AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF
C O M M E R C E A N D I N D U S T RY
February 2010
NUMBER 158
BOOSTING AUSTRALIAN APPRENTICESHIPS
This first ACCI Review for 2010 examines the issue of
improving workplace skills, in particular, policies to boost
the number of people completing apprenticeships, as well as
encourage older Australians to consider an apprenticeship.
As Australia emerges from the global economic crisis and
as our demographics change we must ensure we have the
skilled workforce necessary to cope with increased demand
and employment opportunities. Investment in our human
resources is just as crucial as investment in our physical
infrastructure.
Australian industry needs a skilled, flexible and motivated
workforce that further contributes to productivity gains and
drives economic growth.
Ensuring that all Australians are given the opportunity to
actively contribute towards the growing economy is an
important issue for business and industry in Australia.
Between 2008 and 2009 the rate of unemployment among
teenagers who were not in full-time education rose from 12.2%
to 18.5%, the largest annual increase since the recession in
the early 1990s.
The number of 20 to 24-year-olds not engaged in full-time
work or full-time education also rose considerably, to around
25 per cent, reversing the downward trend of the previous
decade.
Previous economic downturns have shown that it takes
considerable time for youth unemployment to drop back to
pre-downturn levels.
Sustained youth unemployment puts considerable constraint
on the capacity for growth within the economy - not only in
the area of shortages in skills and labour, but in the reduced
spending power of a major section of the population.
In many cases, we see the perverse situation of high levels
of youth unemployment prevalent in regions experiencing
critical skills shortages in occupations requiring higher level
and trades qualifications. Such occurrences clearly require
challenging questions to be asked of our education and
training systems, and our young people themselves and their
prospective employers.
Long periods of unemployment for young people often lead
to longer term unemployment as they age or disengagement
from the workforce altogether.
Higher levels of education and skills not only increase
earning power for individuals, they contribute to higher overall
productivity for the nation in the longer term.
There is great risk to Australia’s future productivity during
a cyclical rebound if new apprentices are not recruited and
existing apprentices do not complete their trades training.
Not only should government be doing all it can to actively
encourage employers to take on new apprentices or out of
trade apprentices through the use of incentives and strong
support services, it should also be supporting employers in
assisting existing apprentices to complete their training.
ACCI believes it essential that
I N S I D E
governments
and
business
work in partnership to develop
strategies that will ultimately Worth their Weight in
Gold Launch
lead to sustainable increases in
In December 2009, ACCI
apprenticeship commencements President David Michaelis and
for those young Australians Federal Minister for Employment
Participation Mark Arbib launched
currently outside the workforce.
new research on disengaged
Government Departments and apprentices.
Page 5
Job Network Providers need to
work with the business community Mature Aged Pathways
to ensure that employers are ACCI has commenced research
fully aware of the benefits that on ways to encourage more
employing an apprentice can mature aged Australians to
consider apprenticeship options.
bring to their business and the
Page 6
incentives that are available.
BUSINESS NEEDS
ACCI also stresses that it is imperative that young jobseekers
have both the required skills and a work-ready attitude to
ensure smooth transitions into the workforce.
To work in the modern knowledge society, employees must be
able to plan, carry out and check their work in an integrated
manner.
Apprenticeship training must be oriented towards this aim.
Apprenticeships must promote employability in a changing
work environment. They must include strong technical skills
directly relevant to the needs of industry along with generic
skills such as strong language, literacy and numeracy and
employability skills that will guarantee the portability of the
apprentice’s skills base.
ACCI REVIEW
ACCI REVIEW
February 2010
APPRENTICESHIP NON-COMPLETION
Completion and non-completion rates of apprentices have
been an area of interest and concern for many years – both
within Australia and internationally.
Apart from the obvious impact on the size of the employment
pool, attrition involves wastage of employer and employee
resources as well as training provider resources.
This concern sharpened significantly in recent times, where
economic growth rates were significantly in excess of rates of
employment growth.
Rates of attrition amongst apprentices in some trades
occupations were in excess of 50% of commencements.
