Above: Mick Harrold, ASGA president

The Australian Sign & Graphics Association (ASGA) has announced a new level of partnership with MEGT Australia, which is set to provide industry businesses with resources to help them source, recruit and manage apprenticeships.

MEGT is an Australian NFP which has been supporting employers, apprentices, trainees, job seekers and students for more than 40 years. It is Australia’s largest and only national Apprenticeship Network Provider (ANP), with more than 600 staff operating from over 60 office locations across Australia.

According to ASGA president, Mick Harrold, the closer partnership will see MEGT’s range of services available to ASGA members, to help them address the current skills shortage and engage new talent, which is so important for the future of the industry.

“As anyone watching the industry will know, we have a long-standing commitment to attracting and retaining new talent for the sign and graphics sector, including participation in careers expos, Try-A-Trade activities, industry taster days and of course online resources,” he said.

“That investment continues, expanding this year to include our involvement in the sector-wide Sign & Print Career Connections program, which is already promising to drive even further success.”

The challenge, he admits, is to find opportunities for interested young people to pursue industry careers – and a key is encouraging businesses to put on apprentices.

“We know that there is a real shortage of qualified trades people in our sector, and many others,” Harrold said, “and the reality is that those businesses who are waiting for someone who is fully qualified are likely to be waiting for a long time.

“What we can do to address this shortage – and, at the same time, build the future of our industry – is to invest in new talent by employing apprentices and giving them the opportunity to learn, grow and build their careers in our sector.

“MEGT’s core purpose is to assist employers by simplifying the hiring and management of apprentices and trainees, and they provide a range of services to businesses, from group training, to find and guide and labour hire. Their services reduce the complexity of administration, help streamline the talent pipeline, and support a structured learning workplace experience for apprentices.”

The new arrangement, he says, provides easier access for ASGA Members to the full range of MEGT services. This will mean businesses can choose to:

• Engage MEGT as a host, to handle the direct employment of apprentices and pay MEGT an hourly rate to cover the apprentice’s wages, AL, SL, training, recruitment and ongoing management.
• Have MEGT recruit and manage apprentices on your behalf, with your business paying a set fee for that service and directly employing the apprentice
• Contract MEGT to recruit an apprentice for you, with your business paying a direct fee for that service and directly employing the apprentice.

ASGA members can find out more about the MEGT partnership in a free webinar with the experts from MEGT on Tuesday 23 April at 11am, which will explain the process in detail.

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