Welcome to our October eNewsletter. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the great feedback we received last month for the very first edition of our eNewsletter.

A big thank you to all of our host employers, apprentices and trainees who participated in the annual performance survey. We received a lot of constructive feedback which we consider gold, as we are very eager to continually evolve and improve our service.

In fact, one area which became apparent to us is that not many of you were aware of our dedicated OH&S Manager - Darren Gibson.

Darren has many years of industry experience, as a trade qualified electrician, running his own business. Darren is available to visit you onsite to work through your OH&S needs to ensure your work areas are safe.

As Darren says "It's great being involved across a broad range of trades as I can serve as another set of eyes and dot the i's for employers so they can feel confident that their workplace is safe."

Click here for more information on our OH&S service. For any workplace incident or accident contact Darren immediately on 1300apprentice or 0407 663 086.

Did you know that apprenticeships and traineeships are booming in NSW? New figures released show NSW has 60% of the national market.

We are now in the lead up to the busiest time of the year for apprentice and trainee recruitment. The October school holidays have been very busy allowing us to screen and interview candidates for 2010.

Employers: Get in early to secure your new apprentices and trainees.

Job Seekers: The recruitment period is now on and will continue until the end of the year. To secure an interview call 1300apprentice now.

Australia's "Skillaroos" doubled the number of medals awarded at this year's WorldSkills International Competition in Calgary, Canada. Retaining their ranking of 5th in the world - they have once again proven for us that we are a highly-skilled nation.

Check it out at www.worldskills.com.au (which also features as this months "Hot LInk").

Congratulations to Shannan Cummings for her nomination for the Australian College Student of the Month Award.

This award acknowledges students for their high quality of work, their workplace contribution or their improvement and application to their studies. The college nominates students for their outstanding efforts to go in to the draw for a monthly award of a $50.00 gift voucher of their choice.

Keep up the good work Shannan!

We would also like to congratulate Bill Callaway who was selected to play for the Balmain Ryde Eastwood squad to take on the Bulls in the recently played Grand Final of the NSW State Cup.

Well done Bill!

Ever thought of a career in metal fabrication?

At STE 1300apprentice we are constantly bombarded with applications for electrical, carpentry or plumbing apprenticeships. However there are many other trades available and some of them in areas that have been listed as a skill shortage.

Take it from Kane McParland who says "deciding to be a Fitter Machinist was the best decision I ever made".

When Kane first left school he wanted to go to University to study Physiotherapy. He later decided that getting paid to study whilst doing an apprenticeship was more enticing.

Kane says “getting paid while I learnt was a major attraction to me and a trade is recognised all over Australia and the world for that matter. This means that you will always be able to find work.”

Kane is planning to continue his studies after he completes his apprenticeship to pursue a career in mechanical engineering. He says “An apprenticeship in fitter machining has opened the door to many career pathway options for the future.”

Jason Ingram the Operations Manager at Breseight (Kane’s host employer) has been a fitter machinist for over 25 years. He says “doing an apprenticeship is an opportunity to learn the skills required to make things from start to finish. It is quite rewarding to start with a block of metal and turn it into a working part of a machine.” 

STE 1300apprentice are placing apprentices into exciting careers just like this one and as mentioned above skill shortage trades attract extra government incentives for apprentices. Click here for more information.

As exam dates affect when apprentices and trainees are available to start work, here is a guide for the main exam dates so you can plan for when your apprentices are free to commence work.

20 Oct 09 – HSC exams commence through to 13 Nov 09.
9 Nov 09 – School Certificate commence through to 13 Nov 09.

Don't forget Safe Week Australia 25 - 31 October which is about preventing workplace incidents and managing injuries. Click here to find out more.

To be truly inspired visit www.worldskills.com.au

Packed full of great information - WorldSkills Australia is a dynamic national organisation doing all it can to challenge young Australians to strive for skills excellence.

Apprenticeship - 1st Year Refrigeration/Air Conditioning (read more)
Apprenticeship - 1st Year Wood Machining (read more)

(Click here for more apprenticeships)

Traineeship - Transport & Logistics Certificate II (read more)

(Click here for more traineeships)