Training for Work

One of the big mantras of employment and human resources experts over the past decade has been that Australia has a skills shortage.

The most recent Federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations skills shortage list shows that butchers, bakers and motor mechanics are just some of the occupations in shortage across the nation.

With the economy seemingly transforming itself at a faster pace than ever and skills requirements also matching that frenetic change, those in the business of keeping the workforce up to date have plenty to do.

Brent Quill, Lee Lasaruk and KC McPhee recognised this marketplace demand for training and started Training for Work in June 2008.

The business provides a variety of programs — traineeship, apprenticeship, certificate, diploma and advanced diploma — to students in their places of employment.

“We started the business in anticipation that there would be a growing demand from businesses for training organisations to assist in retraining and up-skilling their workforces,” Training for Work managing director Quill says.

Quill, who had held high-level positions in several education and training organizations before starting the company, says Training for Work identified a need for intensive and practical training for those already in jobs.

“The market niche we identified was ‘workplace based training’, that is customised and accredited one-on-one training in the workplace with the objective of assisting businesses to retrain and up-skill their workforces.”

Training for Work has now established offices in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia and has 13 full-time employees and had revenue of $1.55 million last financial year.

It offers courses and training in hospitality, business, retail, wholesale, management and human resources.traini

Quill says the most challenging part of starting up the business was balancing work with family and personal commitments.

“We had a tendency to put work first and friends and family second.

“We learnt to better manage our time, to delegate tasks to other staff and to set aside specific time for family and friends.”

One of the most satisfying aspects of the business for Quill and his partners was the positive feedback they received from students and employers about the effectiveness and quality of the training they delivered.