How to Find and Keep Good Apprentices

So, it’s disappointing and frustrating when an apprenticeship ends early. It’s also very common.

While 73% of Members told State of the Nation they’d employed an apprentice, 57% said they had lost an apprentice before the apprentice had completed their qualification.

Almost a quarter of Members also reported struggling to find suitable candidates for apprenticeships, labelling it a major challenge for the industry. We’ve come a long way from the days when workshops were “doing a favour” to an apprentice by taking them on. The supply and demand equation has flipped.

On this page, we’ll look at ways Members can find and keep good apprentices, with insights from current apprentices who took part in this year’s Capricorn Rising Star award.

Chris Haywood is a fourth-year collision apprentice at Parker’s Crash Repairs in Victor Harbour in South Australia. He’s passionate about the industry and his future in it. At 28, he’s an older apprentice, having come to the industry after trying other career paths first.

There were several factors that Chris said attracted him to join the team at Parker’s.

• He liked the fact it was a small family-owned business. He’d worked for big corporations before and found them impersonal
• There’s a really good working culture in the business. “Everyone has a pride and passion for what they do,” he said. “They’re not just coming in and doing the bare minimum.”
• The boss is caring and hands-on, putting people before profits when he needs to. “He just makes sure everyone’s OK,” he said.

Chris is all too aware of how lucky he is. He knows from his mates at trade school that other apprentices are having a less positive experience.

“I’ve heard of a few bosses who basically treat apprentices as expendable, so no wonder they’re having problems with retention,” he said.

“If you’ve got staff who are happy to come to work and put in a good eight hours, you’ll get more out of them.

“Happy staff don’t drag their feet. They’re not just there for the money. Everyone should help each other; it shouldn’t be every person for themselves.”

Matilda Gook (17) is a heavy diesel apprentice at APS Mech in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Her father is also a heavy diesel mechanic and she credits that early exposure to the industry with her wanting to pursue it as a career.

Matilda is one of a small but slowly growing band of female apprentices now entering the industry. Twelve per cent of Members told State of the Nation they employed a female apprentice and, clearly, there’s a huge opportunity to welcome more women into the industry. But that won’t happen unless we can encourage them into apprenticeships.

“I think a lot of females are pretty scared of the industry because it’s all boys,” she said. “I found a lot of the boys very judgemental.”

Matilda said if her boss, Capricorn Member Andy Schmidt, hadn’t been so supportive, she might have already left the industry despite her passion for it.

Here are her tips for attracting and retaining apprentices, especially women:

• Create a supportive, encouraging environment
• Understand that female apprentices may not have some of the physical strength required for certain jobs and make allowances, like providing spanners with longer handles
• Don’t tolerate behaviour like bullying, sexism, or flirting, which might negatively impact the apprentice’s experience
• Take steps to ensure women feel welcome and comfortable, like putting a lock on the toilet door.

In WA, Kody Mulachy is a third-year apprentice with Voltaic Auto Electrical. He chose his trade because he figured there’d always be plenty of work and nonstop learning as cars become more electrical. Kody is one of five apprentices at the workshop. Here’s what he thinks his boss (Capricorn Member Josh Doutch) gets right:

• The boss is very honest, easy to talk to and good at communication.
• Apprentices are given responsibility, challenged by the work, and given help when they get stuck.
• There’s a real focus on team building (e.g., social events) so “the crew” gets along. “I enjoy coming to work and seeing the team, and we all help each other out,” Kody said.
• There’s an understanding approach to work arrangements (e.g., flexibility and work-life balance).

• Look for people who are invested in the industry. Form relationships with your local trade school or TAFE and choose apprentices who have a proven interest and aptitude for the trade.
• Wear your culture on your sleeve. Young people are looking for a good culture, so make it obvious through every interaction during recruitment that your workshop is a supportive, nurturing environment.
• Keep your communication channels open. Be approachable. Proactively talk to staff about their goals, welfare, training, behaviour, etc. A regular, honest chat is the easiest way to stop small problems from becoming big ones.