High attrition rates naturally reduce the number of skilled
tradespeople in the workforce, creating or exacerbating skills
shortages and restricting business growth.
ACCI APPRENTICESHIP RESEARCH
A systematic approach is one that is evidence-based, logical,
rigorous, thorough, targeted, engaging, interventionist,
customised, benchmarked and continuously improved.
The identification of the importance of a systematic approach
is in contrast to most approaches advocated in the literature,
which generally recommend that employers give equal
attention to all the factors that might affect the retention of
apprentices, without attempting to prioritise those factors or
indicate how they are interconnected.
Undifferentiated lists of good practice tips on the major factors,
such as the quality of the off-the-job training or the level and
type of support provided on-the-job, are certainly useful.
However these lists don’t provide employers with any clear
direction about to what to do first, what to concentrate on,
or how different factors relate. The recommendations in this
report rectify this deficiency, particularly by clarifying priority
tasks for employers.
Over the course of the last 18 months, ACCI has undertaken
two research projects examining apprentice retention and
engagement strategies.
The benefits of using a systematic approach are many and
include that:
• the recruitment of appropriate apprentices can be planned
in detail;
A Systematic Approach to Retaining
Apprentices
• the working lives of apprentices can be enhanced and the
risks of apprentices leaving can be minimised; and
Apprenticeship non-completions are a major concern for
Australian business and are a significant drain on the national
training effort.
Increasing completion rates will lead to better return on
investment in training for employers and governments and
increase workforce skill levels.
The first project A Systematic Approach to Retaining
Apprentices, examined apprenticeship non-completions from
an employer perspective, with the key findings structured as
evidence-based, logical and rigorous principles for employers
to follow and processes to implement as part of a holistic
workplace management strategy.
A Systematic Approach to Retaining Apprentices focused on
the attitudes of employers that can have a positive impact on
apprenticeship completion rates.
The key findings are structured around the following core
concepts for retention:
• attracting the right person;
• recruiting and inducting good apprentices;
• making work and training meaningful;
• providing personal and professional support;
• providing effective training; and
• making full use of information and support services.
Key Findings
The research in this project showed that it is possible and
important for employers to take a systematic approach to
retaining apprentices.
• all stakeholders can be made aware of why specific retention
strategies are being used and how they can contribute to
assisting and retaining apprentices.
A Systematic Approach
The research found that a number of principles guide an
employer’s overall planning and implementation processes,
relating to the retention of apprentices.
1. Collaborate. The employer develops a network of
collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders. The
study shows that in many cases the core partnership for
attracting apprentices involves three stakeholders: the
company, the school and the individual. But more often
than not this core partnership also involves other critical
stakeholders such as parents, training providers, industry
associations, networks of like-minded businesses and
supportive government officers.
2. Target. The employer identifies and recruits apprentices
and newly qualified tradespeople with specific qualities.
This study shows that retention is enhanced if the applicant
has demonstrated a commitment to the trade he or she
is seeking to gain. This commitment can be manifested
in a range of ways – by the individual undertaking prevocational programs or seeking work experience. Ideally
the commitment is accompanied by some practical skills
for the trade in mind.
3. Engage and improve continuously. The employer
engages continuously with apprentices, their work and
their training and continuously develops strategies and
systems for improvement. This study shows that retention
of apprentices is enhanced where employers can ensure
that the work of the apprentice is meaningful and their off-
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
ACCI REVIEW
February 2010
the-job training is relevant, not only in the first year, but
throughout the entire length of their apprenticeship and
after they finish.
The research showed that it is important for employers to
take a positive and systematic approach to re-engaging and
retaining previously disengaged apprentices.
4. Express high expectations. The employer conveys high
expectations to the apprentice and requires the apprentice
to meet those standards. This study has found that the
retention of apprentices is enhanced if the employer sets the
bar high and challenges apprentices to stretch themselves
in every facet of the apprenticeship. The ‘good practice’
employers, who have high retention rates, identified in
this study set high standards for themselves and look to
apprentices to do the same.
