Proud to support the 2010 Queensland Training Awards

Congratulations to the top employers, apprentices, trainees and vocational students across the state who have been announced as state finalists for the 2010 Queensland Training Awards. Employers, organisations and students will compete for the state title at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday 10 September 2010.

BUSY would like to wish all of them the best of luck. Keep up the great work.

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New Mentoring Initiative Launched for Young Apprentices

Now apprentices can have an offsider too

Apprentices now have the opportunity to work alongside their own offsider under a new service provided by BUSY. Young Apprentices have told us they need a mentor more than others and we’ve listened and developed a program which fits their needs. But our program is much more than a mentoring scheme.

The program aims to provide a smooth transition into a new career for apprentices by partnering them with a mentor who can help them get on with the job of getting their qualification.

A BUSY mentor will be there to offer a helping hand, give advice or provide support when you need it most. It might be questions about an apprenticeship or filling out paperwork or advice with a work-related problem.  Whatever the issue, a BUSY mentor will be there to call, text, email or chat to in person. No question or concern is too big or too small for our team of experienced mentors.

At BUSY we know having the right offsider is the key to success and our team of mentors have been handpicked to fit you and your industry. The new service is provided free to Kickstart Apprentices 19 years and under in skilled shortage industries.

If you’re a young apprentice contact us today to find out if you can get your own offsider for that extra support in your workplace.

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BUSY At Work Apprenticeships Services, an Australian Apprenticeships Centre (AAC)

There are many different organisations important to you as an employer that can assist you when it comes to employing an Australian Apprentice or trainee. This month we will take you through Australian Apprenticeships Centres (AACs) by helping you understand the services we provide under the Australian Apprenticeship Support Services program.

Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships offer many benefits to employers, so if you have decided to employ an Australian Apprentice or trainee to help address your skills shortages the next step is to contact an Australian Apprenticeships Centre.

Australian Apprenticeships Centres (AAC) are contracted by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to provide a free service to employers, job seekers, existing workers, schools, Job Services Australia, Registered Training Organisations, Group Training Organisations and other interested parties to help them with the sign-up and administration of an Australian Apprenticeship or traineeship. All Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships must be organised through an Australian Apprenticeships Centre.

These FREE services include:

• Providing quality information, advice and assistance on Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships.
• Marketing and promoting Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships to the community.
• Assisting with the completion and lodgement of Australian Government paperwork.
• Assessing and paying employer and Australian Apprentices and trainees claims for Australian Government incentives.
• Providing comprehensive claims reporting.
• Visiting employer workplaces to undertake the sign-up and induction process.
• Working closely with Job Services Australia, Group Training Organisations and Registered Training Organisations.
• If you are looking to employ an Australian School-based Apprentice or trainee, BUSY At Work Apprenticeships Services (BUSY) can assist you by advertising the position in schools in your local area.

How do I find an Australian Apprenticeships Centre?

BUSY At Work has 14 offices providing Queensland’s widest network of Apprenticeships Services located in South-East Queensland, Southern Queensland and Central Queensland as well as being part of the Australian Apprenticeships Alliance (AAA) that has over 70 offices nationally.

For your local office simply call 13 BUSY (13 2879) or go to www.busyatwork.com.au

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BUSY At Work Apprenticeships Services and the Australian Apprenticeships Alliance (AAA)

BUSY At Work Apprenticeships Services and the Australian Apprenticeships Alliance (AAA) work closely with Group Training Organisations (GTO) to develop opportunities for apprentices and skills for employers.

Group Training is the largest employer network of apprentices and trainees throughout Australia, and assists thousands of businesses looking for apprentices and jobseekers every year. Group Training Organisations currently employ a large number of apprentices and trainees in the mining and energy sectors across QLD.

Jobseekers benefit in many ways by being employed by a Group Training Organisation including:

• You are employed by the GTO, not the actual industry business where you work - meaning if the work runs out it is the GTO’s responsibility to find you ongoing work to complete your qualification.

• All of your TAFE training is organised and monitored by your GTO.

