Supervising your apprentice or trainee

How do you supervise an apprentice or trainee well?

Supervising an apprentice or trainee means guiding their on-the-job learning, meeting your legal duties as an employer, and helping them complete their qualification. Running a business is demanding, but supervising your apprentice or trainee does not have to be.

An apprentice combines paid work with structured training toward a nationally recognised qualification, usually over three to four years. A trainee follows the same work-and-study model, usually over one to two years. As an Australian Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and Group Training Organisation (GTO) established in 1980, Novaskill supports employers across the Hunter, Newcastle and wider New South Wales to train, supervise and retain their apprentices and trainees.

A supervisor mentoring an apprentice on a construction site

Free supervisor video series

To support you, Novaskill shares a free 15-part video series developed by Training Services NSW, for new supervisors and for experienced supervisors refreshing their skills. Watch the full series below.

Supervising an apprentice: key facts

  • Novaskill is an Australian Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and Group Training Organisation (GTO), established in 1980.
  • The supervisor video series below is free and produced by Training Services NSW.
  • The series covers 15 topics, from roles and responsibilities to workplace safety and effective coaching.
  • Apprenticeships typically run three to four years; traineeships typically run one to two years.
  • Good supervision improves completion rates for your learner and productivity for your business.
  • Novaskill provider code: 6996.

Watch the supervisor video series

Work through the 15 short videos below as a series, or jump to the topic you need. Each clip gives practical strategies to improve outcomes for your learner, and ultimately for your business, including how to support successful completion of an apprenticeship or traineeship, your legal responsibilities as a supervisor, and how to keep everyone safe at work. Topics also cover motivating your learner, managing mobile phone and technology use, and effective one-on-one coaching for different learning styles.

Where do I start as a supervisor?

What are my roles and responsibilities?

What is the training plan?

How do I deliver workplace training?

What are my legal responsibilities?

How do I sign off competence?

What is it like in your learner’s shoes?

How do I run a good induction?

What is above the line behaviour?

How do I coach different learning styles?

How do I keep my learner safe?

How do I handle bullying in the workplace?

How do I support diversity?

How do I support Aboriginal learners?

How can Novaskill help?

These free training videos are provided by Training Services NSW.

Supervising an apprentice: frequently asked questions

An apprentice trains in a skilled trade and a trainee trains in a vocational role, but both combine paid work with nationally recognised study. An apprenticeship usually runs three to four years; a traineeship usually runs one to two years. See what group training means for employers for how Novaskill manages both.

Plan for regular, structured supervision rather than a fixed number of hours, especially early in the apprenticeship. The video series above explains how to run inductions, deliver workplace training, and hold effective one-on-one coaching sessions. Novaskill can guide your supervision plan; learn about your investment in an apprentice.

As a supervisor you must provide a safe workplace, follow your training plan, and meet your obligations under your training contract. The legal responsibilities video in the series above covers these duties in detail.

Yes. As a Group Training Organisation established in 1980, Novaskill employs apprentices and trainees and places them with host employers across the Hunter, Newcastle and New South Wales, handling recruitment, payroll and ongoing support. Find out how Novaskill can help your business thrive.

For more information about apprentices or trainees, contact our team.

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