As one employer put it, many disengaged apprentices looking
to come back “are worth their weight in gold.”
5. Customise. The employer views the apprentice holistically,
as a person not just as an employee, and where necessary
develops customised strategies to suit that individual. This
study has shown that retention of apprentices is enhanced
where employers can modify their handling of an apprentice
to accommodate random or unexpected challenges for the
individual – for instance, difficulties associated with moving
out of the family home.
6. Intervene. The employer intervenes to influence other
stakeholders, for example training providers or government
agencies, about how to address the needs of apprentices.
This study shows that retention of apprentices is enhanced
where the employer actively intervenes if some aspect of
the apprenticeship is not going as well as possible. For
instance, if there are issues with the off-the-job training,
effective employers will engage with the training provider
and seek to work together to address the issues.
7. Benchmark. The employer benchmarks with other
employers, regarding the retention of apprentices. This
study has identified both formal and informal benchmarking
strategies used by ‘good practice’ employers of apprentices.
Formal benchmarking can involve structured visits between
employers in the same industry where approaches to
apprenticeships are shared, for example as we observed in
this project between colleagues across the boat building or
manufacturing industries. Informal benchmarking might be
undertaken by employers participating in and learning from
industry forums or industry-school committees or industrygovernment programs.
Another employer put it this way: “I think it’s good to give the
kids another opportunity. It’s good for us because they’re
experienced and they’re coming with other ideas. They’re not
coming straight out of school.”
Major findings from the research were that:
• previously disengaged apprentices come with experience
and expertise which can link directly to the needs of the
business;
• the often broader employment and life experience of a
previously disengaged apprentice can make it easier to
reliably assess their skills, attitude and potential; and
• if employers are willing to examine the reasons why a
person dropped out of an apprenticeship, including that the
person was young and might have made mistakes, then
they and the apprentice may benefit from giving that person
a second chance.
The research captures six dimensions related to strategies
for the re-engagement and retention of former apprentices.
These dimensions were:
• Re-engagement: employer attitudes towards the hiring of
disengaged apprentices;
• Attracting the disengaged: the process of attracting
disengaged apprentices back to their work and study;
• Suitability of the apprentice: personal and professional
skills that employers deem necessary for the successful
completion of an apprenticeship;
• Apprentice management: employers’ ability to manage
the apprentice;
• Support: the personal and professional support provided
by an organisation for their apprentices; and
• Information: employer awareness of government
information designed to assist in the management of
apprentices.
Worth their Weight in Gold
CONCLUSION
Whilst undertaking this employer-focused research project,
ACCI identified a significant knowledge gap concerning
disengaged apprentices and efforts to draw them back into
training.
Employer and stakeholder interviewees and employer survey
respondents have strongly endorsed the value of developing
a systematic approach to both the attraction and retention
of disengaged apprentices. A range of different parties
can contribute to the development and maintenance of a
systematic approach, including government, industry bodies,
intermediaries such as employment agencies, and last but
not least, employers.
This knowledge formed the basis of ACCI’s second research
project Worth Their Weight in Gold: Practical Strategies for
Engaging and Retaining Disengaged Apprentices.
This research is ground-breaking as there is almost no focus
on disengaged apprentices in Australian or international
literature.
The research is also of high value because of the very detailed
set of practical strategies it identified for employers to follow
for each of the critical dimensions of an apprenticeship.
In the coming year, the Australian business community needs
to ensure that we are doing all we can to enhance participation
options in the workforce for young Australians and to build the
skills base of the Australian workforce so that growth is not
constrained by the crippling skills and labour shortages that
encumbered our economy before the global financial crisis.
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
ACCI REVIEW
February 2010
CASE STUDY
THEY COME WITH A BIT OF EXPERIENCE - AN APPRENTICESHIP
CASE STUDY
Racers Bar & Café is a small but vibrant café, opposite
Lake Wendouree in Ballarat, Victoria. The regular, core staff
includes the owner Nathan Tracy who has one other person
helping him with front-of-house duties, plus a chef and an
apprentice chef in the kitchen.