• Your GTO will make sure that you have the necessary safety equipment to start work.

• You are never alone - once signed into your GTO apprenticeship/traineeship a Field Officer is allocated to provide services and ensure that you always have someone on hand to help with issues or to speak with when you need information.

For industry and business looking to take on  apprentices and trainees, Group Training offers them the flexibility to take on an apprentice or trainee without having to deal with complex regulations or employment contracts. Business therefore has the flexibility to hire an apprentice for lengths of time that suit the needs of the business both, large and small.

If you would like more information on Group Training Organisations, check out www.gtaltd.com.au or contact your local AAA Apprenticeships Centre via www.australianapprenticeshipsalliance.com.au. Other useful links and information for all your apprenticeships needs are available at www.busyatwork.com.au.

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Changing trends in employment..

With three quarters of 2009 over, the year to date has been both exciting and challenging for BUSY Inc. We have been privileged to add a number of new ventures to our suite of services including the new BUSY Employment Solutions division and the Indigenous Employment Panel initiative. We now add another: BUSYBEAT. BUSYBEAT is our new community services division. Our first project will be the establishment and implementation of a Community Learning, Work Experience and Pre Apprenticeship Hub to be based at Ipswich. This hub will encompass a series of self sustaining social enterprises promoting social inclusion. So watch this space for further information.

Since its inception on the 1st July this year BUSY Employment Solutions has seen employment trends change. Initially clients were very cautious and hiring intentions had been put on hold. While there are still a number of clients being cautious, focus now seems to be on future projects and the associated staffing needs. Overall there is a more optimistic sentiment and a move towards growth rather than remaining in a holding pattern. We are also seeing a renewed interest from candidates looking to change jobs or direction.

BUSY Employment Solutions is a professional recruitment division with a wealth of experience in recruitment at all levels. Our recruitment consultants are motivated to ensure that the experience for both the candidate and client are viewed as positive. We operate under the ethos of ensuring both sides are represented fairly and with respect. Profits generated from the division are used by BUSY Inc. to fund training and employment initiatives within local communities. 

Although the history of BUSY Employment Solutions is short, our delivery of professional recruitment services includes value added services.

Benefits include:

* Professional partner within recruitment services

* Ability to be flexible and adaptable

* Transparent and honest

* Market your company as an “employer of choice” 

BUSY Employment Solutions, in collaboration with key stakeholders including Jobs Services Australia providers and Group Training Organisations operate a job placement service. With profits from our “fee for service” recruitment, BUSY Employment Solutions can assist employers with job placement. This includes the placement of trainees, apprentices and other junior roles. We offer the same professional service as the fee for service arm by undertaking competency based interviews and will provide written interview reports on each candidate presented.

If you are looking for a seamless professional recruitment service why not give us a call on
13 BUSY (13 2879) or check out www.busyemployment.com.au

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How training improves productivity

An apt response would be that old Chinese proverb which says ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” It should continue to say “and make the fishing company he works for, more productive and more profitable”.

In the current fiscal economic climate, training staff empowers organisations by eliminating inaccuracies and skilfully avoiding wasted time and effort. PTC.com is one of the largest and fastest growing software companies in the world reports “A recent study of CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) users productivity shows that designers could complete critical tasks 40% to 75% faster if only they knew how to perform certain operations”. Similar analogies can be drawn to soft skills, such as management, or understanding personality and behavioural patterns. Improve the way team members interact and you improve their ability to solve problems. Better problem solving skills means better efficiency in general. Increased efficiency  to boost morale and productivity. It also helps to decrease stress, turnover and operating costs.

From a recently published survey of 217 employers regarding the training of newly hired staff “The Ill-Prepared U.S. Workforce: Exploring the Challenges of Employer-Provided Workforce Readiness Training”. Tony Bingham, ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) President and CEO states, “In any economy, having a knowledgeable, skilled workforce is critical for organisations to grow and be successful”. Mr Bingham continues, “as the skills gap widens among new entrants to the workforce, it’s clear that all stakeholders - employers, education sector, and the public workforce system - must collaborate to effectively prepare workers to be successful on the job.”

