Industry Specialist Mentoring for Australian Apprentices
Industry Consultation Discussion Paper
Overview
The $60 million Industry Specialist Mentoring for Australian Apprentices (ISMAA) program was announced by the Government in the 2017-2018 Budget.
The program complements other Australian Government support for apprentices, trainees and their employers through the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program, Trade Support Loans and the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network.
Purpose
The Department is gathering information from industry stakeholders to help inform the design of the program.
Consultation Discussion Points
Who will deliver this initiative?
The Department intends to appoint service providers through a procurement process. It is intended that successful providers will be well equipped to deliver comprehensive mentoring services to Australian Apprentices in their industry. It is the Department’s expectation that mentors with industry specific knowledge will provide deep insights regarding the challenges and opportunities presented to Australian Apprentices in particular sectors.
Target groups
The program will provide intensive support to apprentices and trainees in industries that are undergoing structural change during the first two years of their training.
Discussion points· What is the best way to identify industries undergoing structural change? Should the program’s approach be broad or focused towards particular industries?
· What are the key factors that could inhibit the successful delivery of this program? E.g. service providers’ access to apprentice contact information, availability of mentors, etc.
· Do organisations have capacity to deliver mentoring services in place already?
Minimum service requirements
Under the ISMAA program a minimum of six contact hours of mentoring services per participant would be expected. An extra hour of contact will be expected for participants who leave the program unexpectedly (such as cancelling their Australian Apprenticeship).
Discussion points· Where can an Industry specialist mentor add the greatest value in terms of helping an Australian Apprentice complete their training?
· What are the preferred engagement methods to provide this service? E.g. face to face, SMS, phone etc
· Is six hours of contact per participant enough as a minimum requirement?
Avoiding duplication
Mentoring arrangements funded under the ISMAA program will need to complement other mentoring services in the market in order to avoid duplication of services.
Discussion points· What (if any) mentoring services are organisations currently delivering?
· How do organisations already delivering mentoring support to apprentices and trainees see the new ISMAA program complementing existing mentoring services?