21 October 2019
Apprenticeships and traineeships are a fantastic way for you to gain a qualification while learning meaningful skills in the workplace.
That’s not to say that apprenticeships or traineeships are easy. They take effort, commitment and hard work if you want to succeed. My Gateway’s Employment Career Partners have worked with and mentored hundreds of apprentices and trainees over the years, so we asked them to pass on their key pieces of advice to getting through an apprenticeship or traineeship.
Being on time is a simple but effective way to show you care about your job and are committed to it. Even though it is simple, you would be surprised how often employers deal with staff who show up late and especially those who make a habit out of it. If you want to do well in your apprenticeship or traineeship, being punctual is a great way to put your best foot forward and impress your supervisor and colleagues.
Throughout your apprenticeship and traineeship, you will receive a lot of advice from people around you, such as your supervisor or colleagues. At times, you might ask for it, sometimes you will not. However, it is important to listen to it. You may not use a certain piece of advice in that specific moment, but it is good to store it in your memory bank, as you never know when you might need it in the future.
Speaking up and asking questions can be daunting at times, especially if you are in the first year of your trade or have just started your traineeship. However, it is important to speak up and ask questions – these are the main ways you will learn throughout your training. If you do not know something, ask the question. If you need more tasks to work on, ask your supervisor. This will show initiative and that you are keen to learn more.
Speak to anyone who has completed an apprenticeship or traineeship, and they will tell you that it is important to put in effort from the very start of your training. If you set a standard to be committed to learning on the job and studying hard in those early days, it will put you in good stead for your future. You will develop a discipline and focus that should stay with you throughout your apprenticeship or traineeship.
Apprenticeships and traineeships combine on the job learning with formal study. Both are equally important. It is key that you stay on top of your study, whether it is through TAFE NSW or another Registered Training Organisation (RTO). If you place priority on studying and getting your assessments done as required, it will help immensely when it comes to applying that knowledge practically.
