For many small business owners, the idea of growing from a sole operator to an employer, can seem like a really daunting prospect.
Ballina’s Master Cobbler, Grant Taylor, said he had been thinking about growing his 5 year old business that specialises in shoe repairs, key cutting and leather work, for a couple of years before he decided to “finally take the plunge”.
After being approached by local employment and training company, ETC, Grant decided to take on a trainee and he hasn’t looked back since.
“I had invested a lot in new machinery and I needed someone with a tech background to help me operate it,” Mr Taylor said.
“Tui has come on board and she has been fantastic with that. If you think you need someone in your business to help take the pressure off then you should probably follow your instinct. A traineeship is great because the government is there to help you and support you financially.
“Now that I’ve taken the plunge I’m already thinking about taking on someone else in another 12-18 months.”
Tui Teal is doing a Certificate III in Retail through ETC as part of her Traineeship.
“Tui has great customer service and communication skills,” Mr Taylor said.
“She is always the first to pick things up and just wants to jump in and learn new things all the time, which is great.
Mr Taylor said both he and Tui had been well supported by ETC.
“ETC are fantastic. Their service has been great. I’ve always got someone from ETC calling in to say g’day and checking up on Tui to see how she’s going with her work and her assessments,” he said.
Upskilling your workforce can improve productivity in the workplace and in turn improve the bottom-line of your business.
ETC’s Traineeship program is all about helping people gain skills and a nationally recognised qualification while they work.
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