Sponsors and Employers
Sponsors and employers play pivotal roles in shaping your apprenticeship journey.
Your sponsor and your employer could be the same organization, but they serve distinct functions.
The Sponsor: Your Guiding Organization
- Commitment to Quality: Your sponsor is the organization dedicated to ensuring you receive quality paid on-the-job mentorship. They commit to supporting your progression through the apprenticeship education program.
- Formal Agreement: You'll enter into an Apprenticeship Education Agreement with your sponsor. This agreement is officially registered with Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT).
- Tracking Progress: The sponsor assists in monitoring and reporting your on-the-job hours. They ensure these hours are credited to AIT completing and endorsing your competence portfolio.
The Employer: Your On-Site Mentor
- Role & Responsibility: Your employer is the individual or company that hires and compensates you for your work. They play a hands-on role in your day-to-day apprenticeship journey.
- Mentorship: The employer offers mentorship, typically through a certified journeyperson. This ensures you're continually learning and refining your skills on the job.
For most apprentices, the employer and sponsor are one and the same.
However, there are instances where they could be a separate.
- Example: Consider a scenario where a union sponsors you. They might dispatch you to various job sites for hands-on experience. In this situation, the union acts as your sponsor, guiding your apprenticeship journey. Meanwhile, the individual or company at each job site becomes your employer, offering you work and mentorship. Throughout your apprenticeship, you might work with numerous employers, but remain under the umbrella of a single sponsor.
This distinction is crucial to understand as you navigate your apprenticeship, ensuring you recognize the roles and responsibilities of each party involved.
