The federal government has helped fund a $2.3 million mentoring project, which will provide essential apprentice support to students across the country.
Announcing the multimillion-dollar initiative at this year’s WorldSkills competition being held in Sydney, minister for skills Chris Evans said more than 1,000 Australian apprentices would benefit from the project.
As a part of the scheme, which aims to support and encourage apprentices to complete their training, eleven experienced mentors have been employed by the NRL to deliver the program in conjunction with the government.
Mr Evans said the Trade Up With the NRL initiative would address the low apprenticeship rates, which currently see approximately half of all students complete their training program.
“The funding will help support Australian apprentices who might otherwise be at risk of withdrawing to complete their training,” he explained.
“Mentoring is a proven way to help improve the experience of an apprentice, especially in the first years of their training where they are not only learning new skills, but also about routine, discipline and the workplace.”
The Trade Up With the NRL program will assist apprentices help overcome their personal challenges to achieve their vocational goals, with mentors using their own experiences to encourage and support students.
