What are Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships?
Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships combine practical paid work with structured training (on-the-job, off-the-job or a combination of both), providing you with a nationally recognised qualification, practical hands on skills and experience.

Apprenticeships have traditionally focused on traditional trade-based industries, such as building and construction, cooking, automotive, hairdressing and engineering.

Traineeships generally cover all other industries that do not require a trade certificate such as business, retail, hospitality, tourism and many more.

With over 600 Australian Apprenticeship and traineeship qualifications to choose from, there is a qualification available to suit your employment needs.

How long do Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships take?
Traineeships normally have a nominal duration of between 12 and 24 months and include qualifications ranging from Certificate Level II to Certificate Level IV.

Apprenticeships traditionally take 36 months to 48 months to complete and include qualification levels from Certificate Level III to Certificate Level V.

The good news is that both Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships are now competency based, which means that the sooner you gain the required skills and knowledge the sooner you can gain your qualification.

If you have gained additional experience through formal or informal training, work experience or general life experiences, you may also be able receive recognition for your prior learning, further reducing the time is takes you to complete your qualification.

What are my employment options?
You can undertake an Australian Apprenticeship and traineeship if you are employed through any of the following arrangements:

› Full-time - traditionally 38 - 40 hrs per week
› Part-time - minimum of 15 hours per week or average of 60 hours per month
› School-based - minimum of 48 days per year.

Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships are not available for casual employees.

How do I choose a qualification?
You can choose from over 600 current Australian Apprenticeship and traineeship qualifications, as well as additional qualifications released each month.

For comprehensive information on all your Australian Apprenticeship and traineeship qualifications options visit:

Department of Employment and Training
BUSY At Work Apprenticeships Services (BUSY) can assist you in making an informed decision about which qualification and training outcome will best suit your needs along with providing information on appropriate training organisations and their delivery options. Call 13 BUSY (13 28 79) today!

Will my current income be affected?
In most cases, if you are an existing employee, your wage or salary will remain unchanged, however, due to the complex nature of industrial relations issues and the diverse range of award payments, we strongly suggest that you contact Fair Work on 13 13 94 or visit www.fairwork.gov.au for an up to date response on your wage enquiries.

Will I incur any costs?
The costs of your training will normally be covered by your employer, though you may need to negotiate this with your employer, prior to commencing your qualification.

You also need to check with your training provider whether you are required to pay a nominal tuition fee. Your employer may choose to cover cost.

Australian Government Incentives and Allowances
To assist Australian Apprentices and trainees and to encourage employers to utilise the Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships system, the Australian Government provides a range of financial incentives and assistance. To attract these incentives you and/or your employer must meet eligibility criteria.

How to choose a training Provider
Once you have found a suitable qualification to undertake, you and your employer will need to choose a training provider to deliver your off-the-job training.

Your training provider is responsible for developing your training plan, delivering your training, assessing your achievements and issuing you with your Australian Apprenticeship or traineeship qualification on completion.

Training providers (also known Registerd Training Organisations - RTOs) can either be public (i.e. TAFE) or private organisations who are registered by the Queensland Government.

To find a training provider with ‘User Choice’ funding visit: Department of Education and Training

Alternatively if you would like to access a wider selection of training providers on a fee-for-service basis visit: http://www.ntis.gov.au/