DIY skilled emplyees: attention employers

Your organisation is truly unique, you have a unique culture, using particular equipment to manufacture your distinct product or perhaps provide a specific service.

You strive to succeed within an ever-changing market by operating in your own particular way. Even your problems are unique! But rest assured that one problem common among employers is when you need to find skilled employees.

The criteria for skilled employees are:

¤ Trained on your type of equipment

¤ Outgoing, but able to integrate in your environment

¤ Experienced in your line of operations.

¤ Knowledgeable on your products and your market.

¤ You also do not want employees to bring along "bad practices" from other employers.

That is a tough list, where would you find such a person? Why not Do It Yourself? As with all DIY kits, you need the material. Where will you find the willing, young person who has the aptitude for the trade? The young person is awaiting you and in dire need of your assistance.

The young person has, for the past year, been receiving the underpinning knowledge necessary for the occupation for which you need tomorrow's competent skilled worker.

The young person has been following a vocational training programme at one of the institutes at MCAST and ITS. At these educational establishments they have been taught basic skills and the underpinning knowledge in a mostly classroom environment about the occupation of their choice.

The institutes are unable to give them the work ethic, nor the work environment in which these people will have to strive throughout their working life. That is where your assistance will come in. You can give the person the opportunity to practice in a real-life environment; exchanging theory to practice within your organisation. This experience is the apprenticeship.

You will be able to sponsor a willing young person to become a skilled worker. Sponsorship means that you will be overseeing the apprentices' theory acquired from the educational establishment consolidated into your workplace, while in exchange, you will also be building up a skilled worker moulded to your organisational needs.

In the various MCAST institutes, apprentices have been receiving training in mechanical, agricultural, electrical and electronic subjects, computers and networking, building and construction, carpentry, metal work, art and design, printing, draughtsmanship, accounting, beauty and hairdressing fields. At the ITS there are apprentices willing to work in hospitality.

The co-ordination and monitoring of the process and responsibility lie with the Apprenticeship Section at ETC. To sponsor an apprentice, contact ETC on apprentice@etc.org.mt or call 2220-1308, 2220-1311. 0

Joe Galea is ETC executive at the Training Services Division