With such a small staff, the apprentice is a key contributor
to the success of the business. The role of the apprentice is
even more important, given that Nathan bought the premises
and opened up a year ago and is actively building up the
clientele.
The apprentice recruited by Nathan was ten months into his
first year of his apprenticeship with his first employer when
he decided to leave, as he found the expectations of the
employer too high. He spent two months disengaged before
successfully securing an apprenticeship at Racers Bar &
Cafe.
Before engaging the apprentice, Nathan considered four
people’s profiles put forward by the employment agency and
then gave two a trial.
He also did some checking on the reason why the two
preferred candidates left their first employers.
“The first thing we looked at is why they were no longer
employed. If it was out of their control then that’s great. We
also did a lot of backtracking about why they finished up with
their previous employers and if they had made mistakes and
whether they were willing to admit that mistake and to then
rectify it.”
“We check out where their skill level’s at and what they’ve
learned previously and whether that’s going to suit this style
of café as well. What they can bring to the team is very
important.”
He is now a further four months into the apprenticeship and
finding it very rewarding.
Practical Strategies for Re-engagement and
Retention
Recruiting an Experienced Apprentice
Drawing on the Racers Bar & Café case study, some practical
re-engagement and retention strategies for employers to
consider are set out in the box below.
Nathan deliberately sought out an experienced apprentice
through a local employment agency.
“My brother owns Tracy the Placement People which is an
employment agency and he does all my recruitment for me,
or his staff do. So we just rang them and said, look, ideally we
needed someone with a bit of experience that had probably
done their first couple of months at least because I didn’t have
the time to train up someone just out of school.”
In approaching the employment agency for assistance,
the value of an experienced apprentice was at the front of
Nathan’s mind:
“For me they come with a bit of experience, which is what
I needed. I didn’t have the time to train someone up from
straight out of school. They came in, they proved themselves
straight away. Their previous employer had got rid of them
for reasons that were out of their control. It was good to give
them another opportunity to come back into the industry.”
Nathan is clear about why he likes experienced apprentices.
“I think it’s good to give the kids another opportunity.”
“It’s good for us because they’re experienced and they’re
coming with other ideas. They’re not coming sort of straight
out of school.”
“It’s good for us because they’re experienced and they’re
coming with other ideas.”
PRACTICAL RE-ENGAGEMENT AND
RETENTION STRATEGIES – FROM AN
EMPLOYER’S PERSPECTIVE
Acknowledge previous experience. Identify the positive
aspects of a disengaged apprentice, compared with an
apprentice straight out of school, such as the disengaged
apprentice’s understanding of a working life and the
acceptance of the need to keep learning.
Promote sources of assistance. To ensure the re-engaged
apprentice learns from many sources, encourage the reengaged apprentice to seek ongoing information from other
sources such as work colleagues, employment agencies,
other businesses, expos and fairs, and the training provider.
Seek qualities relevant to the business. Seek apprentices
who are enthusiastic and willing to keep learning, who will
fit in with the culture of the organisation and work well as a
member of team, and who will accept the nature of the industry
such as the need to work on weekends and to accept that the
customer is always right.
Encourage ongoing learning. Encourage the re-engaged
apprentice to practice the new skills acquired from trade
school.
[This case study was originally published with the Worth Their
Weight in Gold report]
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
ACCI REVIEW
February 2010
DECEMBER WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD LAUNCH
In December 2009, ACCI President David Michaelis joined
with Federal Minister for Employment Participation Senator
Mark Arbib to launch the ACCI research study Worth Their
Weight in Gold, Practical Strategies for Engaging and
Retaining Disengaged Apprentices, at the NSW Business
Chamber.
The study examines re-engagement and retention strategies
for disengaged former apprentices and the development of
options that actively encourage re-engagement of disengaged
apprentices.
David Michaelis also took the opportunity to call on employers
to demonstrate their commitment to improving employee
skills by employing an apprentice and taking advantage of
the Federal Government’s Apprentice Kickstart program.
