Group Apprenticeship Program

Group Apprenticeship Program

Smart businesses know that the best way to overcome skills shortages is to train your own skilled staff. For trades based businesses training an apprentice is the answer. But over recent years completion levels have been falling.

The Group Apprenticeship Program can provide your business with a Skillset Apprentice. This will optimise their chances of success by:

  • Accessing the largest apprentice candidate base in western NSW
  • Candidates are pre-screened and aptitude tested
  • Rigorous recruitment process to find the right Skillset Apprentice for your business
  • A Field Officer is assigned to mentor each apprentice
  • We manage the complex apprentice payroll
  • Assistance with WHS is provided
  • Workers Compensation is covered
  • Formal Training is monitored to ensure the apprentice is gaining the skills required

How a Skillset Apprentice works


Skillset places its apprentices and trainees with tradespeople and businesses that are become 'host companies'.

A host company provides work experience and on the job training and pays the apprentices wages, statutory costs and our modest service fee.
As a host company you have a choice of a number of support products:


All companies can now access our new support programs, tailored to increase completion rates. These include:


Have a Workforce Development Consultant recommend the service that best meets your needs.

What are my obligations as a Host Company?


Both the host company and apprentice or trainee must have a clear understanding of each other's obligations and expectations. The Training Contract provides the detail surrounding rights and responsibilities of all parties; however in general the host company will:
  • provide a safe working environment;
  • support structured training including providing every opportunity to learn the skills of the vocation; and time off with pay to attend approved training or assessments as required by the appropriate vocational training provider;
  • provide supervision and support including a nominated workplace supervisor.

How Skillset can help you


Understanding Generation Y employees and their motivations is tough! Skillset understands the issues that young people can face as they make their journey from dependence to interdependence, entry level skills to applied learning and adolescence to adulthood.

Skillset provides a dedicated Field Officer to support and manage apprentices and trainees through the term of their training contract, with the knowledge of the barriers they may face, the issues that may prevent their progress and the measures to employ to address these.

Our Field Officers specialise in providing proactive support, early interventions for common issues and referral to specialist professional agencies if required.

The designated Field Officer will resolve on-the-job and off-the-job performance issues. They will set clear expectations and provide advice and guidance if an apprentice or trainee is experiencing difficulty.

Skillset will also provide a safety net if you run out of work for the apprentice or trainee or if things don’t work out. If you choose to “hand back” the apprentice or trainee, Skillset will work to ensure another placement is sought to enable the continuation of their training contract, leaving you nothing to worry about!