By James Moran - General Manager, Apprenticeship Support Australia.
But the risk to business of non-compliance could jeopardise consideration for future projects! Tapping into the available talent to meet their needs is the lifeblood of trades businesses.
It is no secret that we are in an environment, especially in major capital cities, where the demand for skilled labour in the construction industry often cannot be satisfied. So irrespective of imposed targets, implementation of a training and development program to grow the talent pool from within is just good business sense.
In some states, skills legacy targets for apprentices are climbing as high as 20% of all trades positions on a project. It is not easy to hire them though!
With a cultural bias towards university – our recent survey revealed only 9.3 per cent of young people still at school are considering an apprenticeship or traineeship* - we have still quite a job to do to dispel the misguided belief that one tertiary system is better than the other. We need to encourage young people to find out what truly interests them and plays to their strengths. For many this may be a trade-based career.
Apprenticeship Support Australia provides a comprehensive suite of services to support businesses in meeting their immediate skills legacy targets and in growing their skilled workforce. We have specialist construction industry training consultants who assist with advice on where the program can be used across an organisation, assessment of incentives and funding eligibility and management of the apprentice lifecycle. This includes accessing candidates, assistance with mentoring, navigating the claims process and more.
Backed by the business chamber movement in Australia, addressing skills development to meet our nation’s demands and reducing youth unemployment is a pillar of our strategic agenda.
Our youth careers program, Skillsroad, provides young people in Australia with a range of tools to help them identify their skills and strengths. We enable young people to make informed career choices and showcase the diverse opportunities in pathways they may not have considered, including construction. Businesses looking to hire can tap into the membership of nearly 200,000 youth via the Skillsroad Jobs Board.
For help in recruiting, inducting and managing your apprenticeships and traineeships programs, click here and
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* = Skillsroad 2017 Youth Census