Upskill your employees with a traineeship

12 July 2021

Making sure your trainees have the right skills can play a critical role not only in their development, but also in their loyalty to your business.

Finding a good entry-level employee in real estate can be challenging – and, once you’ve chosen someone, the next critical step is to make sure they have the right skills to ensure they help to improve your business and feel fulfilled in their work.

This is where traineeships come into their own, as they offer both the trainee and employer a range of benefits.

“As an employer, it’s great to be in a position to provide someone with the opportunity to start a new career,” REINSW Head of Training Shula Kentwell said. “With a traineeship, where the trainee is working and studying at the same time, the learning experience becomes so much more meaningful because the theory can be put into practice on the job.”

“REINSW provides all the required learning resources and each trainee has a dedicated person at the Institute who is on hand to offer support and monitor progress every step of the way.” – Shula Kentwell

Rising popularity

According to REINSW Head of Training Shula Kentwell, interest in traineeships is on the rise.

“The real estate industry is embracing traineeships as agencies discover the value of on-the-job learning and trainees seek to build a career through a hands-on education,” she explained. “In fact, our Real Estate Traineeship Program has grown in recent years and we now have 230 trainees actively working across the state.”

The high level of support offered by REINSW is a key element in the rising popularity of traineeships.

“REINSW’s dedicated Traineeships Team will guide you and your trainee through the enrolment and commencement process,” Shula said. “REINSW also provides all the required learning resources and each trainee has a dedicated person at the Institute who is on hand to offer support and monitor progress every step of the way.

“This means that any issues that arise can be resolved quickly. Workplace visits, which take place two or three times a year, are also a key component of the program and contribute to the success of our trainees.”

Benefits of traineeships

One of the biggest benefits is giving your trainee the chance to improve their skills by attaining a nationally accredited qualification.

“This helps to increase their productivity by making them better equipped to meet your business needs,” Shula said. “As a result, you’ll be offering a better service to your clients and will also be growing your employee’s confidence, because they feel comfortable and confident in their ability.

“Real estate has a high turnover of new staff. By offering a new employee a traineeship, this will encourage them to stay with you because you’re investing in their future.”

There are no course fees payable by the trainee and they earn a wage while studying.

There are also financial incentives available to employers, including a $1,500 payment after six months and a further $2,000 on completion of the traineeship.

“The Federal Government has also extended its Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements scheme through until 30 September 2021,” Shula explained, “Under the scheme, where an employer engages a trainee, they are able to claim up to 50 per cent of the trainee’s wage to a maximum of $7,000 per quarter for 12 months. That’s an incredible $28,000!”

Traineeship program

REINSW offers two traineeships:

• CPP31519 Certificate III in Real Estate Practice is undertaken over 12 months full time or 24 months part time. Upon completion, the trainee may apply to NSW Fair Trading for an Assistant Agent certificate.
• CPP41419 Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice is undertaken over 24 months full time and 48 months part time. This traineeship allows the trainee, upon completion, to apply to NSW Fair Trading for a Class 2 Real Estate Licence.

Both the Certificate III and the Certificate IV provide trainees with comprehensive training to equip them with the necessary skills, however the Certificate IV offers a broader and deeper knowledge.

There are also eligibility and obligation criteria to qualify. An employer must provide the trainee with:

• the opportunity to develop key skills and acquire relevant knowledge of the industry
• access to structured on and/or off the job training
• time at work to undertake structured training
• time off work to complete assessments
• a safe work environment
• other benefits as specified in the traineeship agreement.

“We always recommend that agencies call us to discuss what they need from a trainee, so we can recommend which traineeship is most suitable,” Shula said.

If you would like to discuss how a trainee could help your business and which traineeship is most suitable for your needs, please call the REINSW Training team on (02) 9264 2343 or email [email protected]