Dwyer says managing an apprenticeship program should take a minimum of one hour per day, although it could take longer initially, However, he is wary of structured training.
“I would suggest that the traditional model of an apprenticeship with structured learning and government assistance is too complicated for most start-ups,” he says.
“When your focus is still on achieving product-market fit, you often don’t have the bandwidth to be able to support the learning of someone fresh out of the education system.
“With that said, I think a more casual approach to apprenticeships… can lead to identifying great up-and-coming talent that would otherwise not be drawn into the world of tech start-ups.
“Our approach is to give the apprentice the tools they need and point them in the right direction to allow them to learn at their own pace.
“But tight feedback loops are important to increasing their performance. It’s about creating the right environment.”
Cara Seymour, a senior associate at People + Culture Strategies, which specialises in people management and workplace law, says some employers see apprentices as “a bit of a burden”.
“I don’t think it needs to be that way,” she says.
Instead, Seymour says employers should regard an apprenticeship as a partnership.
“It’s a partnership for the apprentice, the registered training organisation and state training service, and the employee,” she says.
“It’s important to see it that way because, at the end of the day, an apprentice needs to be someone who is going to fit within their business.
“Also, make sure you have everything in place before the apprenticeship starts.
“Make sure you review the training plan, and ensure the training is appropriate to that person’s skills and knowledge… Ensure they have a wide range of tasks they’re required to do so they do develop all the relevant competencies.”
“The first thing is to remember they are employees,” Seymour says.
“If your business engages an apprentice, you need to treat them as an employee and meet all the requirements that go with employer obligations.
“You have to comply with employment legislation, and any relevant industry awards or arrangements… [This includes] PAYG withholding tax, super, fringe benefits tax, workplace law, the Fair Work Act, anti-discrimination laws, workers compensation, and workplace safety.
“You need to pay at the appropriate level, and check whether you’re entitled to any government entitlements.
“There’s a lot of recordkeeping requirements – approval letter, training contract, time worked and wages, etc.”
Each training contract will specify the duration of the apprenticeship, Seymour says, but the default length is usually three to four years.
“[Employers] need to ensure the training contract’s in place and signed by both themselves and the apprentice, and also approved by the state training services body,” she says.
“If you make a change to the arrangement, notify the training organisation.”
Seymour says certain industries also have pre-employment requirements, which apply to apprentices in the same way they apply to any other worker.
“In the security industry, forklift licences or various other licences might be required,” she says.
“There could be background checks as well, if they’re working with children, and certain age limits apply [in some industries] – liquor and gaming would be an obvious one.”
