Skip uni and learn a trade

Caleb Hughes enjoys the fact that he learnt his trade outside of the classroom. Picture / Graeme Sedal

Job hunters wanting an apprenticeship don't have to endure a 13-week interview like those featured on Donald Trump's TV show The Apprentice - the process is much simpler and more achievable when it comes to traditional trades.

With the wide range of skills shortages showing little sign of abating, and with experienced tradespeople starting to retire from the workforce, the demand for people to train in essential skills and trades is greater than ever.

Apprenticeships are ideal for people who don't fancy the prospect of a student loan and want the choice of around 8000 training schemes in 32 industries and businesses. Aviation, marine, food, furniture, telecommunications as well as plumbing and electrical are among the many options available.

The benefits of apprenticeships is that people get on-the-job training, are paid a wage while they learn and can complete their training without incurring debt.

John Riley is the apprentice manager at the Electrical Training Company (ETCO) - a not-for-profit company that acts as middle-man between apprentices and companies offering training for apprentice electricians.

Normally an apprentice is employed by the company offering the apprenticeship, but ETCO is different in that it employs apprentices and assigns them to particular companies for training.

Riley says: "The modern apprenticeship scheme has been a great benefit to industry as we, as a country, are suffering a big skills shortage.

"We have four intakes a year and applicants wanting a place as an apprentice electrician are interviewed and sit an aptitude test."

Apprentices employed by Etco are paid $8.20 an hour and are supplied tools to the value of $1000. Apprentices pay $1125 for the first year's training. Riley says that once qualified, an electrician can earn up to $25 an hour or start their own business.

One of those who decided against going to university and opted to learn a trade is Caleb Hughes. He won the 2006 Apprentice of the Year award and completed his electrician's apprenticeship with Current Electrical where he works today.

Hughes says he became an apprentice quite late in the day at age 19.

"I watched my friends go to university and knew I did not want any student debt so making the decision to learn a trade as an apprentice was easy," he says.

"Then I had to decide which trade I wanted to do. I figured working as an electrician would give me variety - from working on domestic properties to big commercial premises - and it has.

"Just now I fitted a power point to a person's house, and now I am off to work at a sewage treatment plant.

"It's fun being an apprentice. You get given all the dirty jobs - from pulling along heavy cables to climbing up into hot and sweaty roof spaces.

"Apprentices are the lowest of the low, but as you gain experience and learn you are given responsibility.

"Even today as a qualified electrician I get into some mucky situations - I don't mind it. I get home looking filthy ..."

Hughes' training took three and a half years and once a week during school term there was an evening class and end-of-term exams. There was also some home study assignments which came on top of working a 40-hour week under the guidance of experienced electricians.

"The course seemed a long time when it started but the time just flew by - I was learning all the time," says Hughes.

"It was great being out of school and working onsite."

And to those considering becoming an apprentice of any kind he says "just go for it".

"If you have a career in mind then go at it wholeheartedly. If you work hard you can't go wrong, you get a career for life and can work for someone else or start your own business."

Susan Shipley, policy group manager for the Tertiary Education Commission, says there is funding for 9000 apprentices this year.

"The modern apprenticeship scheme started in 2001 following a big drop in apprentices during the 1990s. The idea of the apprentice was reinvented for young people to promote careers in industry and the government is right behind the scheme."

But even though there is support and money, it is up to employers to train apprentices.

"Sometimes we have people who want to be an apprentice in a particular area, and while the funding is there the employer isn't," says Shipley. "Finding places depends on whether employers are willing to take on trainees. ."One of the problems is that we have a lot of small businesses that don't have the time to train people. It is a big responsibility and a long-term commitment to the apprentice."

* In addition to modern apprenticeships there is also a range of independent training organisations (ITOs) for people who are already employed.