Meet the team

Having come from a recruitment career in the UK and a sports coaching background, the opportunity to combine both of these fields by supporting young people through the process of finding employment and being a mentor throughout their apprenticeship was something that I saw as a perfect fit.

What does your role entail?

The majority of my role consists of offering support to our apprentices and host employers.

We do this by making sure to stay on track of all our apprentices trade school progress, ensuring they are up-to-date and tracking as they should be.

We also keep a constant line of communication between ourselves and the host employers to make sure that our apprentices are happy within the workplace, showing positive attitudes, contributing to the business and making progress with their on-the-job skills.

I also visit local schools and TAFEs in order to deliver information about what we do and how we can assist anyone looking for an apprenticeship.

As well as contacting local businesses and offering our services.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

When we receive positive feedback about one of our apprentices who has settled into a team really well and you can see how happy they are in the workplace.

Being able to watch them mature and setting them up with skills for life, is a really rewarding feeling.

Do you have a memorable story you’d like to share about how you have helped someone in your position?

When I took over the current crop of apprentices, there were a couple of them who had fallen behind on their work, mainly due to the effects of COVID-19 at the start of their apprenticeship and the difficulties faced from that.

After meeting with trade-school teachers and the apprentice, we put together an action plan and a clear structure, including taking the theory work from school, home.

Due to their hard work and dedication, the apprentice is now on track to complete their apprenticeship, on time, at the end of this year.

How do you stay updated with industry trends and changes in apprenticeship programs?

Having our CEO Paula Ryan on the board of the Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN) is awesome. Not only Paula, but the knowledge that I gain from working with everyone here is fantastic, there is so much experience within the business that if I ever need any information, one of my colleagues will be comfortable in providing me with it.

As well as the AEN newsletter, communication with the local businesses and schools, we also we have great connections with apprenticeship providers who keep us up-to-date with anything related to apprenticeship support.

How do you build relationships with apprentices and employers?

We do regular visits to our apprentices on site or at trade-school, meaning we have face-to-face interaction with both our host employers and apprentices.

As well as this, we do regular check ups with the apprentice and host employers over the phone.

This ensures that we are kept up-to-date with the progress of our apprentices and form strong relationships.

If there are any issues that arise, we make sure to address these immediately to avoid them snowballing into larger problems.

What advice would you give to someone considering an apprenticeship or traineeship?

There's a number of things to make sure you consider before applying. The first and most important one is to research what your chosen apprenticeship entails, the majority of apprenticeships are four-year courses, so it is a big commitment for somebody to take up an apprenticeship.

Once you have chosen which apprenticeship or traineeship you want to do, gaining some work experience in that industry is important, this can be done via the school work experience program, for those still in school or by taking on some casual employment for those out of school.

After this, there are a number of pre-apprenticeship courses run at GOTAFE and other TAFE institutes, this gives potential apprentices a taste of what to expect and is really attractive on a resume, for potential employers.

Finally, after making sure your resume is up-to-date, head to our website and submit your interest

Traineeship officer Melissa Davies

When did you start working with The Apprenticeship Factory, and what made you choose this place of employment?

I started work in November 2019. I was made redundant in a job I had been working in for over 20 years and came to Monarch Personal to look for temp work.

From there I was offered the position I am in now. It was certainly a blessing in disguise to finish at a job that I was so comfortable and familiar with to then be given the wonderful opportunity that I have now.

What does your role entail?

Mostly placing young adults (Year 12 school leavers) into traineeship positions.

Many of which are looking to take a gap year after completing their Year 12.

I interview them, look for a potential host employer, and if successful, work closely with them and their host employer to ensure a successful outcome.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Meeting and placing young people in a traineeship and working closely with them and their host to ensure a successful outcome.

Do you have a memorable story you’d like to share about how you have helped someone in your position?

I think mostly seeing those young adults that have left Year 12 still unsure of what pathway they want to pursue, then they complete our traineeships in Education Support and from that they go onto uni to study education to become either a primary or secondary school teacher.

How do you stay updated with industry trends and changes in apprenticeship programs?

We have affiliations with different programs and the AEN.

How do you build relationships with apprentices and employers? I work mostly with trainees and their host employers.

Building relationships with the host by continuing to provide quality young people to become part of their team. Taking all the hard parts away from them like interviewing, wages etc.

What advice would you give to someone considering an apprenticeship or traineeship?

Give it a go. It is a wonderful opportunity, very rewarding and especially if you are unsure, it just might be what you are looking for, which could in turn, open up a whole new pathway.

Administration officer Natasha Bell

I’ve been working in administration at The Apprenticeship Factory for a year now.

I learned about TAF through a previous employee, who worked at our sister site, Monarch Personnel.

Her enjoyment of her role, along with her welcoming and professional manner, encouraged me to accept a position.

It’s a great place to work, and offers a positive, friendly environment with very supportive leadership and a caring team.

My responsibilities include organising and maintaining administrative areas related to apprentices and trainees, along with general business administration.

It is rewarding to witness young people grow, overcome challenges, and succeed in their apprenticeships or traineeships, even when working behind-the-scenes.

I have observed how the field officers here go above and beyond to support both apprentices and employers in all areas.

I would encourage anyone considering an apprenticeship or traineeship to reach out to TAF.

They provide invaluable support and opportunities for growth and success.

Natasha Bell

Administration officer