FRESH FOCUS TO TACKLE LAGGING APPRENTICES

Timely completion of training is a critical cog in the wheel of apprenticeship training - and ETITO is launching a new project to bring it into sharper focus.

Completing training at a steady pace means apprentices benefit the most from the competency-based system.  It is also important for ensuring the taxpayer funding is fairly made available to others. This is becoming more important as competition for tertiary funding heats up, and Government continues to demand a clear return on its investment in training.

Unfortunately some apprentices stall in their training, and end up being ‘over-duration’, the term used where trainees are six months or more out of the expected completion date.  ETITO will be taking a more proactive approach to managing the timely completion of training and expects industry to support the effort.  Some apprentices are taking longer than is acceptable to complete their qualifications. Often they need only to complete a couple of unit standards to finish – so in most cases it’s not a big ask.

ETITO will be working with these over-duration apprentices to see how we can encourage them to finish. Our training managers will put in place completion plans, which detail how and when they’ll be expected to complete their apprenticeships. Failure to comply with the plans will result in the apprenticeship being terminated.

Paul Hollings, ETITO Industry Manager, says that apprentices who’ve approached their training in good faith don’t have to worry. “This isn’t about people who’ve fallen a little behind for a legitimate reason.  It’s about the apprentices who’ve been in their qualification for five years and haven’t shown any sign of completing.  Our training managers will help them with a completion plan, and if they don’t put the effort in, they need to be aware that they will lose their apprenticeship.”

Each programme ETITO offers has an expected timeline for completion.  There is some leeway but when an apprentice is six months past the suggested completion date of a programme, they will be considered over-duration.  Here are some common qualifications, along with the expected period of time it should take to complete them:

The National Certificate in Electrical Engineering [Electrician for Registration] [Level 4] – 43 months
The National Certificate in Telecommunications [Level 3] – 23 – 27 months [depending on strand]
The National Certificate in Motor Rewinding [Level 4] – 23 months
The National Certificate in Appliance Servicing [Level 3] – 14 months
The National Certificate in Industrial Measurement and Control [Level 4] – 39 months

Apprentices will be told from the start of training when they’re expected to finish, and ETITO will be proactive to ensure this happens.  We’ll also be keeping apprentices updated during their training on the expected duration periods and reminding them when they’re nearing the end of their allocated time.     

If you have any questions about ETITO’s work with over-duration apprentices, don’t hesitate to contact your ETITO training manager.