How apprentices and trainees can grow your business
Apprenticeships and traineeships are a great way to meet your workforce demands.
Australian Apprentices (including trainees) can help unlock the potential of your business by bringing fresh talent and innovative perspectives, to help you stay one step ahead in today’s competitive landscape. Apprentices not only bring enthusiasm, they offer a cost-effective solution to combat skills shortages in the market. They’re eager to learn and adapt, allowing you to shape their skills to fit your business’ unique needs and values.
The benefits of apprenticeships and traineeships
Build and develop a skilled workforce
Employing a new generation of talent can help future-proof your business.
Improve productivity
Bring fresh ideas and new perspectives to your workplace to remain innovative and competitive.
Upskill your current staff
Apprenticeships and traineeships offer a cost-effective solution to develop and upskill your existing team.
Train an employee your own way
You can teach apprentices and trainees the skills and knowledge in a way that best suits your business.
Increase staff morale and retention
Reduce your recruitment costs, increase leadership opportunities and build a long-term succession plan.
Potential access to financial incentives
Employing an apprentice or trainee may make your business eligible for financial incentives and subsidies.
What employers say
91%
agree apprentices fill skills shortages*
89%
agree apprenticeships provide opportunities for existing staff to develop*
86%
agree apprentices bring new energy to a workplace*
*MEGT Customer Satisfaction, 2024
Amber, Off-Road Trucks Australia
Managing Director Amber was thrilled to welcome Danielle as her latest apprentice auto-electrician. “Being a female-owned and managed company, gender stereotypes have never formed part of our makeup as we believe anyone deserves a chance to do something they love.
Ben, Peninsula Smash Repairs
Owner Ben is passionate about teaching a new generation the skills of the trade and “passing on the experience me and my team have gained over the years.” So when Emilio was looking for an apprenticeship, Ben was quick to bring him onboard!
Melissa, Border Crane Consultants
The Border Crane Consultants team was thrilled to welcome Chloe, a mature-aged engineering apprentice. Director Melissa said: “In an industry where there’s been long term skills shortages, our philosophy is that if we can’t find the skill, we train the skill.
Viki, Workwear Branding
As she searched for more staff for her growing business, Director Viki was grateful for the support of MEGT. “Bobby has been an asset to the company and has worked hard throughout his traineeship. MEGT gave me the best opportunity possible to find him.
Tim, Tim's Handyman Services
Marcus is undertaking his carpentry apprenticeship and is excited to put his learnings into practice working in his Dad’s business. Tim says: “I want him to learn the whole building trade, every part of building a home, so that in four years’ time he can go where the work is and earn a decent living.
How MEGT can help
As Australia’s apprenticeship experts, MEGT has helped over 1.5 million Australians into work and supported over 250,000 businesses to find the talent they need.
MEGT Apprentice Connect Provider
As Australia’s largest single Apprentice Connect Provider, MEGT offers a range of free services including fast and efficient sign-up and administration of Training Contracts, assistance with government financial incentives and claims, and ongoing support and mentoring for both employers and their apprentice.
MEGT Recruitment and Management Services
MEGT’s Recruitment and Management Servies (RMS) team recruits and directly employs apprentices and trainees through our Group Training Organisation (GTO) service. We place them at ‘host employer’ worksites where they are provided with day-to-day work, supervision, and on-the-job training.
FAQs
Before an apprenticeship or traineeship can be registered, an employer and an apprentice or trainee need to sign a Training Contract.
The contract outlines each party’s responsibilities and entitlements and is approved by the relevant State or Territory Training Authority (STA). An Apprentice Connect Provider, like MEGT, can initiate the sign-up and official registration of the contract.
There are a number of important people involved in helping apprentices and trainees complete their qualification.
- Employer. Hires the apprentice and provides support, on-the-job training and supervision. In some cases, a Group Training Organisation (GTO) will recruit and employ an apprentice and place them with a host employer.
- Apprentice/Trainee. The new or existing employee works towards their qualification through a combination of on-the-job training and formal study.
- Apprentice Connect Provider. Contracted by the Australian Government to administer Training Contracts and provide support to apprentices, trainees and their employers.
- Registered Training Organisation. Develops the Training Plan, delivers off-the-job (usually classroom) training, conducts assessments and issues certificates of completion.
- State or Territory Training Authority. Government departments responsible for registering and administering Training Contracts.
- Federal Government. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) is responsible for Australian Apprenticeship policies and funding.
An apprenticeship or trainee wage depends on the agreement, award, or legislation they are covered by.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is the best place to find information and advice about pay, conditions, and workplace rights and obligations. Employers can register an account with Fair Work to be notified about changes to pay and conditions relevant to your workplace. You’ll also have access to the Fair Work team via web chat to get all the answers you need when you need them.
If you’re not sure if your apprentice or trainee is covered by an agreement, award or legislation, the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) can help. By answering a few questions, you can find out which agreement, award or legislation covers your apprentice, minimum pay rates and working conditions.
When you take on an apprentice or trainee, you must:
- Provide the apprentice with full-time or part-time work
- Pay the apprentice the correct wages, superannuation, leave and other entitlements
- Provide time for the apprentice to attend training and pay for training costs (if required )
- Train the apprentice in accordance with their training plan, and have a suitably qualified person to supervise them at all times
- Induct the apprentice into your company and provide work health and safety instructions
- Abide by National Employment Standards
Find out more about your legal rights and obligations as an employer here.
Most Australian Apprenticeships are competency (skills) based, which means completion can occur at any stage if all parties agree that the required standard has been achieved.
Once all required competencies have been completed, you will need to contact your RTO so all relevant parties can sign a completion agreement. The RTO then submits the signed agreement to the relevant authority which issues a certificate of completion.
Your MEGT consultant will be on here to assist when this occurs.