Workforce Retention

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• A quality training experience is not only crucial
  for the skill development of each individual
  apprentice or trainee, it's also crucial for the
  ongoing development of Queensland's industries
  and the state's overall economic prosperity.

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Train to Retain is about

• Ensuring workplaces are free from inappropriate
  behaviours that reduce the benefits of training
  for both the employer and apprentice or trainee.
• Particularly, behaviours unlawful in Queensland
  which have been identified as harmful to the
  completion of training contracts damaging to
  industry and individuals alike.
• Train to Retain highlights workplace practices
  that assist employers, apprentices and trainees
  to get the most benefit out of the training
  system.

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Benefits of Train to Retain

• More trained and skilled staff
• Reduced labour costs associated with frequently
  re-hiring and training
• Potential for a competitive advantage due to high
  productivity
• Better customer loyalty - an employee who is
  committed to the company reflects this in the way
  they perform, demonstrating better customer
  service.
• Increased efficiency and work quality
• Increased productivity and profitability
• Increased image to attract staff

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Train to Retain to avoid

• In the workplace
• Increased absenteeism and staff turnover
• Poor morale and erosion of worker loyalty and
  commitment
• Bad publicity, poor public image becoming
  known as a difficult workplace environment
• Breakdown of teams and individual relationships
• In apprentices and trainees
• High levels of distress, impaired ability to make
  decisions and poor concentration
• Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem and
  feelings of social isolation at work
• Panic attacks, anxiety disorders, depression,
  social phobia (withdrawal from usual social
  interaction) and deteriorating relationships with
  family and friends
• Reduced output and performance, incapacity to
  work, loss of employment

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Some interesting figures

• Since 1995, Australias estimated resident
  population aged 45 years and over has increased
  by 30. In contrast, the number of children (aged
  014 years) has increased by 2.3, and the number
  of people aged 1544 years by 4.8.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2007. Year Book
  Australia 2007
• How can this affect our labour market?
• 70 of Queensland firms are having difficulty
  finding skilled workers. For example, nationally
  170,000 workers will retire from the
  manufacturing industry in the next 5 years. Only
  40,000 workers are being trained to replace them.
  
• Department of Employment and Industrial
  Relations. 2007. Experience Pays Pack

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• Workplaces that engage and retain individuals
  are needed to ensure the sustainability of their
  industry with an aging population. As Baby
  Boomers retire the labour force will become
  severely depleted.
• Employers need to develop inclusive workplace
  practices now workplaces free from
  inappropriate behaviours to ensure the number
  of apprentices and trainees completing training
  today will provide a sufficient number of skilled
  workers tomorrow.

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Inappropriate workplace behaviours

• Workplace harassment
• Discrimination
• Sexual harassment
• Vilification
• Victimisation

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Workplace harassment (Workplace Health and
Safety Qld)
Workplace harassment is where a person is
subjected to behaviour that

• is repeated, unwelcome and unsolicited
• -AND-
• 2.. the person considers to be offensive,
  intimidating, humiliating or threatening
• -AND-
• 3.. a reasonable person would consider to be
  offensive, humiliating, intimidating or
  threatening.
• Does not include reasonable management
  action

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Discrimination(Anti-Discrimination Council of
Qld)

• It is against the law to treat a person unfairly
  because of their

• sex
• relationship or parental status
• race
• religious belief or activity
• political belief or activity
• impairment
• lawful sexual activity

• pregnancy
• breastfeeding needs
• family responsibilities
• gender identity
• sexuality
• age
• trade union activity

Also includes treating a person unfairly
because of an association with someone from one
of these groups.
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Sexual harassment(Anti-Discrimination Council of
Qld)

• Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a
  sexual nature in relation to a person.
• It happens when a reasonable person would
  perceive the conduct as offensive, humiliating or
  intimidating.
• It has nothing to do with mutual attraction or
  friendship between people.

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Vilification(Anti-Discrimination Council of Qld)

• Vilification is a public act or statement that
  incites others to hate a person or group of
  persons because of their race, religion, gender
  identity or sexuality.
• This sort of hatred is illegal and can show up in
  a number of ways including through leaflets,
  speech, graffiti, websites, and public abuse or
  media remarks.

