Your Guide to Apprenticeships and Traineeships

Your Pathway to Success

If you're looking for a career and not just a job, why not think about an apprenticeship or a traineeship?

Apprenticeships and traineeships combine work with training so you can earn as you learn.

Benefits

As an apprentice or a trainee, you get:

• employment
• training
• ongoing advice and support
• financial assistance and
• nationally recognised qualifications that lead to a CAREER and PATHWAYS to other opportunities

Training

Work based training for apprenticeships and traineeships is provided by your employer at your workplace. Additional structured qualification training is delivered by a TAFE or a private training organisation which is registered with the NSW Government. This training may be delivered off the job or in the workplace.

The NSW Government supports the cost of this training for approved apprentices and new entrant trainees.

NSW Government supported training is only available for Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents, New Zealand Citizens (residing in Australia).

Eligibility requirements concerning the citizenship and residency status of persons who may be approved to undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship in NSW are set out in a Vocational Training Guideline at http://apprenticeship.det.nsw.edu.au/html/advins/ats04007.htm

Norfolk Islanders and specified classes of temporary visa holders may be granted approval to enter into an apprenticeship or a new entrant traineeship where an applicant can demonstrate eligibility for enrolment in accordance with the policy and procedures set out in the 2006 Temporary Visa Holders Mandatory Study Conditions - TAFE NSW.

Detailed information relating to that Policy is published on the TAFE NSW website at https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/equity/
tafe_temp_visa/2006TVHmandatoryV1.0.pdf

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Fees

All Registered Training Organisations delivering training to apprentices and trainees, which is supported by funding from the NSW Government, charge an annual upfront-fee at enrolment for each year of an apprenticeship or traineeship course.

Some apprentices and trainees may be eligible for exemption from payment of this fee, for example school-based trainees, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and those receiving an identified benefit.

For information on the fee and exemptions, please check the TAFE website at: http://www.tafensw.edu.au/about/money.htm

Note: The NSW Government does not support training costs for existing worker traineeships. Registered training organisations delivering existing worker traineeships must enter into arrangements directly with employers regarding training delivery costs.

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Employment

Apprentices and trainees are employed under state and federal industrial awards or workplace agreements. You are an employee of the company which means you are entitled to sick leave, holidays and other benefits. Apprentices and in most cases trainees also get paid for the time they have off to attend training required for their apprenticeship or traineeship.

Apprenticeships and traineeships last generally for 1-4 years but this term can be reduced if you:

• have had past experience in the industry

or

• successfully complete the training ahead of time.

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Advice and support

During your apprenticeship or traineeship you'll get a lot of advice and support from many people including your employer, work mates and trainers.

Initially, staff from an Australian Apprenticeships Centre (AAC) will help you to establish the apprenticeship or traineeship with DET, and apply for financial assistance such as travel concessions and Leaving Away From Home Allowance(LAFHA).

Once registered, DET's field staff will monitor your apprenticeship or traineeship and assist with training aspects. If things don't work out, and you (or your employer) want to cancel, suspend or transfer the apprenticeship/traineeship to another employer, DET staff will assist in resolving the situation and make necessary arrangements.

For more information you can visit the Australian Apprenticeships web site.

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Financial assistance

Subject to eligibility requirements, apprentices, trainees and their employers can apply for Commonwealth and NSW State Government incentives.

For a summary of NSW Government incentives see NSW Apprenticeship and Traineeship Incentives.

For Commonwealth Government incentives see Australian Apprenticeships web site.

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Nationally recognised qualifications

Apprentices and trainees get nationally recognised qualifications so you can work in your vocation in other parts of Australia.

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Your career path

On completion of your apprenticeship/traineeship you have lots of options. You can continue to work for your employer or change jobs. You can also start your own business if you like.

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Pathways to other opportunities

The work experience and structured training you undertake can also be used to seek credit or exemptions when you want to:

• do advanced training in your trade or vocation on completion of your apprenticeship/traineeship

or

• make application to do a university degree or a different apprenticeship/trainee

Apprenticeships and traineeships are available in most industries including:

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How to get an apprenticeship or traineeship

Step 1: Decide What Vocation You Want To Train In

There are hundreds of vocations available to apprentices/trainees. The length of these traineeships and apprenticeships varies from 12 months full-time to 4 years full-time. For a complete list of vocations available, check out the following web pages for apprenticeship vocations and traineeship vocations.

Step 2: Find an Employer

You could approach businesses in your local area; search the local paper; enquire through the Job Network; or you could approach any of the Australian Apprenticeships Centres (AACs) (they may be aware of an employer looking for apprentices/trainees). Refer to our contacts page for AAC contact details. Refer to our Frequently Asked Questions pages for further information and related links.

Group training

Group training companies employ large numbers of apprentices and trainees. They can match you with a host employer or a range of employers so you get experience working in large industries and in smaller, more specialised businesses.

Contact details for Group Training Companies in NSW.

Step 3: Contact a AAC to 'Sign Up'

Once you have found an employer, they should contact a AAC to find out what's involved not only for you, but for them as well.

A list of AACs in New South Wales can be found on our contacts page.

The rights and obligations are included on the contract. Please read these carefully before signing the contract.

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Centrelink can refer you to a job matching agency or other members of the National Job Network.

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At school

In some cases, pre-apprenticeship courses and part-time traineeships can be started at high school. Ask your careers advisor.

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For more information

About apprenticeships and traineeships, awards and conditions and school based arrangements see our contacts page.

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