22
BUSINESS AND TRAINING
The Apprenticeship Journey ( Part 1 of 3 ) – “ A practical guide to Prospective Host Employers ”
By
Terry Smith
Let me call it as it is … Hiring an apprentice is not for the fainthearted ! It takes time , effort and a love for working with young people to offer an apprenticeship . It can be highly rewarding to help develop and grow the next generation of plumbers . But it can also be a stressful time for business owners , staff and the apprentice , if you are not aware of dynamics that create the best ‘ ecosystem ’ for successful apprenticeships .
Through running different apprenticeships over the years , I thought it was time to share my findings and give some ‘ boots on ground ’ advice to plumbing businesses who are considering offering apprenticeships .
For any Apprenticeship Ecosystem * to be effective , a common understanding of the industry players ( stakeholders ) and their respective roles and responsibilities is required . I believe that transparency will encourage better collaboration and increased participation going forward .
The Apprentice is a ‘ learner plumber ’ who requires hands-on industry experience in-between his or her formal plumbing training at a recognised training provider .
The Training Provider provides students with both academic and practical plumbing knowledge , over 3 years . This would usually be through an accredited , recognised plumbing college in South Africa .
The Host Employer provides valuable working experience during which apprentices will use their knowledge in practical applications and build their POE ’ s ( portfolios of evidence ) required for their plumbing qualification .
The Funder strategically plans Internships / Apprenticeship programmes and facilitates monthly stipend payments , which are either funded by The Sector Education and Training Authorities ( SETAs ), Industry Bodies ( such as IOPSA ), or a plumbing company itself .
* The Apprenticeship Ecosystem requires a central contact person to allow for seamless communication and engagement between stakeholders and to afford the Apprenticeship programme the highest level of success . This typically , but not always , falls to the Funder to implement .
The Host Employers ’ Role and Responsibilities
• Being a host employer is going to demand your time and that of other employees , so do not offer apprenticeship with the underlying thinking that you will have ‘ free labour ’ or that you do not need to do much . Nothing could be further from the truth .
• Having an apprentice on the team requires the commitment of both management and staff to be on board with why you have an apprentice and what their role is .
• When initiating the conversation with an apprentice , ask them how far he / she is in their learning journey – is he or she a first-year or third-year student . Find out how many host employers the apprentice has already been placed at , and what their feedback was . If there is any supporting documentation , this will help your decision-making process .
• When you interview a prospective apprentice , you need to share the basics , such as information about your company , the type of plumbing work you do , your company culture and the manner in which you expect clients ’ work to be done . ( Typically , this will be included in a Ways-of-Working Document and Company Policies & Procedures .) Create an apprentice job description and share this with your apprentice . This helps them understand the company ’ s expectations of them on a day-to-day basis .
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline March 2021 Volume 27 I Number 1