Apprentice had trouble returning to work

Sept 2014

Kathy* was 18 and worked as an apprentice with a major retailer. A few months after having a baby, Kathy was keen to return to TAFE and her job.

But Kathy couldn’t pin down her employer about the details of returning to her apprenticeship. She was told informally that it had been given away. Kathy was worried as there was only a limited window for her to enrol back into TAFE, and she could only do this if her employer advised TAFE that she was their apprentice.

Kathy lodged a complaint with ADNSW. 

During the investigation, ADNSW contacted a human resources officer who was keen to resolve the issue. It turned out that several of the managers in the store where Kathy had been working had been on leave and no-one had been fully informed about her situation.

The complaint was resolved when the retailer confirmed Kathy’s apprenticeship with TAFE and agreed that she could return to work part time, spending two days per week at work and one day at TAFE.

*Name has been changed to protect the privacy of the individual.