At a fundamental level, efficiency can be defined as the ratio of the output to the input of any system. Trained staff, in general, produce better higher quality results and make better choices than untrained staff and they do this in less time. Typically, these metrics equate to improved productivity for organisations. Faster manufacturing times mean more product output is possible, improved quality means fewer errors are realised and better choices mean better outcomes for the organisation.

‘I think, in any economy life cycle, having a knowledgeable, skilled workforce is critical for organizations to grow and be successful’ said Mr Bingham. One of the best ways to gain knowledge, acquire skills, and improve our productivity is to train our staff.

British Printing Industries Federation - have some interesting facts regarding Productivity and Training.
• Research shows training plays a key role in increased job satisfaction. Two-thirds of employees said they worked harder as a result of learning new skills.
• Businesses investing an extra £50 ($97 AUD) a week on training increased profits almost twice as fast as those that failed to raise training budgets
• In the UK only 28% of the population has intermediate skills compared with 51% in France and 65% in Germany, and this has a direct impact on productivity. French and German workers produce between a quarter and a third more in every hour than their British counterparts.

BUSY At Work administers the financial incentives paid to employers to support training programs and initiatives, which lead to national qualifications. We are contracted by the Australian Federal Government to promote employment and training opportunities through Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships. Our services and advice are independent and are offered at no cost to your organisation. Call 13 BUSY (13 2879) for one of our Industry Training Consultants who can easily access your eligibility for this financial support.

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Landing an Apprenticeship in the Resource Sector

by Paul Miles, Deputy CEO at BUSY Inc. on 13 Aug 09

Hi, welcome to BUSY At Work Apprenticeships Services first blog on www.mineblogger.com.au. Mine Blogger is a website for everything related to employment in the Australian Resource Sector - Jobs, News, Information and Advice.

Look out for future blogs which will keep you up to date with changes in the apprenticeships/traineeships market. These blogs will share ideas with you on how to get apprenticeships, what’s available and what you can do to get ahead.

These blogs will share ideas with you on how to get apprenticeships, what’s available and what you can do to get ahead of everyone else to land the right job.

BUSY works with everyone involved in apprenticeships and traineeships in all industries: including jobseekers, existing workers, employers, industry bodies and training organisations. The Resources Sector is a major industry for us as we cover most of Queensland including mining and resource cities/towns such as Gladstone, Emerald and Mackay. We also provide services nationally via the Australian Apprenticeships Alliance, which has the widest coverage of Australian Apprenticeships Centres in the country.

The first quarter of this year was particularly challenging for the sector, but over the last couple of months we have seen employers start to rethink their apprenticeships and traineeships recruitment. So now is the time to prepare yourself for apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities.

The opportunities for apprentices and trainees are incredibly varied and provide a range of jobs that many people do not necessarily relate to such a program. There are over 600 qualifications that you can undertake. Many of these naturally relate to the Resources Sector such as Coal Mining Preparation or Surface Operator, however employers, jobseekers and existing workers often do not realise that businesses have opportunities in their support services such as qualifications in Business Administration or even Cooking. For a full list of qualifications check out the Resources page on the BUSY At Work website.

Our research shows that employers value the more personal skills as much as they value technical skills. When you are going through the interview process, make sure you present yourself in the best way possible and demonstrate that you have the right attitude to undertake and complete an apprenticeship. When an employer agrees to offer you the position, they are making a long term commitment in you, so you need to show that you have the determination and ambition to see the whole process through.

A great way to demonstrate this attitude is to try and seek out your own apprenticeship opportunity. This could be done in the conventional ways by approaching a Group Training Organisation or applying for advertised positions. However, if no one is recruiting in the qualification that you want to go for, then try taking matters into your own hands and approach the businesses that you want to work for directly. Start by figuring out which businesses work in the area that you like and send them a covering letter and resume. Follow this up with a phone call and be persistent. You may even try calling into their offices or place of work to show your enthusiasm.

