Why is now the best time to hire an apprentice or trainee

Are you interested in hiring an apprentice or trainee for your business in 2024?

Did you know that right now (November to December) is the best time to organise an apprentice or trainee?

Here’s why:

• New pool of school leavers – Every year, at this time of the year, there is a new cohort of students leaving school who are looking for employment opportunities. According to the NSW Department of Education’s 2021 Post School Destinations and Experiences Survey, approximately 5% of students who completed Year 12 in 2020 and almost 13% of early school leavers (those who leave school before completing Year 12 or who left at the end of Year 10 or Year 11) in 2020, intended to look for a job after leaving school. As a result, if your workforce needs a boost, now is the perfect time to reach out and tap into this new supply of workers.
• Students taking gap years are another potential labour pool – The Australian Government’s Department of Education defines a gap year as a ‘break a student takes between completing high school and commencing higher education’ which is generally a year in duration. The Department estimates that on average, one in seven students (14%) of school leavers entering bachelor’s courses between 2009 and 2016 took a gap year. Interestingly, students from regional and remote areas are more likely to take a gap year with many believing a gap year is necessary so they can earn money, grow up some more and consider their future.

A traineeship which is 12 months in duration may be of interest to someone taking a gap year. Traineeships generally concentrate on jobs in office administration, information technology or hospitality. Therefore, if you need some more staff in these areas of your business, offering a traineeship may be particularly attractive to a gap year student.

• Timings lines up with TAFE year – Locking in an apprentice or trainee before the end of December 2023 means that enrolments in VET courses and all paperwork can happen before the start of the TAFE NSW academic year which starts on 6 February 2024.

Did you know that Skillset is a registered Group Training Organisation and is the largest employer of apprentices and trainees in our region?

As a Group Training Organisation, Skillset takes the administrative and regulatory burden away from local organisations who take on apprentices and trainees, ensuring these organisations can focus on running their businesses and providing relevant ‘on the job’ training and experiences. Approximately 80% of Skillset’s apprentices and trainees complete their course and training – this is higher than the national average of 56%.

Skillset takes the hard work out of hiring and managing an apprentice or trainee. For a fee charged to businesses who host apprentices and trainees, Skillset provides the following:

• We find suitable candidates for apprenticeships and traineeships, and manage the recruitment process
• We organise enrolments with the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) who provides the nationally-recognised training program and manage the payment process
• We provide work health and safety (WH&S) advice and support to your business
• We organise all payroll administration, including planning annual leave, and can manage any workers compensation processes
• We provide specialist mentoring and training support to the student, and help manage the relationship between the business and student.

If you would like more information about taking on a Skillset apprentice or trainee for 2024, please click the contact us box in the top right hand corner of the website so a Skillset consultant can make contact with you.