Having a shoulder to lean on is hoped to help out young tradies. Lauren Ahwan reports

MENTORS are being assigned to new apprentices in a bid to boost the number of people completing trade training.

About 40 per cent of apprentices fail to finish their training, with the vast majority of those abandoning their apprenticeship within the first two years, says Motor Trades Association of Queensland group chief executive Dr Brett Dale.

The Federal Government has announced a $60 million Industry Specialist Mentoring for Australian Apprentices program, to provide intensive support for apprentices in industries undergoing structural change during their first two years of training.

Dale, whose organisation is one of 24 that will deliver the mentoring service, says mentors will assist young apprentices with their training, with problems encountered with their host employer and, if necessary, provide support during personal issues unrelated to the apprenticeship.

“If we can get (apprentices) through that first year or so (of training), that’s critical,’’ Dale says.

“In the early stages, things are unfamiliar and (apprentices) are not as certain about things as they would like to be. It’s quite possibly their first job so they don’t know how to approach the boss about something, they might not know how to step up to the role that’s in front of them.

“If we can support (apprentices), and help to get things right, then I think we could see retention rates of more than 75 per cent.’’

Under the new program, mentors will be required to have previously worked in the trade, giving them a solid understanding of the challenges faced by apprentices, Dale says.

PEER academy director Glenn Clifford says mentors can be a lifeline for apprentices who may be struggling to build successful relationships with co-workers or customers.

“(Mentoring) has been very much focused on skills training for the trade but it’s really about developing the whole person to work in collaboration,’’ Clifford says. “If you’re working as an electrician, you’re also going to have to work with the refrigeration people, so you need to be able to communicate and problem solve.’’

Parts interpreter apprentice Clare Maxwell, 22, says her mentor Andrew Bear has been vital in helping to navigate what is traditionally a male-dominated industry.

“I’ve never had issues at (host employer) Superformance but I do get a lot of customers that don’t like talking to a female so it’s good to be able to talk to (Bear) about that,’’ she says.

Courier Mail source article published 14 July 2018

Gold Coast Bulletin source article published 18 July 2018