The Apprentice Kickstart initiative provides added incentive
for employers to employ an apprentice before 28 February.
The Government committed to increasing apprentice
commencements by boosting the first year bonus payment
to employers of traditional trades apprentices from $1500 to
$4850 or an additional $2,350.
After a period of nine months employers will be eligible for a
further $2500 payment. Traditional trades include occupations
such as carpenters, welders, cooks, electricians, joiners, and
hairdressers and form part of the National Skills Needs List
and are in constant skill shortage.
ACCI President David Michaelis Speech –
Apprenticeship Launch December 2009
“Minister Mark Arbib, ladies and gentlemen.
I am here today as President of the Australian Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, Australia’s peak business
organisation, which is comprised of the 35 leading employer
organisations in the country covering all geographic locations
and all major industry sectors.
Yet, at the end of this year, we also reflect on the fact that we
need to re-invest in our human resources and skills base not
just for today, but for tomorrow.
The ACCI work on apprenticeships being launched today
has been made possible through the financial support of
the Australian Government through the Industry Strategies
Program operated by the Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations.
Under this program a network of Education and Training
Advisers, or ETAs, has been established across Australia.
The aim of the ETA initiative is to establish and maintain
support mechanisms to increase the knowledge and
understanding by business and enterprise of vocational and
technical education issues.
Through this initiative we develop a greater breadth of
understanding of the vocational education and training
system.
We aim to increase the uptake of Australian Apprentices and
enable a wider utilisation of nationally accredited training
through Training Packages.
As we take time out during the Christmas season I encourage
employers to think about the number of young people
receiving their final school grades, and what a job opportunity
could mean for each one of them.
My message to business owners in the traditional trades is to
take a moment out over the next few weeks, and resolve to
take on an apprentice if you possibly can.
If you do it soon, over the summer, you will be able to take
advantage of this additional support from the Government.
Congratulations Minister on such an innovative approach to
ensuring young people can enter more easily into the labour
market.”
In particular I welcome you all to the New South Wales
Business Chamber, one of these 35 ACCI organisations, for
the launch of some important research work undertaken in
the area of disengaged apprenticeships.
ACCI is deeply committed to improving the skills base of the
Australian economy, and through employment, education and
training, providing solutions to social disadvantage and giving
hope and opportunity to young people.
Our members work closely and cooperatively with industry,
training providers, governments and the trade union movement
at a national and local level on these common purposes.
As we come to the end of a year when we have been buffeted
by a global recession, our employment performance is holding
up well - especially by world standards.
NSW Business Chamber’s General Manager of Commercial Services Darren Cocks, ACCI Director
of Employment, Education and Training Mary Hicks, Federal Minister for Employment Participation
Senator Mark Arbib, and ACCI President David Michaelis at the launch of Worth Their Weight in Gold
in December 2009.
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
ACCI REVIEW
February 2010
MATURE AGED APPRENTICESHIP PATHWAYS
A recent focus for the Australian business community and
the Australian Government has been the future impact of the
ageing workforce and how we can ensure that we make full
use of the skills and experience of our older workers.
Australia has seen a substantial increase in the median
age (the age at which half the population is older and half is
younger) of the Australian population.
This median age has increased by 5.1 years over the last two
decades, from 31.8 years at 30 June 1989 to 36.9 years at 30
June 2009.
Over the next several decades, population ageing is expected
to have significant implications for Australia in the areas of
health, labour force participation, housing and demand for
skilled labour1.
The ageing of the Australian population presents some unique
challenges for the Australian economy, given that:
• labour force participation declines sharply as age increases,
especially amongst males;
• mature aged Australians are less likely to hold a postcompulsory qualification and less likely to undertake formal
education and job-related training;
• if mature aged people become unemployed then they will
be unemployed for significantly longer than young people;
and
• a higher number of 50 to 64 year olds are welfaredependent.
