Employing an apprentice can be the first step a new electrical contractor makes when growing their business. It is a chance to teach the next generation of our industry. But while it is rewarding, it can also be stressful if you hire the wrong person.

MEA has put together a list of what you should do, and what you should avoid when hiring and dealing with an apprentice for the first time.

DO #1: Find the right person

Making sure you have an apprentice you can teach, and who is willing to learn, can be the difference between a hire being successful or not.

The good news is that, unlike traditional employment, there are a lot of ways to hire an apprentice.

When looking for an apprentice consider the following options:

• Advertise for applications using services like Seek or MEA’s Job Circle.
• Use an apprentice recruitment service like Add Staff Group.
• Use a group training organisation like Queensland’s Electro Group Apprentices.

You can also employ someone you know, but that comes with its own range of challenges (see Do #2).

Using an external group means they can provide expert guidance in interviewing and screening applicants. While advertising yourself means you can interview applicants yourself and reduce direct recruitment costs.

DO #2: Set boundaries if hiring someone you know

Hiring a friend or relative is a legitimate way to hire an apprentice. But it comes with a range of challenges. You must make sure you and the employee understand the boundaries about the job and the workplace.

You don’t want a dispute in the office flowing to the dinner table.

Make sure the apprentice knows that while you might be their parent, spouse, sibling, friend, or relative, during work hours you are their boss first and foremost.

Read more from MEA

• What you need to do before Christmas close down
• Changes to award terms on casual conversion
• What to know when working in the heat

DO #3: Consider a work experience student or school-based apprentice

Having a work experience student from TAFE, or a school-based apprentice can be an opportunity to ‘test drive’ potential employees.

You can get to know them as a person, how they learn, if they are serious about the job and if you think you can teach them.

The downside is the limited amount of time these people will spend with you initially. But it’s a chance to make sure you find the right person (see Do #1).

DO #4: Make sure your employment and training contracts are correct

Apprentices are subject to two contracts. The first is an employment contract. This contract is how an employer and employee know what to expect from one another. (They include wages, leave conditions, overtime, allowances, and superannuation. MEA highly recommends all businesses use written employment contracts.

An employment contract can help you make sure you are paying your new apprentice according to the award and aren’t underpaying them. Contracts sit next to the award structure. It does not replace the award and cannot be less generous than it.

Read more advice about employment contracts from MEA.

The MEA Employer Advice hotline can provide advice with your employment contract questions. Master Electricians have unlimited access to the hotline.

The second contract is the training contract.  This contract is between you, the employee, the registered training provider, and is overseen by the State Government. These contracts need to be in place to make the apprenticeship legitimate. These contracts are generally facilitated by an AASN or an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network provider. Find an AASN near you.

AASN have the following main responsibilities

• Essential administrative support (training contract)
• Payment processing (incentives for employers)
• Regular contact (monitoring)
• Targeted services for individuals who need extra support to complete their apprenticeship (assistance for apprentices who may be at risk of non-completion).

DON’T #1: Think of employees as ‘cheap labour’

There are strict rules for each Australian State and Territory around what work each level can do, and what level of supervision they require for them.

You cannot expect an apprentice to be able to carry out electrical work before they have been trained to do so. And you must ensure you are providing the correct level of supervision when carrying out work.

Apprentices are there to work, but they are also there to learn.

Speak to the MEA Safety hotline to ensure you have the correct safety procedures and documents set up for apprentices. Master Electricians can access a range of documents about what work can and cannot be carried out for apprentices of every year level in every State or Territory.

DON’T #2: Put off college training

During busy periods having to send a useful pair of hands away to training college can seem like a burden. But putting that off will come back to bite you.

You do not want to end up in a scenario where your fourth-year apprentice has incomplete second-year coursework.

Make sure you allow and encourage, apprentices to do their college training. It is just as important to their learning as time on the tools.

DON’T #3: Assume your apprentice will be a teenager

Traditionally apprentices came straight from school, or very soon after. But today apprentices can be of any age and any stage of life.

Most apprentices are still young people just out of school, or students still in school, but an increasing number of older workers have turned to apprenticeships for a career change or to reskill.

There are benefits to any age group. A young apprentice may not have any already developed bad habits and can be easier to teach. But an older apprentice might already have years workforce experience and understand how businesses work.

It is all about finding an apprentice who is right for your company.

DON’T #4: Never do unpaid work trials or work experience

Unpaid work experience, volunteering, or unpaid trials not conducted by either a registered training organisation (RTO) or school program cannot occur.

All work undertaken by any person in your business must be paid under some form of employment contract. RTO and school work experience cover the insurance requirements for participants, however outside of this you are responsible for them, and they will be covered under your WorkCover insurance. So, it is important that you treat them as a paid employee.

You must also comply with the minimum wages for their age and the job they will be doing.

MEA has the knowledge and partners to help your electrical contracting business. It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out or have been in operation for years. The team at MEA can help you with employment advice, pay rates and contracts, safety resources, apprentice supervision requirements and more. Become a Master Electrician today. Phone 1300 889 198.