National Skills Week is an opportunity to rethink and explore the many available vocational career pathways.
National Skills Week Chair, Brian Wexham, said there has never been a more pivotal time to get the message to job seekers and school leavers on the importance of gaining a skill, in particular apprenticeships and traineeships.
National General Manager of Apprenticeship Support Australia, Lee Xavier, said apprentices and trainees are the skilled workers businesses and the economy will rely on which is why investing in skills is a key focus for Australia’s economic recovery plan.
Founded in 2014, Apprenticeship Support Australia’s services as an Apprenticeship Network Provider, are focused on lifting apprenticeship commencement and completion rates through support at every stage of the employment cycle.
Jobseekers, school students, apprentices and trainees can receive ongoing support including career advice, job matching, and mentoring.
“These services are not just available to our apprentices and trainees but the employers we work with will also have access to a plethora of services.
“Our innovative careers hub, skillsroad.com.au, is regarded as Australia’s number one destination for independent career advice,” Xavier said.
The free website offers a career quiz, over 350 career profiles, 360 virtual workplace, a job-fit test to assess work-readiness and career compatibility and other online resources for students and job-seekers as well as their parents, teachers and employers.
Xavier said the service offers employers holistic business-wide training advice and can assist in recommending suitable qualifications, advice on how to access Government funding for training, help with matching and recruitment of new staff and as ongoing coaching, mentoring and support of apprentices and trainees.
“We essentially help parents, school leavers, job-seekers, anyone looking to start an apprenticeship or traineeship, to understand how they can pursue a career pathway and help them explore the myriad opportunities they may not know exist.
“For employers, there are many subsidies available to them, and they change all the time, so we assist them through this process too.
“The Federal Government’s Boosting Apprenticeships Commencements wage subsidy is a significant investment in the apprenticeship sector to support all businesses and all employers,” Xavier said.
Across the country, ASA have over 300 staff and provide help to tens of thousands of Australian Apprentices and employers every year, assisting in the placement of apprenticeships and traineeships.
Now moving into its 11th year, National Skills Week 2021 encourages Australians to rethink and explore the many vocational career pathways as Australia’s economy recovers from the pandemic.
There are a wide range of industries currently crying out for apprentices and trainees, with unprecedented demand and no workers to meet that demand.
National Skills Week 2021 will be launched by Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business of Australia, Stuart Robert, from August 23-29.
The theme for this year is Re-Think.
For more information, visit www.nationalskillsweek.com.au.
Source:
Media release, Aug 11
Apprenticeship Support Australia