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Victimisation(Anti-Discrimination Council of Qld)
Generally, victimisation is treating a person
badly because they have

• made, intend to make, or have helped a person
  make, a complaint under legislation
• refused to breach legislation, OR
• because a person has provided information about a
  complaint.
• It can also include a person who has agreed to
  be a witness.

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Employer responsibilities regarding workplace
practices

• Employers have the responsibility to meet a duty
  of care ensuring their workers are free from any
  foreseeable harm in the workplace. This includes
  physical harm but has come to include
  psychological harm which may result from exposure
  to workplace harassment or discrimination.
• Employers can be even be held liable where it is
  their employees who engage in inappropriate
  behaviours - this is referred to as vicarious
  liability.
• Preventative action, along with activity aimed at
  motivating and retaining apprentices and
  trainees, can assist employers to meet these
  obligations and realise the benefits discussed

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Reasonable prevention by an employer includes

• a workplace policy outlining unacceptable
  behaviour
• a complaint handling system
• human resource systems
• workplace training and education.
• Taken from
• Prevention of Workplace Harassment Code of
  Practice 2004
• (refer Workplace Health and Safety Qld at
  www.deir.qld.gov.au)

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Retaining apprentices and trainees

• Focus on apprentices and trainees to ensure
  sustainability
• Have discussions with apprentices and trainees to
  display an interest in their development
• Encourage a work/life balance
• Achieve control in the workplace through
• (the master and servant relationship no longer
  exists)
• Addressing any conflict in the workplace
• Leading by example, fostering a culture of trust
  and respect
• Empowerment (developing self confidence)
• Providing challenging opportunities
• Understand why apprentices and trainees have left
  in the past

This is about taking the time to work on the
business - not just in the business - to become
established as an employer of choice.
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Motivating apprentices and trainees

• Ensure they are released for training
• Ensure adequate supervision
• Ensure adequate facilities
• Ensure they have a range of work
• Ensure progression is competency-based, not
  time-based
• Use rewards and recognition
• Get involved when managing

This is about ensuring the productivity of an
apprentice or trainee maximising the return on
the training investment for the employer
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Apprentices and trainees are responsible for the
quality of training also

• Participating in training
• Obeying reasonable and lawful instructions
• Getting to work on time each day
• Remembering instructions
• Working well in work teams
• Keeping on top of training bookwork
• Communicating (this includes listening)

This is about ensuring an apprentice or trainee
understands the value of training particularly
during economic downturn. Those without a
qualification will have less security in their
working life.
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Model of factors impacting retention
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Retention factors with employer influence

• Quality of training plan (incl. use of RPL)
• Quality of information by employer and industry
  (including pay rates)
• Workplace culture and support for training (incl.
  supervisor support)

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Quality of training plan
The training plan should

• be developed as soon as possible
• be negotiated and agreed to by the employer,
  apprentice/
• trainee and supervising registered training
  organisation (SRTO)
• identify workplace tasks (employer
  responsibility) and structured training (SRTO
  responsibility, sometimes employer)
• where appropriate, include recognition of prior
  learning (RPL credit for previous experience)
• include the planned completion date
• be maintained and kept up to date as the
  apprentice or trainee completes competencies and
  progresses

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Quality of information by employer and industry

• information about the business and the job
• details of minimum individual requirements, pay
  and training arrangements that suit workplace
• information about career progression
  opportunities for the business and generally in
  the industry
• any other information that would assist the
  apprentice or trainee settle into the
  workplace/locality (induction)

• It is important to ensure the expectations of the
  apprentice or trainee before commencing a
  training contract meet the perception of the
  training arrangement once commenced.

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Workplace culture and support for training

• Apprentice or trainee progress as competence is
  achieved, not according to time as in the past
• Supervisor support for apprentice or trainee
  (adequate supervision is required under
  legislation)
• Involvement in meetings with trainers to ensure
  progression of apprentice or trainee
• Performance management and other Train to Retain
  principles outlined in previous slides

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Further information

• Further information including resources can be
  found at
• www.trainandemploy.qld.gov.au/traintoretain
• For further assistance please contact