|  Employer information- Roles and Responsibilities Explained
When you enroll one of your employees into an apprenticeship or traineeship a training contract will be facilitated by an Australian Apprenticeship Centre (AAC) and formed between you, your employee, the State Government and a Registered Training Organisation such as MTA NSW.
Roles and responsibilities
Within a training contract there are certain roles and responsibilities that each party has that you should be aware of.
Australian Apprenticeship Centre (AAC)
A AAC is an independent third party organisation, funded by the government. They exist to provide a free service to employers and to act as a support service for everyone involved in the training contract, including, the apprentice or trainee, the Registered Training Organisation and the State Government as well as your business.
A AAC should be able to do the following for you:
• Provide you with detailed information about apprenticeships and traineeships including part-time school based traineeships.
• Advise you of your eligibility for both State and Australian Government incentives and assist you and your apprentice or trainee to access these payments.
• Offer guidance regarding the most appropriate form of apprenticeship or traineeship to suit your business' needs.
• Help you complete the appropriate application forms for the registration of your apprentices or trainees.
• Help you complete the appropriate application forms for State and/ or Australian Government incentive claims.
• Provide monitoring visits and contact to ensure training is progressing appropriately.
You should note that a AAC cannot:
• Give you information about the training contract if you did not sign the original contract, if for example you have taken over a business with existing apprentices or trainees This is because of the NSW PRIVACY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION PROTECTION ACT 1998
• Act as a recruitment agency and help you find an appropriate apprentice or trainee.
• Give you advice on payroll tax, rates of pay, workers compensation and other work conditions. For this information you need to contact MTA NSW Department of Employment Relations 02 9213 4290.
You as an employer can choose which AAC you will use. There are a range of AAC’s that operate in NSW and MTA NSW works with MEGT. You can contact them on 13 MEGT (136348) or visit www.megt.com.au .
Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
RTO's issue Nationally Recognised Qualifications. They can be either a private provider or TAFE NSW. They are responsible for ensuring that training delivery meets the requirements of the AQTF Essential Standards for RTO’s 2007 and that your apprentice or trainee is properly assessed against the predetermined units of competence that make up each qualification.
The RTO must:
• Provide you with a full training plan which outlines the units to be studied within the qualification and where applicable there is an opportunity to negotiate the elective units.
• Establish and maintain records about your apprentice or trainee’s progress.
• Assess your apprentices or trainees skills and knowledge.
• Provide you with feedback about your apprentices or trainees progress.
• Confer with the workplace supervisor regarding your apprentice or trainee’s progress.
• Provide the apprentice or trainee with the appropriate training and assessment materials required for them to complete their qualification.
• Provide the apprentice or trainee with training resources that are up to date and are adapted for the environment in which they work.
• Provide trainers that have relevant industry experience and the minimum level of qualifications suitable for the training.
• Monitor your apprentices or trainees progress throughout the training course duration.
• Provide a minimum level of contact with you and the apprentice or trainee.
• Issue certificates and/or statements of attainment.
• Provide a safe and healthy training and assessment process.
• Provide training and assessment in a workplace that is free from harassment, bullying, victimization, racial vilification and discrimination.
• Comply with AQTF Standards at all times throughout the training process. For more information on the AQTF standard please visit www.vetab.nsw.gov.au or you can visit www.dest.gov.au
Please see our additional information on helping you find an appropriate Registered Training Organisation.
Department of Education and Training NSW (DET NSW)
The department oversees a number of functions, those in relation to training are;
The implementation of apprenticeships and traineeships in NSW including the duration. This is carried out by the State Training Authority.
Determining the level of funding for RTO’s to deliver apprenticeships and traineeships through user choice funding arrangements.
The monitoring and auditing of RTO’s through the Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board (VETAB). For more information go to www.vetab.nsw.gov.au/
State Training Authority
The State Training Services unit of the NSW DET administers the apprenticeship and traineeship system in NSW under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001.
State Training Services has training advisors based in 11 State Training Centres across NSW.
Training advisors can answer questions over the phone or in person through workplace visits about apprenticeships or traineeships. They are also there to help if difficulties arise between employers, apprentices or trainees and RTO’s.
Staff at the State Training Centres also conduct the regional and state NSW Training Awards. These awards recognise the achievements of both apprentices and trainees, employers and RTO’s and promote the value of vocational education and training within the community.
For more information contact your local State Training Centre on 13 28 11
Or visit their website on: http://apprenticeship.det.nsw.edu.au
Department of Education Science and Training (DEST)
DEST is the Commonwealth Government Department responsible for public and private schools and school systems, higher education institutions and research, vocational education and training, student and youth affairs, school to work transition programs, indigenous employment and education, and internationalisation of Australia’s education and training systems.
DEST is responsible for the incentives you receive as an employer of an apprentice or trainee. These incentives are administered by a AAC.
DEST is responsible for setting the guidelines and frameworks within which RTO’s operate and they also govern the frameworks for qualification delivery.
Group Training Organisations (GTO)
A Group Training Organisation will recruit, place, monitor and mentor apprentices or trainees. They then enter into agreement with employers for an apprentice or trainee to work within that organisation. This workplace employer is known as the host employer.
If you choose to use a GTO you need to keep open lines of communication with the GTO about the progress of your apprentice or trainee.
