Over the past few months, there’s been a lot of noise around AI; new tools, new efficiencies, new “must-haves.”
But in our world, the Group Training and apprenticeship space, I’ve been thinking about something different: what happens if we forget why we’re doing all this?

Because while automation can streamline workflows and data can tell us more than ever before, the heart of what we do is still very human. We take people – often young, sometimes uncertain, occasionally underestimated – and we help them build a trade, a mindset, and a future.

The Promise of Progress

I’ve sat through a few of these AI and digital transformation sessions lately, and some are genuinely impressive.
Tools like Copilot or workflow automation can shave hours off compliance, reporting, and communication, things that eat into our week and pull focus from where it counts.

Used well, these systems can enable people, freeing up time for our field officers, trainers, and managers to spend more time on site, mentoring and guiding apprentices where it matters most.

That’s the goal. But the risk is we start optimising for efficiency instead of impact.

The Power of Recognition

That’s why I love seeing the spotlight on the Apprentice Awards this time of year.
Not because of the trophies or the dinner, but because it reminds us that real progress comes from people, from apprentices who show up every day, and from the mentors, host employers, and training officers who shape them.

Celebrating those stories keeps our sector anchored. It reminds us that while technology and systems evolve, the fundamentals, hard work, resilience, teamwork, pride in your craft… don’t change.

The apprentice who steps on stage for an award didn’t get there through automation. They got there because someone invested time, belief, and guidance in them.

Balancing Innovation and Integrity

So yes, let’s embrace technology. Let’s learn how to use AI to improve safety systems, compliance, and training outcomes.
But let’s never lose the personal connection that defines Group Training.

AI can write reports. It can schedule jobs. But it can’t look a first-year apprentice in the eye after a tough day and say, “You’re doing alright. Keep going.”

In a world obsessed with efficiency, that human element will remain the ultimate competitive advantage – for our organisations, and for the people whose lives we help shape.

FHR’s Approach

At FHR, this balance between innovation and integrity sits at the core of what we do.
Yes, we’re adopting smarter systems, stronger analytics, and better reporting tools, but never at the cost of the personal connection that drives outcomes.

Our team across VIC, SA, and QLD continues to grow, but the measure of success isn’t just numbers or technology, it’s the apprentices who thrive, the hosts who stay engaged, and the culture we keep building.

Growth is important. But how we grow, with people at the center, is what truly defines us.