I don't have suitable work for my apprentice/trainee
What is suitable work?
Suitable work is work that uses the skills and knowledge of the vocational qualification being undertaken by your apprentice or trainee. These are defined as the competencies in the training plan.
As an employer you are obliged to provide suitable work.
The competencies needed by an apprentice or trainee to get their qualification are gained through the practical skills and knowledge learnt in the workplace, as well as the formal training provided by your registered training organisation.
The training contract between you and your apprentice or trainee says that you must give them work that is suitable to the apprenticeship or traineeship being undertaken.
The NSW Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act also requires you to provide work-based training appropriate to the vocation.
Lack of suitable work
A change in business focus can sometimes mean that work tasks appropriate for a particular trade or vocation are no longer present e.g.
-
a housing construction business changes to timber furniture manufacturing - a carpentry and joinery apprentice is no longer required
-
a downturn in business activity leads to less work for all.
A lack of suitable work could mean that your apprentice or trainee will not be eligible for their qualification because not all competencies will be achieved.
what are my options?
- Change the vocational qualification
- complete a variation to the training contract to replace the existing vocational qualification with a new vocational qualification more appropriate to the work
- Amend the Full Training Plan
- with your registered training organisation(RTO) choose alternative elective competencies which align better with the available work tasks
- Suspension
- for a period to cover the anticipated downturn, to be resumed when business picks-up
- a partial suspension will adjust the training contract to cover reduced working hours for an apprenticeship or traineeship
- Part-time
- reduce the hours
- Transfer training contract
- if another appropriate employer can be found
- Cancellation
- mutual cancellation and termination
- Group Training Organisation (GTO)
- GTOs employ apprentices and trainees and ‘host’ to employers.
Who can help
Your Australian Apprenticeship Centre rep can help you with advice on your options, and complete the paper work with you.
If the only choice left is to terminate the employment and cancel the traineeship or apprenticeship, the Continuing Apprentices Placement Services (CAPS) might be able to help.
