Employers
At MAS National, we are proud to offer you and your apprentice, the additional support of our Kickstart Mentoring Program.
Your Kickstart Mentor is available 8:00am – 8:00pm Monday to Friday to discuss the progression of your apprentice and help resolve any issues that need to be addressed. There is no cost to you or your apprentice for this additional level of support.
We realise that employers face their own set of challenges in taking on a new apprentice, so we’d like to offer a few tips that may help with the process.
Tip #1: Workplace Introduction
Taking some time to introduce your apprentice to their new workplace can go a long way towards minimising potential issues relating to communication and expectations down the track.
Points to consider:
Company Overview
Including brief history, number of employees, etc.
Big or small, this helps them to understand where they fit in the bigger picture of your organisation
·
Employment Contract
Do you have one?
Does it include probationary period, leave conditions, reporting structure, pay rates, award details, pay process, etc?
Work rules/conditions
Start and finish times, break times, OH&S, PPE, tool use
Back to Top
Tip #2: Effective Communication
Good, clear communication with your teenage apprentice is absolutely critical to a successful working relationship and also significantly increases the likelihood that your apprentice will stay with your organisation.
Points to consider:
- Give clear instructions
- Give regular, specific and positive feedback
- Seek feedback from your Apprentice to check understanding
- Communication goes both ways, so take the time to actually listen to your Apprentice
Back to Top
Tip #3: Coaching/Mentoring
Understand that you are one of the most important people in your apprentice’s world at this point in their career. By signing them up as your apprentice, you are agreeing to be a coach and mentor to them and to take on the responsibility of teaching them the trade. Their perceptions and understanding of the trade are going to be shaped by you and your organisation.
By facilitating a positive working environment, you can help to bring out the best in your apprentice.
Back to Top
Tip #4: Bullying/Harassment
We all know that employers are legally obliged to provide a safe working environment for their workers and especially for young apprentices who often have no prior knowledge of life in the “real world” of full time work.
Some practices towards apprentices that were considered normal 20-30 years ago are now considered illegal in today’s workplace and carry severe penalties.
Bullying can be defined as:
“Repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed toward an employee, or group of employees, that creates a risk to health and safety.”
Back to Top
Tip #5: Training Plan
As part of the registration of your apprentice, your Registered Training Organisation (RTO), usually TAFE, is required to provide you and your apprentice with a full Training Plan that has been developed in consultation with you.
The Training Plan outlines the various Units of Competency that the apprentice is required to complete through out the duration of the Apprenticeship and when they will be covered by the RTO.
Give some thought to setting tasks in the workplace that marry up with Competencies being covered at TAFE
Provide a variety of tasks and responsibilities at different times to help keep your apprentice motivated.
Back to Top