Flinders University

"If you want good people you have to train them."

Provides us with an opportunity to evaluate staff which then improves our selection of full-time employees

Steve Cox, Manager of Communication Services, says: "My pet hate is to advertise, interview, and employ someone after getting to know them for only 1.5 hours. With our apprentices we can mould them, can test them. As an example - we went looking for someone who had data communications and documentation skills. We chose Vanessa who has done a traineeship with us and it's one of best choices we've made."

Wayne Jones, Technical Supervisor of Communication Skills explains: "Apprentices save me money. For example, John Sweeney is planning to stay for the long haul and have a career here. Because he's done an apprenticeship he knows what to expect here. When he won his role here he was up against those who've been around longer. John was up against the open market when he applied for a full-time permanent position here after his apprenticeship. The apprenticeship helped him to be focused on customer focus - because of our input into his training. So he shone. We can develop apprentices into the type of people we want, with the right attitude to work and relationships with people. At the end of an apprenticeship the apprentices are part of a highly skilled team, they know our requirements and timeframes."

Vanessa Dorshorst states: "At least four people who worked here on placement whilst completing their traineeship or apprenticeship have ended up with permanent positions here. You are able to train them up how you want the job to be done. You train people to do it the way that suits our organisation. We require a high standard, making it easier in the long run. We can mould them into what we want."

Economical - Especially after the first 6 months

Wayne Jones says "Apprentices save me money. For example, John Sweeney is planning to stay for the long haul and have a career here. Because he's done an apprenticeship he knows what to expect here.

I can employ apprentices at a cost saving to me and then I've got a team rather than just an individual - an apprentice and a tradesman. I will get a good apprentice within three months of training."

Improves Staff Retention

Wayne: "Staff turnover is very low at Flinders Uni. All the guys like the team environment. We are one of the most content and efficient groups."

Warren Draffen (second year apprentice): "The tradespeople enjoy the excitement of training someone young in the industry."

Provides us with the ability to train good people to stay and work here

Amanda Hewison, apprentice at Flinders University, says: "The benefit of apprentices is getting better tradesmen out there into industry who do things the right way and only do it once. Creating an awesome industry - and we're cheap."

Delivers a safer working environment - Two people working together, the apprentice and the tradesperson

Wayne: "There was some initial resistance from tradespeople. With re-education they've seen the benefits of having apprentices, of spending the time with them and the benefit to them personally to develop others."

Warren Draffen: "One benefit of having an apprentice is that the tradespeople don't have to do all the hard work. Some jobs required two people, so an apprentice can help out. You don't need two tradespeople for example, when you are pulling cables through a ceiling over a long distance but two people who know what they are doing helps to avoid damage and loss of time (making sure the cable is feeding correctly)."

Wayne Jones clarified: "Apprentices are not expected to carry tools and ladders for trades people (they're not treated as second class) but because we've got people working in teams it's a safer environment - with ladders, power leads etc. Its more efficient. It makes the tradesmen's job easier because there are two people there. Having an apprentice with you is no harder for an experienced tradesman. You get a return ten fold by training apprentices. The more effort the tradesperson puts in (to training an apprentice) the easier it is for them. Training an apprentice makes it easier (moving tools around, ladders) and more fun (teamwork)."

Provides a link between industry and education. PEER VEET direct 'best-fit' apprentices towards us, they take on board suggestions for improvements to the course and we can access extra apprentices in busy times to help us out

Wayne explains: "Peer help us - they know us and what we're looking for and they select the best fit apprentices for us. We have a good relationship with Toni, the Field Officer at PEER VEET. We are able to give feedback to the field officers and suggest improvements to tailor the course. We can also ask, on an ad hoc basis, for extra apprentices to help out for a few busy months."

Provides a trained and talented resource for the industry, provides something back into the community

Steve Cox says "As Finders University is an education facility it makes sense that we have Apprentices and Trainees, and is consistent with the University's image that we train them. It's also Flinders University's 40th anniversary and as part of that we are making a special effort to help the community and contribute more. By providing trained apprentices we are contributing to the talent pool in the community, for example, at Flinders we:

• Train and mentor apprentices in social skills as well as data-communications.
• Have a strong focus on customers (internal and external).
• Provide a pool of qualified people for the rest of industry to recruit from.
  So, for example, contractors can recruit and use better people and will therefore be able
  to provide better quality work.
• Provide equal opportunities and employment for those who are sometimes under-represented in the workforce (such as mature aged apprentices, female apprentices and young people)."

Wayne Jones says "If you train apprentices right its good for the industry."

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