Over the coming weeks, we will blog on a range of topics to advise you on the opportunities available for apprenticeships and traineeships. We will try and cover issues such as preparing to undertake or apply for an apprenticeship, the incentives available, the support provided to you by Australian Apprenticeships Centres, how Group Training Organisations operate and opportunities for specific groups of individuals such as mature aged or Indigenous apprentices.

We will also look at the opportunities for businesses to increase the amount of apprenticeships and traineeships they offer, the incentives available to them and how training can increase staff retention and productivity.

You can also view this blog here..

In the meantime check out our website for more information - www.busyatwork.com.au

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Corporate Responsibility

Corporate Responsibility

Corporate Governance is widely accepted to be an organisations processes, systems, policies and laws, which regulates the corporate direction. The main objective of Corporate Governance is to foster a culture of voluntary compliance and to facilitate effective participation of the different corporate stakeholders to underpin sound economic performance.

The Board of Directors, the CEO, Management teams and regulators are the main stakeholders in setting the direction of the company. One approach to adopting a good corporate citizen approach, the sense of what is good for the country, is the employment of trainees or apprentices.

The trainee or apprentice scheme has a range of direct benefits for an organisation. It allows organisations to;

• build the skill-sets you require for your business - moving forward;
• sustain and grow your business by improved employee motivation and productivity;
• attract financial incentives from the Australian government to support your training initiatives;
• improve your employees’ knowledge with national qualifications training;
• explore recognition of in-house existing training;
• mitigate risk for your HR staff in the event of Industrial Relation court situations;
• add a National Qualification training program for Staff into your Tender submissions; and
• add National Qualifications into any current or future Enterprise Bargain discussions.

However, there are broader social benefits of an apprenticeship or traineeship approach.

• It provides a pathway for the young and allows them to move from school to work;
• Leads to nationally recognised qualifications and skills which provide the basis for employment, further education and training over the course of your working life;
• In an ageing population the apprenticeship or traineeship scheme recognises the lack of young people in the working force and would therefore see this as an opportunity to redress this in-balance.
• In the Skilling Australia for the Future” policy document. It states, “Australia’s future prosperity is tied to the skills and productive capacity of our workforce.” It goes onto say, “For Australia to enjoy sustained low-inflationary growth and compete successfully in the global economy, we must invest in human capital and build a highly skilled workforce so that we can compete with the best of our neighbours”.

As highlighted in their book, Strategy & Society: Porter and Kramer make the link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility, “Corporations are not responsible for the entire world’s problem, nor do they have the resources to solve them all.” ‘As businesses strive to build their brands and differentiate themselves from the competition, practicing good corporate citizenship is one healthy and wise strategy that businesses differentiate from the pack. As was highlighted in this paper, from a marketing and communication perspective, corporate citizenship is not just good but it is good for business.’

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Skills Shortage

Skills Shortage (PDF)
Is your business a valuable employer to the Skills Shortage industries?

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STOP PRESS: BUSY Employment Solutions

STOP PRESS: BUSY Employment Solutions

BUSY Inc. is now operating a new division, BUSY Employment Solutions. We are proud to offer this new professional recruitment service which is specifically tailored to assist businesses attract quality candidates. This service includes providing a comprehensive recruitment solution for businesses with their hiring needs. Our quality driven recruitment processes ensure professionalism, privacy, value and transparency.

Our team of professional recruiters have broad industry backgrounds and are leaders in their areas of expertise. Utilising their networks, the team will offer clients the highest calibre of recruitment services possible and will utilise the latest recruitment strategies. BUSY Employment Solutions ‘fee for service’ division will include permanent and contracting resources throughout a number of industry sectors. In addition, BUSY Employment Solutions continues to provide ‘not for cost’ recruitment for all of your Apprenticeship and traineeship needs.

As a ‘Not for Profit’ organisation BUSY Inc. is committed to assisting communities through training and employment initiatives, and the profits made from the BUSY Employment Solutions division will be channelled back into these initiatives.

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