Although a GTO is classified as an employer of apprentices or trainees, role as a host employer is much the same as when you are employing the apprentice yourself.
A GTO has the all the responsibilities as an employer, but they also:
• Screen and recruit applicants.
• Handle wages, payroll tax and workers compensation.
• Ensure that a host employers workplace is safe and OH&S compliant.
• Ensure that the host employer has facilities and work that can cover all the necessary skills needed to complete the training.
• Ensure that the apprentice or trainee is getting along with staff at the host employers workplace.
• Ensure that communication is maintained with the host employer about the progress of the apprentice or trainee.
For more information on how group training can work for you contact MTA Apprenticeship Plus, which is MTA NSW’s group training organisation on 02 4732 2200 or visit www.mtaplus.com.au
Your Apprentice or Trainee’s Responsibilities
Your apprentice or trainee must:
• Complete and make available all work assigned by the RTO.
• Be available when the RTO has scheduled workplace visits and training off the job.
• Be able to demonstrate the skills they have learnt from their RTO within their workplace.
• Adhere to all legislative requirements, including OH&S and workplace practices as instructed by their employer.
Employer and Workplace Supervisor
The employer and the workplace supervisor may be one and the same, but in many cases they may not be. There are differences in responsibilities each role has that you need to be aware of.
If you are the employer and you have an appointed workplace supervisor who will train and supervise your apprentice or trainee you are not exempt from responsibility. As the employer you should ensure that the responsibilities of your workplace supervisor are being met at all times.
Have you conducted or organised an induction program for you apprentices/ trainees?
As an employer you must:
• Provide a safe working environment.
• Instruct the apprentice or trainee on your workplace policies and procedures according to the work tasks, job role, responsibilities and task skills they undertake.
• Ensure that you are provided with all the appropriate information in regards to your apprentice or trainees progress with the RTO and also information about incentives from your AAC.
• Ensure that your apprentice or trainee is given sufficient time to complete their training. Should that be either attending training away from the workplace or making time for a RTO to train and assess at the workplace.
• Allow time for your apprentice or trainee to complete any workbooks/ modules that have been given from the RTO.
• Ensure that the appointed workplace supervisor is allocated time to provide workplace training to your apprentice or trainee and can make time to discuss their progress with you and the RTO.
OH&S must start on day one!
Your Workplace Supervisor must:
• Provide instruction on the correct use and handling of all machinery and equipment including the use of hazardous substances used in the workplace.
• Instruct the apprentice or trainee on your workplace policies and procedures.
• Make time with your apprentice or trainee to implement the skills learned from the RTO and reflect on their progress.
• Provide the apprentice or trainee with opportunities to practice their skills.
• Make time to interact with the RTO about your apprentice or trainees progress.
Have you assigned a workplace supervisor or mentor to your apprentice or trainee?
Tips for choosing the right supervisor to train your apprentices or trainees
If you are not the workplace supervisor of your apprentice or trainee and you have assigned another person within your organisation to carry out this role you should make sure the person you have appointed is aptly suited to this role.
The main role of the workplace supervisor is to give your apprentice or trainee practical training and instruction. They should also be ensuring that what the apprentice or trainee is learning from their RTO is being applied in the workplace.
In general a workplace supervisor should have:
• A clear understanding of why the job is done a particular way.
• A good understanding of your workplace policies, procedures and operations, to identify opportunities for training.
• Good clear communication skills to explain the work and answer questions.
• A willingness to pass on what they know to others.
• The ability to deal with day to day problems.
• Skills in time management.
• Knowledge and skills and/or qualifications on the area in which they will be instructing.
Tips on Training and Mentoring
Empathy:
Remembering what it was like when you were new to a job can often help to empathise with what the apprentice or trainee is feeling. This time is often overwhelming as there is so much to learn. Take the time to reflect over what the apprentice or trainee has learnt at the end of each day or week, to ensure they comprehend the tasks shown to them.
Break down a task:
Remember to break down a task and assume little or no prior knowledge. This helps the apprentice or trainee understand the sequence in completing the tasks and all the components involved to complete it. Also ensure that the apprentice or trainee is given enough time to practice the tasks you are showing them, whilst under your supervision. This will also help to give them confidence in completing the task. Once they have done this you should ensure that they are able to practice the task again with minimal supervision. A good way to practice this yourself is to think about explaining to someone the process for decorating a Christmas tree. Don’t forget to include selecting and purchasing of the tree to begin with!
Start from the beginning:
Remember to start right from the beginning of the task. Discuss and demonstrate the right tools and equipment by explaining the importance of using the correct tool in the beginning.
Feedback:
Your apprentice or trainee needs positive feedback on their progress. Your feedback will boost their confidence, provide encouragement and motivate them to improve performance. It is also a great way for you to discuss other areas in which you would like the apprentice or trainee to concentrate on learning. Constructive feedback will also help your apprentice or trainee. The information provided by constructive feedback should be based on facts and must be something your apprentice or trainee can do something about. Constructive feedback provided skillfully opens the way to a relationship that is built on trust, honesty, and genuine concern, leading to personal learning and growth.
More information
MTA NSW
Ph 02 9213 4222 or email training@mtansw.com.au
MEGT
13 MEGT (13 63 48)
DET NSW
Ph 13 28 11
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