Schindler Lifts Australia designs, manufactures, installs, services and modernises a broad range of elevators, escalators and moving walks for almost every building type. The company is the Australian operation of the Switzerland-based Schindler Group, a leading global mobility provider with over 67,000 employees operating in more than 100 countries. The company currently employs over 1,000 employees across Australia.
Apprenticeships are considered a key entry point for a career with Schindler, with many senior people having started their career as apprentices. The company aims to employ an average of 20 electrical apprentices, right across Australia. Currently, through Schindler and its subsidiaries, there are almost 80 apprentices training in the business.
Because apprenticeships are so important to Schindler, there is great attention to detail on all aspects, from recruitment, to training, to monitoring their progress. For this reason, the company is able to point to a completion rate that usually sits between 90 and 95%, well above the 58.2% reported by NCVER for trade apprentices 6 years after they commenced. Even electricians, who enjoy better than average completion rates, average only 66.3% after 6 years.
Recruitment is coordinated through the head office in Sydney, with advertising for vacancies commencing in July and August for a January start date. Normally, the company receives about 2,000 applications each year. Applicants are encouraged to undertake pre-apprenticeship training and are required to include a video of themselves answering a few questions as part of the formal process. Those who make it through the first stage then undergo further assessment in mathematics, mechanical and electrical reasoning, and safety aptitude before progressing to an interview and final selection.
Women are especially encouraged to apply for apprenticeships. Currently a third of Schindler’s apprentices are women. This compares to women making up only 6.7% of all electrical apprentices in training nationally, according to NCVER’s latest data for the quarter ending 30 September 2025. The company increases its exposure to potential women applicants by asking existing female apprentices to help promote opportunities through speaking at schools and attending trade events.
After commencing, the apprentices all travel to Sydney for a one week safety and induction program where they are also introduced to the basics of lift and escalator technology. Throughout the apprenticeship, they travel to Sydney each year for lift-specific training additional to what they learn at trade school.
Apprentices are rotated through the different aspects of the business, including low- and high-rise installations, modernisations and service and repair. This provides them with a broad exposure to the various skills they need and an idea of where they might want to work after the apprenticeship is completed. The apprentices are also rotated out of the business at some stage to work with electrical contractors. This affords them the opportunity to work on electrical installations, wiring, meters and switchboards so they will be eligible for a full electrical licence when they graduate.
Ben Hopkins, Product Safety Manager at Schindler Lift Australia, says that one of the keys to their excellent completion rate is having engaged managers who want their apprentices to succeed. “It’s important for the managers to guide the apprentices and help shape their careers,” Mr Hopkins said.
Schindler collects regular feedback from each apprentice about their on-the-job experience, including any safety concerns they might have. The company also collects regular feedback from the apprentices’ supervisors about their progress.
Schindler also pays close attention to the formal training they undertake with their training provider. In most states, this is the public provider, but a private provider is used in Queensland. The service received from providers can be mixed. The private provider communicates regularly with the company about each apprentice’s progress, whereas some of the TAFE providers can be difficult to get information from.
Schindler Lift Australia operate a very comprehensive training program for apprentices. There is a detailed recruitment process, deliberate encouragement for women, regular rotations, close monitoring of progress with TAFE training, additional company-specific training, two-way feedback systems and support for their supervisors and managers. All of this contributes to an impressive completion rate and little wonder that most take up full-time roles with the company after they graduate. It points to a strong company culture that apprentices want to be a part of.
