Since March 1, 2020, many young Australians have lost their apprenticeship or traineeship due to covid-19. Whilst there are many incentives available for organisations to retain employees, it has still impacted businesses all across Australia.
The National Apprentice Employment Network (NAEN) has been supporting Apprentices and Trainees from small businesses who recently lost their jobs, by connecting them with a network of employers across the country through the Apprentice and Trainee Re-engagement Register.
The National Apprentice Employment Network (NAEN) is Australia’s largest employer network of apprentices and trainees.
Across metropolitan, rural, regional and remote Australia, the network employs some 25,000 apprentices and trainees in a diverse range of industries.
The employer network is unique, as it represents the practice of Group Training under which Group Training Organisations (GTOs) directly employ apprentices and trainees and place them with host businesses.
Di Dayhew, the CEO of NAEN, knows all too well how important support is for Australian Apprentices throughout their Apprenticeship journey and the challenges they may face when trying to secure employment in their sector.
“To line up an apprenticeship or a traineeship is an exercise of coordination,” she said.
“The beauty of working with a Group Training Organisation is that they are so well networked, and they support Apprentices with all elements of their training.”
With the added stress that covid-19 has brought to many small businesses and Australian Apprentices, NAEN has expanded their work to supporting organisations and individuals retain or preestablish employment.
“The measure was set up to originally retain apprentices to their employers, and then there was the second part of it which was to assist recommencement of displaced apprentices,” she said.
“We’ve had some fantastic matches, and a lot of interaction through the registers. We’re also getting to know the apprentices and trainees that are placed on the register and we’re prompting them to keep looking at the vacancies.”
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