Landing an Apprenticeship in the Resource Sector
These blogs will share ideas with you on how to get apprenticeships, what's available and what you can do to get ahead of everyone else to land the right job.
BUSY works with everyone involved in apprenticeships and traineeships in all industries: including jobseekers, existing workers, employers, industry bodies and training organisations. The Resources Sector is a major industry for us as we cover most of Queensland including mining and resource cities/towns such as Gladstone, Emerald and Mackay. We also provide services nationally via the Australian Apprenticeships Alliance, which has the widest coverage of Australian Apprenticeships Centres in the country.
The first quarter of this year was particularly challenging for the sector, but over the last couple of months we have seen employers start to rethink their apprenticeships and traineeships recruitment. So now is the time to prepare yourself for apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities.
The opportunities for apprentices and trainees are incredibly varied and provide a range of jobs that many people do not necessarily relate to such a program. There are over 600 qualifications that you can undertake. Many of these naturally relate to the Resources Sector such as Coal Mining Preparation or Surface Operator, however employers, jobseekers and existing workers often do not realise that businesses have opportunities in their support services such as qualifications in Business Administration or even Cooking. For a full list of qualifications check out the Resources page on the BUSY At Work website.
Our research shows that employers value the more personal skills as much as they value technical skills. When you are going through the interview process, make sure you present yourself in the best way possible and demonstrate that you have the right attitude to undertake and complete an apprenticeship. When an employer agrees to offer you the position, they are making a long term commitment in you, so you need to show that you have the determination and ambition to see the whole process through.
A great way to demonstrate this attitude is to try and seek out your own apprenticeship opportunity. This could be done in the conventional ways by approaching a Group Training Organisation or applying for advertised positions. However, if no one is recruiting in the qualification that you want to go for, then try taking matters into your own hands and approach the businesses that you want to work for directly. Start by figuring out which businesses work in the area that you like and send them a covering letter and resume. Follow this up with a phone call and be persistent. You may even try calling into their offices or place of work to show your enthusiasm.
Over the coming weeks, we will blog on a range of topics to advise you on the opportunities available for apprenticeships and traineeships. We will try and cover issues such as preparing to undertake or apply for an apprenticeship, the incentives available, the support provided to you by Australian Apprenticeships Centres, how Group Training Organisations operate and opportunities for specific groups of individuals such as mature aged or Indigenous apprentices.
We will also look at the opportunities for businesses to increase the amount of apprenticeships and traineeships they offer, the incentives available to them and how training can increase staff retention and productivity.
In the meantime check out our website for more information - www.busyatwork.com.au