Second Year Apprentice/Trainee
Module 06: Managing on and off the job training
Managing a healthy work, TAFE and life balance can be hard and sometimes the demands or stresses of one impact others. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial part of ensuring a successful apprenticeship journey but can sometimes feel like its easier said than done.
We have prepared some helpful tips and tricks to help balance the demands of both your on-the-job and off-the-job training.
Have a conversation with your employer about your training plan, what is expected of you and when the busiest times will be. Find out how much coursework you will have to do and when your deadlines will be.
Sometimes scheduling with work projects and TAFE classes may clash and your employer will decide to keep you from attending TAFE. The TAFE will mostly likely approve this when communicated by your employer. However if this is a regular occurrence, you may be at risk of taken off TAFE scheduling. It is important to have conversation with your employer about attending TAFE classes to progress through your apprenticeship.
Balancing work and study means being organised:
• Plan ahead as much as possible: know all key dates, deadlines and important events and mark them on a calendar.
• Keep your study materials all in one place to make them easy to find and use.
• Have a dedicated study place where you can sit down and focus.
• Don’t procrastinate: start assignments as early as possible.
There are only so many hours in a day, and you have to be realistic about what you are able to do in a set amount of time. You probably won’t have time to do everything, so decide on your priorities and accept that some things, like regular socialising or Netflix binges, might have to change for a while but are all important to a healthy balance!
Make sure that your employer, friends and family are all aware of your tight schedule, and how important it is to you to keep to it. This will help the people around you to know when you are actually available, and stop them from interfering with your study time. Your mates might not understand the responsibilities of working while studying, so make sure to communicate and let them know when you need to study, or can actually socialise.
Save copies of your assignments and assessments to see what you’ve achieved so far. Keep a record of the competencies you’ve completed so that you know which units you still need to complete to get your qualification.
Every now and then you need to take a breather to clear your head. Schedule a catch-up with a friend, go for a hike in the park, or just spend a day on the beach to re-energise. Don’t feel guilty about it, you are your own best advocate.
Asking for help doesn’t make you weak, and it’s better to speak up before cracking under the strain! Talk to your employer or your teachers, and ask them to suggest ways that you could structure your work or studies better. It might even be possible to change your course load or adapt the time you need to finish your apprenticeship. Get your parents, friends or loved ones to help as well. It might just be the boost you need to get back on track.