ACCI sees five key areas that need to be addressed, to
meet the challenges posed by the ageing of the Australian
workforce:
1. Labour market participation;
2. Population growth;
3. The fiscal impact of a large sector of the population leaving
the workforce;
4. Workplace relations impediments preventing flexible
workplace arrangements for mature workers; and
5. Health and welfare.
Developing a more responsive education and training
system to enhance the skills of older workers is a priority for
industry.
Currently there is no clear strategy to target existing mature
aged workers to enhance their skills and productivity.
There is additional urgency in developing this approach
given the impact of new and emerging technologies on all
workplaces, the lack of post-compulsory qualifications held
by mature aged Australians and the need for some to update
their skills as they change employment.
Australia’s economic prospects and social fabric are dependent
upon the level and composition of the resident population. The
age profile and the education/training standards of Australia’s
population will underpin our economic competitiveness, while
the cultural mix and spatial distribution of the populace will
also have a powerful influence.
Central to increasing labour market participation amongst
older workers is ensuring that they have in-demand skills that
will enable them to participate fully in the workplace.
ACCI Research Report - Mature Aged
Apprenticeship Pathways
ACCI is currently undertaking a project examining the views
and opinions of employers with regard to increasing mature
aged apprenticeship pathways and options that actively
encourage the engagement of mature aged people and
existing workers in apprenticeships.
ACCI’s final report will include recommendations for employers,
Registered Training Organisations and government to assist
each in developing and maintaining effective engagement
and retention strategies.
The model will also include ways to utilise the network of ACCI
business and industry organisations to facilitate engagement
in training.
The project, through surveys and interviews, will investigate
and document demographic, environmental, technical,
generational and managerial factors that may influence the
engagement and retention of mature aged and existing worker
apprentices as well as examining attitudinal factors such as:
• why an employer would engage mature aged and existing
worker apprentices;
• the perceived pathways available to mature aged and
existing worker apprentices and the VET sector options for
further learning and career development; and
• why mature aged people and existing workers would
be unlikely to or may not be willing to undertake an
apprenticeship and utilise the findings of existing research
and what may influence engagement and retention.
The research will also examine what factors will influence
an employer’s decision to take on a mature aged apprentice,
and:
• how existing apprenticeship programs might be adapted
to maximise the benefits and minimise the risks for the
business;
• how existing apprenticeship programs might be adapted to
meet the needs of mature aged and existing workers;
• balancing the tangible and intangible benefits and risks in
determining a return on investment for the employer;
1. Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories, Australian Bureau of Statistics,
June 2009.
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
ACCI REVIEW
February 2010
• the different issues faced by mature aged and existing worker
apprentices when compared to traditional apprentices and
how these differences impact on the employer’s business,
administrative and support systems for apprentices;
• where the employer’s efforts can be most effectively
deployed;
• where to direct employees for advice and support for
decision making about career options and the potential of
mature aged and existing worker apprenticeships; and
• the valuable role a workforce development strategy,
the considerations that underpin it and the tools used to
develop it, can have in effective business planning.
Encouraging mature aged workers to upskill or retrain has
many benefits to employers, their workers and the economy
as a whole. The National Industry Skills Committee notes
that there are many likely benefits from investing in mature
aged and existing worker skills development:
“The benefits can include improved retention of existing
employees, increased capacity of workers to take on new roles
and tasks, linking organisational goals to workforce training
and development and using existing, particularly mature
aged workers to pass on invaluable skills and experience to
younger workers” 1
The ACCI research project, Worth Their Weight in Gold:
Practical Strategies for Engaging and Retaining Disengaged
Apprentices found a further motivating factor for employers is
the relative ease with which they are able to assess the attitude,
maturity, reliability and potential of existing employees.
In a report on factors impacting on the re-engagement of
apprentices who had dropped out of their apprenticeship,
employers indicated that these factors, rather than past
history, were the critical elements in the decision.
