Finding the right apprenticeship or traineeship for your personality and skill set is one of the best ways to ensure you complete your placement and come away with a nationally recognised qualification.
But what options are available if you’ve not yet committed to a particular industry? Business services traineeships cover a range of useful skills that are transferrable across multiple sectors, meaning you can learn essential abilities that you can apply to many corporate environments.
Apprenticeship Central is a great place to start your apprenticeship or traineeship journey. You can upload your resume, search for opportunities in your area and contact potential employers directly if you spot suitable positions. Registering with the site gives you full access to these services and many other resources.
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures revealed there were more than 2.1 million actively trading businesses in the country in June 2014. Of these, construction firms were the most prevalent, although accommodation and food services had the highest number of new market entrants.
There are various business-related traineeships available, including certificates in Business, Business Administration, Micro Business Operations and Customer Engagement. Each of these traineeships offers different competencies; however, those who pursue a Certificate III in Business can expect to learn:
- Financial record maintenance
- Customer complaints resolution
- IT skills
- Health and safety processes
- Service provision
According to the Australian Apprenticeships & Traineeships Information Service (AATIS), business services account for approximately 15 per cent of the country’s labour market.
Typical occupations include accounts clerks, administrative assistants and business team leaders. Here is AATIS’ brief rundown of the day-to-day duties of these professions:
Accounts clerks: The role involves tracking and summarising businesses’ financial transactions, including data input tasks, the creation of new accounts and finding lost payments. AATIS figures show job prospects are high for this position and the average weekly salary is approximately $950.
Administrative assistants: Employees carry out various office administration tasks, such as answering phones, organising mail processes, welcoming guests and clients and ordering supplies. AATIS estimates the typical weekly salary at $850, and candidates can expect above average prospects.
Business team leaders: As the title suggests, this position involves managing a small team of personnel. Relationship building and organisational skills are important, as well as the ability to implement plans effectively. Again, job prospects are high for team leaders and salaries are approximately $1,100 per week.
However, these are just a few of the positions available for people with business services qualifications. You can also become a customer engagement worker, human resources clerk or an events manager, among other roles.
