Once you have made the decision to hire an apprentice, there are a few important steps to take before they can begin working in your business.
The first is obviously going to be finding the right candidate. Fortunately, resources like Apprenticeship Central can take a lot of pressure out of this process. Apprenticeship Central is Australia’s only website dedicated to helping employers and apprentices find one another.
The simple registration process makes it easy to begin your search for workers, with tools like a position builder which can help you find a good match for your company needs.
However, finding an apprentice is just the start of the recruitment process, with a number of different steps to take once you have found the right personnel. To help with this process, here are four of the most important steps to help you secure an apprentice.
1) Find an Apprenticeship Centre
An Australian Apprenticeship Centre (AAC), like BUSY At Work, will be essential for ensuring that you and your apprentice can start on the right foot. An AAC can provide an added level of expertise, especially when it comes to advising on the specific requirements placed on both you and your apprentice.
2) Negotiate the training arrangements
Each business and apprentice will have different needs from the training environment. Every industry presents varying skills and knowledge requirements, which can impact on the apprenticeship process. Additionally, some individuals may be unable to complete a full-time apprenticeship, meaning part-time training could be essential.
Finding the right training arrangements for you and your apprentice will be vital for ensuring that this process runs smoothly.
3) Set up a training plan
This step goes hand-in-hand with the previous one and will set the tone for the whole apprenticeship process. A training plan lets you set specific goals for your new worker, especially around learning the right skills to complete their course of study.
4) Choose a supervisor
Unless your business is very small, it is likely you will not be directly overseeing the training of an apprentice. In this situation, a senior member of staff will probably have the day-to-day supervision of a new hire.
Getting the right person for this job is a crucial activity and is essential for setting up your apprentice throughout their time with your company.
By completing these steps, your newest staff member will be off to the strongest possible start.
