6 minute read
APPRENTICES WORTH IT OR NOT?
By the time this article is published, my eighth apprentice will have been signed off as a fully qualified tradesperson. It is always a proud moment for me when this happens as I know I have taught them something which will have a significant impact on their future life.
You can’t predict the future though so there is no guarantee they will continue working for you, or if they choose to leave and start up their own business. They may even go on a different track and learn a completely new career altogether. This is exactly what happened with one of my apprentices. Justin finished his apprenticeship with me in 2008 but always had the passion to work in the airline industry like his father (who is a Virgin Airlines pilot). He decided to take 12 months off to study for an Aeroskills Course (Certificate 4 Level) to become an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. He contacted me a few weeks ago saying that after years of applying for positions in the airline industry (and getting knocked back each time) his application for a job with REX Airlines was accepted. In all the time he was applying for those positions, he continued working in his trade as a painter. I was so proud of him as his commitment and determination, eventually paid off.
It will cost me time and money and then they may leave when the apprenticeship is completed.’ Well I must disagree with anyone that taking on apprentices is not worth it to their business. If I thought that, I wouldn’t be training my ninth apprentice now. Even so if they did leave your employment (and you have treated them well in that time) you may find they will may come back. Even if they started up their own business, you can use them as sub-contractors. This has been the case with many of my past apprentices. You know what their work is like and you can use it to your advantage.
So let’s break it down on what it approximately costs you as an employer. I’ll start with the wages which have been sourced from the ‘Queensland Fairwork Ombudsman’ website. Please note, these are only approximate rates as there are many factors to take into consideration, such as the age and education of the person, state you live in, Government incentives and many other factors that are too numerous to mention. Below is an average hourly wage based over a 52 week period.
Year 1st 2nd 3rd 4th $/Hr $12 $14 $17 $20 Travel $14 $15 $16 $17 /Day (Working days only) To get the true apprentice wage rates, go to the specific websites in your state.
The actual training of an apprentice is one of the main reasons why employers do not want to employ them. They don’t want the responsibility or they feel there is too much effort involved. I believe there is a total misconception of this. In the first few months the apprentice is only doing basic things. These are simple tasks to pick up and not really time consuming for the employer to teach and it also saves you having a qualified tradesman doing the work. With the Government Incentive of $4,000 ($1,500 given to you at the 3 month probation period and $2,500 at the end of the apprenticeship), it literally pays for their first 6 weeks of their employment. You could even be entitled to other incentives which is another bonus to help go towards their wage.
If you manage your apprentice correctly, you should see a monetary benefit within a very short period. When they are into their 3rd and 4th years, they should be at the stage where they are nearly doing the same work as a tradesperson. If you look at the wage graph above (and below) compared to what you are charging per hour, you are making a nice little profit on them.
Admittingly when it comes to their ‘Apprenticeship Training’, you will lose them for approximately 15 weeks over the four-year apprenticeship. If you live in Queensland though, you have a choice to send them for ‘Aussie Painters Network’ Training. Much of the training is performed ‘online’, where the apprentice is required to answer multiple type questions from prepared video presentations. As proof that they are answering these questions themselves and not having someone else do it for them, they are required to have a ‘webcam’ so the ‘marking trainer’ can actually see them at their computer. This reduces the urge for them to cheat. There have been occasions where the trainer has noticed a different person at the computer so the whole unit was marked incorrect. I feel myself by answering questions from these videos, you can actually ‘take in’ a lot more information. Because there are ‘multiple’ answers, if the apprentice gets one question wrong, it takes them back to another set of questions. This keeps happening until they answer correctly; therefore, they may have to watch the video multiple times to fully understand the question. to do the tasks in working hours. In many cases though, the apprentice is so keen, they will do it in their own time. It is a benefit to them to do this as if the tasks are completed early they can be progressed to the next level of their apprenticeship, which means a higher wage for them.
In the costings, I have allowed for their Holidays, Sick Days, Rostered Days Off, Superannuation, 17.5% Holiday Loading, Travelling Time, Workers Compensation and RTO Training. There is no allowance for their ‘on-site’ learning by the employer.
Year 1st 2nd 3rd 4th $/Hr (over 52 weeks)
$14-$16 $16-$18 $20-$22 $21-$23 $/Hr (Actual working hours) $18-$20 $21-$23 $26-$28 $30-$32 (Remember that these amounts include all costs).
The apprentice is also required to attend ‘practical training’ for 3-4 days of the year in the APN ‘Mobile Training Wheels’. This is where they will be taught tasks that are not taught by you, as the employer, such as wallpapering, lead abatement, scaffolding, special effects, texture coating, etc. The ‘online’ work can be performed if you have ‘rained out days’ or need to send them home because of lack of work or finished the job early. If this only happens rarely, then you are required to set aside time for them This type of training does not suit everyone but at least you have a choice.
Now you may think that with all the training, how much does it actually cost you per hour to employ an apprentice? Through a program I developed, (My Hourly Rate Calculator) I came up with some approximate costings. Again, these are only estimated amounts and will vary with the particular circumstances of the apprentice and the ‘State’ of which the employment is held. By taking on a new apprentice, you will be training them your methods and the way you want. Maybe they will stay with you as long as my second apprentice who has been with me for 17 years now. He does all the physical, operational running of my business, while I do the bookwork, quoting and generally spending time away on holidays.
Jim Baker www.mytools4business.com
