14 Ways to Give a Shout to Your Apprentices

National Apprenticeship Week Australia runs from 8 to 14 February 2027. It’s a chance to recognise the contribution of apprentices and trainees, and for employers to Give a Shout to the apprentices in their business.

We’re encouraging every business with apprentices or trainees to get involved, and here are some ideas on how you can.

1. Shout Them a Coffee or a Cold Drink

Knock off with a round of drinks, or grab a coffee at smoko, and make it about the apprentice. A small gesture that gets noticed.

2. Give Them a Shout-out at a Toolbox Talk

Use the team huddle to say what they’ve been doing well. Name the job they nailed, the question that got everyone thinking, or how far they’ve come since their first week. The more specific, the better it lands.

3. Post About Them on Social Media

A quick photo, a few lines about what they’ve been up to, and a tag. Ask your apprentice before you post, and use #GiveAShout and #NAWA so we can find it and share it around.

4. Recognise Them With a Certificate

A printed certificate, a few words from the boss or supervisor, and the team looking on. Say exactly what it’s for, like a tricky job done well or an extra step they took without being asked. It shows them you noticed, and it shows everyone else what good looks like.

5. Send a Mentor and Apprentice Off for a Catch-up

Shout the two of them a coffee and some time away from the worksite. It’s a chance to talk about what’s been learned this year and what’s next, without the noise of the job.

6. Send a Note Home

Write a card or a short note about what your apprentice has done well and give it to them to take home. Hearing it from the boss means a lot, and families usually love having something to read and keep.

7. Share a Story About a Past Apprentice

Think of someone who came through your business and went on to great things. Maybe they’re a supervisor now, or running their own show. Tell their story to your current apprentices and show where the road can lead.

8. Swap First Day Stories

At smoko, get the old hands to share the story of their first week on the job, mistakes and all. The apprentices will love it, and it shows that everyone started somewhere.

9. Encourage Your Apprentices to Give a Shout to Their Mentor

Ask your apprentices to thank the person who’s taught them the most. It could be a card, a social post, or a few words at smoko. It’s a nice way to turn the shout around, and it means a lot to the person on the receiving end.

10. Build a Wall of Fame

Pin up a photo and a line about each of your apprentices, past and present, in the workshop or lunchroom. Add a “then and now” photo for current apprentices, from their first week to today. It shows the team and any visitors how many people have come through your business and gone on to great things.

11. Hand Something Down

Have an experienced tradesperson pass something on to an apprentice, with a note about what it meant to them. It could be a favourite old tool they’re happy to part with, a new one from the business, or simply the best bit of advice they were ever given.

12. Put a Page or Blog on Your Website

Share your business’s apprenticeship story. Who you’ve trained, what a typical week looks like, and what your apprentices have achieved. It recognises the people you’ve got now and shows the next generation what a start with you looks like.

13. Run a Site Open Day or Tour

Invite local students, families or future apprentices to see what you do, and let your apprentices lead the way. They know the work best, and visitors get to hear it straight from the people doing it, and you might even meet your next apprentice.

14. Put on an Apprentice Appreciation Event

Put on an apprentice appreciation event. A bacon and egg roll breakfast, morning tea, a barbecue, an apprentice’s choice lunch or an afternoon of bowling or go-karting are just some ideas. Set a date during the week, invite the team (and families, if you like), and take a few minutes to say what each apprentice has done well.

Whatever You Choose

Every skilled tradesperson started as someone’s apprentice. Someone showed them how it’s done, and now they’re showing someone else.

However you mark the week, the message is the same. We see the work you do, and it matters. Give a Shout.

Planning something for National Apprenticeship Week? We’d love to see it, tag us when you celebrate.