What Are the Main Benefits of Using a Group Training Organisation?
Using a Group Training Organisation (GTO) like MIGAS to hire an apprentice means the GTO becomes the legal employer, handling payroll, compliance, training coordination and ongoing support, while your business benefits from the apprentice's work and development. For many businesses, it is a simpler, lower-risk alternative to employing an apprentice directly.
What is a Group Training Organisation?
A Group Training Organisation is a company that employs apprentices and trainees and places them with host businesses where they gain hands-on experience in their trade. The GTO manages the employment relationship end to end, while the host business provides the workplace, the work and the supervision.
MIGAS has been operating as a GTO since 1988, placing apprentices and trainees with businesses across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
The Main Benefits of Using a GTO
Reduced administrative burden
When you host an apprentice through MIGAS, we take care of the employment administration that would otherwise sit with your business. This includes recruitment, weekly payroll processing, Award compliance, training contract management, superannuation, workers' compensation and all government reporting requirements.
For businesses without dedicated HR resources, or those that simply do not want to take on that overhead, this alone is a compelling reason to work with a GTO.
MIGAS as the legal employer
MIGAS is the employer of record for every apprentice we place. This means employment liability, including workers' compensation claims, disciplinary matters and any Fair Work obligations, sits with us rather than your business.
You receive the practical benefit of having a developing tradesperson on your team without carrying the full legal and financial exposure of direct employment.
Flexibility when your workload changes
Direct employment of an apprentice creates a fixed obligation that can be difficult to manage if your business circumstances change. With a GTO, if your workload drops or your operational needs shift, MIGAS can rotate the apprentice to another host business to ensure their training continues uninterrupted.
This flexibility is one of the most significant structural advantages of the GTO model, particularly for businesses in project-driven or seasonal industries.
Specialist recruitment
Finding the right apprentice candidate is not straightforward. MIGAS manages the full recruitment process, including job advertising, screening, aptitude testing, assessment centres for group intakes, interviews, pre-employment medicals, drug and alcohol screening and police checks where required.
Shortlisted candidates are presented to you for final selection, so you still have input into who joins your team without having to run the process yourself.
Training coordination and compliance
Every Australian Apprenticeship requires a formal Training Contract and a structured off-the-job training component delivered by a Registered Training Organisation. Managing this relationship, including scheduling, attendance monitoring, training plan updates and government reporting, is time-consuming for employers doing it directly.
MIGAS coordinates all of this on your behalf, acting as the liaison between your business, the apprentice and the RTO throughout the life of the apprenticeship.
Ongoing support and mentorship
MIGAS Field Officers conduct regular visits to host sites, providing mentoring and support to apprentices, monitoring progress and assisting with any performance or wellbeing concerns. Where issues arise, MIGAS manages them directly, reducing the burden on your supervisors.
This consistent support structure leads to better outcomes for apprentices and less disruption for host businesses.
Industry experience and expertise
MIGAS has more than 35 years of experience recruiting and placing apprentices across a broad range of trades and industries.
That depth of experience means we understand what good candidates look like, what makes a successful host arrangement, and how to navigate the regulatory requirements that vary by trade, state and territory.
Contributing to Australia's skilled workforce
Beyond the practical business benefits, hosting apprentices through a GTO is a direct contribution to solving Australia's trades skills shortage.
Businesses that invest in developing the next generation of tradespeople play a meaningful role in sustaining the skilled workforce that industries across the country depend on.
Is a GTO Right for Your Business?
A GTO arrangement works well for businesses of all sizes, but it is particularly well suited to medium and large companies looking to run a structured apprenticeship program without building significant internal infrastructure to support it.
If you are considering taking on apprentices and would like to understand how a MIGAS partnership would work for your business, contact our team for an initial conversation.
There is no obligation, and we can give you a clear picture of what is involved and what it would cost based on your specific requirements.