The National Industry Skills Committee paper A Framework
for Building the Skills of the Existing Workforce identifies
specific barriers to investment in workforce re-skilling by
employers. They include:
• a perceived likely low return on investment;
• reluctance to invest in the development of lower skilled
staff unless they are clearly going to need those skills in
the future;
• reluctance to invest in more highly skilled staff where skills
are in high demand and workers are likely to be poached
by competitors;
• difficulty accessing relevant training that can be integrated
with work schedules;
• lack of knowledge of the training system;
• administrative complexity; and
Through this current research ACCI aims to address these
perceptions and develop an approach that encourages
business to see the value in upskilling older workers through
increased retention of skilled workers and having a higher
skilled, more innovative and productive workforce.
In its response to the Australian Apprenticeship Taskforce
Discussion Paper (July 2009), ACCI observed that the
current level of incentive payments for business meet only a
small proportion of the total costs of training an apprentice,
which is estimated to be $128,000 over the duration of the
apprenticeship.
Reform of current incentives for training is needed to
streamline the payment framework, minimise administration
and maximise the benefits gained.
The success of the Federal Government’s Apprenticeship
Kickstart initiative, which is due to end on 28 February
2010, has shown that increased incentives really do make a
difference to apprentice commencements.
In the recent paper Keep Australia Working (Australian
Government, 2009), the authors identify one of the key
lessons learnt from the round of the Keep Australia Working
forums conducted in August 2009 related directly to
apprenticeships. Employers identified the need to simplify the
existing apprenticeship system and consider better financial
incentives to take on apprentices.
ACCI has also concluded that Australian businesses
need access to effective business planning and workforce
development. This includes diagnostic tools and training needs
analysis and assistance. This would enable many businesses
to identify areas of potential productivity growth and facilitate
training for existing workers to meet skills needs.
CONCLUSION
While many of the risks associated with engaging mature aged
workers as apprentices are similar to the risks involved in any
long term recruitment decision, some significantly different
factors apply when compared to taking on a traditional
apprentice.
The apprentice’s personal circumstances are likely to be more
complex requiring different kinds of workplace assistance,
and rather than managing a transition from school to work,
the employer will be supporting an apprentice returning to
study after what can often be a significant gap.
These risks can be managed through effective workforce
planning that incorporates ongoing analysis of training needs
and a formal or informal process for keeping track of employee
skills.
• employee resistance.
1. A Framework for Building the Skills of the Existing Workforce, NISC, 2008.
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
ACCI REVIEW
February 2010
ACCI MEMBERS
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Australian Federation of Employers & Industries
Business SA
Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland
Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Western Australia (Inc)
Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory
NSW Business Chamber
Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce & Industry Ltd
Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry
National Industry Associations
ACCORD
Agribusiness Employers’ Federation
Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors’ Association
Association of Consulting Engineers Australia (The)
Australian Beverages Council Ltd
Australian Food and Grocery Council
Australian International Airlines Operations Group
Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign
Australian Mines and Metals Association
Australian Paint Manufacturers’ Federation Inc.
Australian Retailers Association
Bus Industry Confederation
Live Performance Australia
Master Builders Australia Inc.
Master Plumbers’ and Mechanical Services Association of Australia (The)
National Baking Industry Association
National Electrical and Communications Association
National Fire Industry Association
National Retail Association Ltd
Oil Industry Industrial Association
Pharmacy Guild of Australia
Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association Inc.
Printing Industries Association of Australia
Restaurant & Catering Australia
Standards Australia
Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce
THE ACCI REVIEW IS A REGULAR PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
ACCI Canberra
ACCI Melbourne
Level 3, Commerce House
24 Brisbane Avenue
BARTON ACT 2600
PO Box 6005
KINGSTON ACT 2604
Phone:02 6273 2311
Fax: 02 6273 3286
Email: [email protected]
Level 3
486 Albert Street
EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002
PO Box 18008 Collins Street East
MELBOURNE VIC 8003
Phone:03 9668 9950
Fax: 03 9668 9958
Email: [email protected]
w w w. a c c i . a s n . a u
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF
C O M M E R C E A N D I N D U S T RY
For further information about issues raised in the
publication, contact the ACCI Review Editor, Brett
Hogan, at ACCI’s Melbourne office.
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY