Over the years Quality Builders has hired many apprentices to work on our transportable buildings. Recently, we have taken on a mature-aged apprentice in a carpentry/joinery role. We are extremely encouraged by his appointment, and look forward to him playing a fruitful role in our company.
There are many advantages to hiring older employees for your business. Let’s take a look at a few:
- With their life experience, maturity and skill set obtained from working in a number of different roles over the years, they will have a head start over an apprentice straight out of high school.
- They enjoy a higher level of stability and reliability.
- Having already spent many years in the work force, the more mature apprentices can hit the ground running, take directions easily, and be more productive straight away.
- Many people think that being a mature-aged apprentice means a drop in wages, but that is not necessarily true. There are incentives from the government, allowing mature apprentices to earn while they learn, not to mention the holiday leave and sick leave they can accrue.
- They have more of a drive to achieve their apprenticeship as they understand that it’s a short-term sacrifice that will lead to a long-term goal.
- They generally show more initiative and foresight with the tasks they are given.
- They have already demonstrated that they have courage and conviction by deciding to take on the apprenticeship
- More motivation to do well as they can visualise their goal and the end result.
The more mature members of society are often written off because of their age, but in reality, many have vast experience, wisdom, and a confident presence that you can’t learn at university.
