Finally, an organisation has decided on setting up an apprenticeship program. Naturally they must be lined up with a lot of questions on how to successfully run this program and make the best out of it.
In order to find out answers to these questions, you are probably searching the web for concrete information of starting an apprenticeship program in India.
As an employer, it is important to figure out the roles and responsibilities before the start of the apprenticeship program and be fully prepared with a lot of other things when it comes to apprenticeships.
In this blog, we will be covering all the roles and the responsibilities an employer has to play when it comes to apprenticeship programs.
Role & responsibilities at the beginning of the program
Before starting the apprenticeship program the employer has to figure out a lot of things. It is like setting up foundation for something grea;
1. Identify/recruit talent
Keeping the budget in mind, the employer has to forecast what will be the exact number of apprentices will be enrolled by the company. As well as all the job roles where these apprentices will be trained for the next couple of months. Some job roles require certain qualifications or certain degree, employer has to make sure to mention everything before the hiring and recruiting process.
2. Choosing a training provider
A training provider is an independent organisation that provides classroom training to the apprentices. While the classroom training part can be done within the organization, most companies rely on external training providers to carry out this task.
But If a training provider is involved, employer has to check their background and expertise in the subject matter before getting them onboard.
3. Workforce development
Employers should make a concrete plan of all different tasks the apprentices will take on the behalf of the organisation. Once they have finalised this part, they should then make certain necessary developments to ensure a smooth working environment.
In addition to that, they also need to assign a team leader or an instructor who will be looking after the apprentices while they are working on the factory floor. It is the responsibility of the organisation to give the best mentors to the apprentices and leave no room for doubts in their learning.
4. Paying the rights and rates
Apprentices must be paid the right minimum wage, the limit for which is set by the government. Also, they must be provided all the rights and benefits which other employees in the organisation are getting. Employer must always treat the apprentices as a part of the normal workforce.
Also Read: Getting Apprenticeship Recruitment Right
Role & responsibilities during the apprenticeship program
Here are some of the roles and responsibilities of the employer during the apprenticeship program:
1. Signature ono training plan
Negotiate and sign a training plan with the apprentice and the training organisation in the first few days of the program. Doing so will leave no room for miscommunication between the two parties.
2. Benefits for apprentices
Once the program has begun and is in full swing make sure that the apprentices receive the same benefits as other employees.
3. Changes in wage according to work done
There might be instances when the apprentices are performing well and are showing great enthusiasm from their end. In this case, an employer should ensure that the extra work done by them does not go unnoticed. So, always be open to adjusting the wage according to the work done.
4. Support their learning and development
This involves delivering appropriate on-the-job training and experience. The employer should always support the apprentices in gaining their training qualifications by giving them enough time to achieve their training objectives.
5. Comply with all relevant Health & Safety legislation
Another major responsibility of the employer during the course of the apprenticeship program is to ensure that they provide a safe and healthy working environment to all the trainees
Role & responsibilities at the end of the program
Once the program is completed and the apprentice has worked appropriately for the desired duration, it is now up to the employer to arrange for the end call assessment. The organisation is independent to choose the end-point assessment organisation which will evaluate the candidates.
Apprentices should be given valued certificates and experience certificate which can be used in the industry if they are not absorbed in the same organisation. A promise of guidance and mentorship should be provided at the end of the training.
How to start your apprenticeship program?
After understanding the roles and responsibilities as an employer, the nest step is to understand how to start an apprenticeship program. What are all the different processes involved when it comes to setting up and kick-starting this program.
Let us find out about this in the below-mentioned points:
1. Research and planning: Figure out how much funds can invested and what is the exact number of people you are looking to hire. Also, you can go one step further and decide what all things the apprentices will be doing on your factory floor.
2. Building personalised program: Based on the above research figure out in which departments the apprentices will be working and who will be the manager responsible for training them.
3. Recruit the apprentices: After thorough research, plan and built your program, by recruiting the apprentices. To know more about how to recruit the top talent you can refer to our article on Things You Should Ask While Hiring an Apprentice
The last and final step is to just go ahead and start with the program. Provide the details regarding working hours and salary to the apprentices and get started with the apprenticeship program.
Conclusion
With this, we come to the end of the article on the role and responsibilities of the employer in apprenticeship.
Hopefully, we were able to clearly mention the key points that you should keep in mind as an employer while running the apprenticeship program.
If you have any doubts or want to add more actionable points, write to us.
