That ICPA (Aust) requests the Minister for Skills and Training and Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, to mandate specialist support structures for regional and rural apprentices/trainees, from within the federally funded Australia Apprenticeship Support Networks (AASNs).
Within our branch there are many examples of little support, contact or follow-up for apprentices, trainees and their employers once they commence a training contract. It is requested that there be trained rural and remote specialist support staff within the AANS’s. These staff must be contactable by employers, trainers and apprentices/trainees in rural and remote areas, and for those who have had to relocate to undertake their on and off the job training.
Assistance for the rural and remote apprentice/trainees requires mandatory actions from the AASNs including (but not limited to) visits to the workplace and/or training facility to check that the apprentice/trainees are being suitably trained, educated and supported; documented semester reviews on all parties involved; knowledge and assistance with state and federal support programs; and followup contact and interviews should the apprentice/trainee or employer terminate the contract prior to its completion.
The data collected during and after a traineeship can inform the ongoing improvement of AASN services and the practices of those working with apprentices and trainees. This will assist the growth in completion rates of apprenticeships and traineeships in and from rural and remote areas.
