There’s lots of noise out there about apprenticeships and traineeships but hands up if you’re lost? What the hell is an RTO? What’s the deal with TAFE? And where do you go to even find an apprenticeship? All fair questions. The answer? Group Training Organisations! Let’s spill the tea.
What is a Group Training Organisation?
OK the reason the name can be confusing is because they have absolutely nothing to do with training people in groups. Group Training Organisations (GTOs) are companies, like ours, that have teams of people that are dedicated to recruiting, mentoring and carefully matching apprentices and trainees with ‘host’ businesses.
In a nutshell, the GTO (hopefully us), will be your legal employer; they pay you, they set you up with your RTO, and they ensure you have everything you need to succeed. The place you physically go to every day, is called your ‘host employer’. It’s their job to provide you with on-the-job support and training.
What is a RTO?
RTO is short for Registered Training Organisation (RTO). Novaskill is an RTO, as is TAFE. Basically, you will do your Certificate and complete your formal Vocational Education (or the theory-side of things) with/at a RTO.
Why are GTO’s so great?
Well, there are a few reasons..
1. Impress them and they’ll find you an apprenticeship
OK they need to have a business that’s willing to be a host employer on board, but if they do, they approach that business on your behalf and present them with your resume and sing your praises.
2. They organise everything for you
As you can imagine there is a heap of paperwork that comes with signing up to an apprenticeship/traineeship and on top of that, there is TAFE/RTO enrolment, superannuation, and maybe trade support loans and stuff. GTO’s take care of everything for you, including your pay, you can be confident that you’re definitely being paid the right amount!
3. They maximise the odds of you finishing your apprenticeship
Without a GTO, there is always the risk of the business that’s taken you on running out of work. This is a big deal if you’re half way though your apprenticeship and all of a sudden have to be let go. GTO’s ensure this doesn’t happen. Because you’re technically employed by the GTO, not the host employer, if work dries up your GTO simply finds you a new host so you can finish.
4. They ACTUALLY care
GTOs care about your success and wellbeing while you’re under their employment. They will make sure that your host employer is treating you fairly, and will provide a mentoring service so you are fully looked after throughout your apprenticeship. If you have any issues with your host employer or your apprenticeship, the GTOs support services will be able to help you out and arrange a new host if need be.
5. GTOs know what they’re doing
No dodgy back-yard blokes, no “yeah that’ll do”. You can have absolute peace of mind knowing that most GTOs have been GTOs for a looong time. Novaskill has been a GTO for 40 years. In fact, GTOs are the largest employers of apprentices and trainees in Australia.
So if an apprenticeship or traineeship is in your future, remember those enigmatic initials. GTOs are the hidden gem of the apprenticeship and traineeship world, and even though what they do has remained a bit of a mystery, registering your interest of heading down this VET pathway is a decision you will not regret!
Looking for more info?
Find out how we can help you find an apprenticeship or traineeship or more information about Apprenticeships and Traineeships.
