s lackey, doing the jobs the qualified tradespeople at the business didn’t want to do while you paid your dues.
Today’s apprenticeships can be much more inclusive and supportive training journeys in which apprentices are valued as future leaders of the organisation.
Apprentices may also be trained in a range of skills beyond the core competencies of the role to ensure they are well-rounded tradespeople and given every opportunity to succeed.
Since July, 2024, the Australian Government has provided extra support to improve the apprenticeship experience for both apprentices and employers.
It is in response to lagging completion rates, as on average, about half of all apprentices finish their training and become qualified.
The National Centre for Vocational Education Research reveals this proportion of trade apprentices who complete their training has remained relatively steady over the past 30 years.
In 2023, just 54.1 per cent of trade apprentices who started their three or four-year apprenticeship in 2019 had completed their training.
However, if apprentices receive help and support through any challenge – personal or professional – that they encounter during their time in training, it may increase the chances that they finish. For example, mentoring may help them gain confidence.
Meanwhile, support programs for employers can help them stay up-to-date with best practices around training new workers.
CHANGES TO AUSTRALIAN APPRENTICESHIPS
Apprentice Connect Australia Providers were engaged in July, 2024, by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to provide focused help to support apprentices.
The role of the provider begins before the apprenticeship starts, helping apprentices find the right pathway for them and identifying individual needs.
For example, Australian Apprenticeship Support provides apprentices with tailored guidance, mentoring and resources, including eligibility advice, coaching, assistance with signing up with an employer and finding an appropriate training provider to conduct the classroom learning.
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Apprentice Connect Australia Providers can also provide support to help apprentices through a range of circumstances or challenges, regardless of whether they are work-related or personal, as both can affect whether or not they finish their training.
For example, MEGT has dedicated mentors who can help apprentices with work and training challenges, such as workplace issues, numeracy assistance or problems with completing assessments, as well as personal challenges, such as drug and alcohol challenges, personal relationships and housing support.
Specialist providers can provide tailored support to help women navigate male-dominated trades, First Nations apprentices, apprentices with a disability and apprentices located in remote areas.
CASE STUDY: KOMATSU APPRENTICE PROGRAM
Komatsu Australia invests in apprenticeships to build long-term capability and resilience in its workforce, rather than to just fill vacancies.
Komatsu apprenticeships include plant mechanic, electrician, automotive electrician, mechanical fitter, electrical fitter, boilermaker and fitter machinist.
Komatsu’s national apprentice development manager Kate Pemberton says the apprentice program includes training beyond the core trade competencies.
“Our apprentices gain exposure to key component training, training as per industry trends, and our most critical product lines, ensuring they are prepared to work confidently with the latest technologies and equipment,” she says.
“We also run dedicated safety training weeks that focus specifically on the high-risk activities encountered in our work environment.
“In addition to technical skills, we place a strong emphasis on personal and professional development.”
Therefore, the program also includes training in soft skills such as emotional intelligence, presenting with confidence, communication, customer interaction and time management.
“By equipping apprentices with technical skills, soft skills and practical experience, we ensure we have a workforce ready to meet industry standards in a changing environment,” she says.“Apprentices are not just trainees – they are tomorrow’s leaders, experts and innovators.”
READ MORE: KOMATSU APPRENTICE PROGRAM
Komatsu also incorporates mental health and resilience training into its apprentice program.
While it aims to help build a strong, safe and sustainable workforce, this kind of training also recognises apprentices often face a unique set of pressures as they transition into full-time work, Kate says.
“Mental health awareness helps apprentices better understand and manage their own wellbeing, recognise early signs of stress or burnout and know when and how to seek support,” she says.
“Resilience training gives apprentices the tools to cope with challenges, setbacks and change, which are inevitable parts of any career, especially in high-pressure industries.
“Equipping our apprentices with coping strategies early on helps them develop confidence, adaptability and a problem-solving mindset.”
She says it also helps apprentices build the emotional and psychological foundation to thrive throughout their careers.
“Ultimately, a focus on mental health and resilience is about investing in people, ensuring they have the support to grow not just as workers but as well-rounded, healthy individuals,” she says.
CASE STUDY: ARIAH HOLMES, DIPLOMA OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Ariah Holmes credits the supportive nature of vocational education and training for helping her to gain advanced skills for her career in the not-for-profit sector.
Ariah works at Volunteering ACT, helping many various not-for-profit organisations build capability around volunteer management and engagement, and best practice.
She had been pursuing a nursing and midwifery career through university when her life took an unexpected turn.
She became ill and wheelchair-bound for some time, so was unable to finish her nursing studies.
“I eventually found a new pathway through volunteering,” she says.
“I found a real love for working in not for profit and was able to find a new pathway and that eventually led me to Volunteering ACT.
“I really wanted to take my career to the next level and get a qualification that was transferable across any career decision I might have, because I know that our careers take twists and turns we don’t expect and I wanted something that I could carry across any career.”
In consultation with her manager at the time, Ariah enrolled YWCA’s She Leads program.
It provides a leadership pathway for women and non-binary people, enabling participants to gain a nationally-recognised Diploma of Leadership and Management qualification while taking part in transformational leadership development.
It also aims to provide best-practice skills and theoretical knowledge alongside networks that can accelerate participants’ leadership journeys, and in a safe and supportive environment.
Ariah completed the diploma as part of a traineeship at her existing workplace.
“The traineeship was really able to bring that mentoring and supervision aspect to it and the learning on the job piece as well, which I found particularly useful,” she says.
“The challenges for tertiary education in the past weren’t challenges for me in this new pathway.”
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She says working full time would have made it hard to complete higher education, while the cost also was prohibitive.
VET provided flexible learning options, including online, which she could complete after hours and on weekends.
“Adult education can often carry barriers for marginalised cohorts, for example, people like myself with lived experience of disability, but also for newly arrived migrants and lots of other different people that experience those barriers,” she says.
“The flexibility is really wonderful, it’s extremely useful to get those qualifications while you’re still working, but also it doesn’t carry those same financial burdens that other types of education do.”
Ariah encourages other workers looking to upskill or gain a new qualification to consider alternatives to higher education.
“Look at all of the options and find the right one for you, because there really are so many options and so much flexibility around training provider, around mode of education, and there’s lots of additional supports in place as well,” she says.
“The support I received from my teacher was really wonderful and made me feel I could ask questions if I needed to and ask for support as well.
“There are so many different career pathways to take and for many different ways to learn and develop skills.”
When researching your training options, take the time to Explore All The Options
Cara Jenkin is a freelance journalist with more than 20 years’ experience working in the print, digital and television media. It included 10 years as the editor of NewsCorp’s Careers employment section, covering topics ranging from education and training to workplace.