Employing an apprentice or trainee

Australian Apprenticeships combine practical work with structured learning and lead to a nationally recognised qualification. Australian Apprenticeships include both apprenticeships and traineeships and can be full-time, part-time or school-based. Australian Apprenticeships can be undertaken by both new and existing workers.

Australian Apprenticeships also provide a range of benefits for businesses. Group training organisations are able to arrange for you to share an Australian Apprentice with another business if you don’t have enough work for an ongoing or full-time position.

You can also engage an Australian Apprentice part-time while he or she is still at school. For more information about Australian School-based Apprenticeships refer to the Australian Apprenticeships website.

Benefits of employing an Australian Apprentice

Some of the benefits of employing an Australian Apprentice include:

training to meet your business needs
training is offered in a range of industries
training is offered at all certificate levels up to advanced diploma
there is a flexible choice of registered training organisations which provide off-the-job training with negotiations around timing, location and nature of the training to suit your business needs
government funding may be available to subsidise the cost of training
a range of financial incentives for eligible employers
attainment of nationally recognised qualifications.

Costs of employing an Australian Apprentice

An Australian Apprentice is generally paid an apprentice or trainee wage under an award because they spend time in training, however, in some cases an Australian Apprentice can be paid above the award wage.

Wages for Australian Apprentices vary based on:

years of training
the type of apprenticeship
the industry or occupation.

Australian Apprentices are generally treated the same as any other employee in terms of superannuation, workers compensation and any other entitlements or requirements.

For more information about Australian Apprentice workplace rights refer to the Fair Work Ombudsman website.

Which courses Quest Training could offer under Australian Apprenticeships?

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing)

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability)

CHC32015 Certificate III in Community Services

CHC43115 Certificate IV in Disability

CHC43315 Certificate IV in Mental Health

CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support

Diploma of Community Services

Requirements before entering into a training contract

Only employers whose workplace address is in the ACT can enter into an ACT Australian Apprenticeship training contract.

An employer can enter into an ACT training contract where the Australian Apprentice:

is in paid work with an ACT employer
is at least 15 years of age
is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand passport holder resident for more than 6 months, or holds an eligible visa confirmed by Skills Canberra
works full-time or part-time and receives remuneration (including leave and other entitlements) for their work
is not a casual employee or self-employed (sub-contractor)
is supervised by a suitably qualified person who is permanently employed at the same workplace and predominantly for the same hours as the employee
undertakes a minimum of 15 hours combined work and training per week (for an Australian School-based Apprenticeship this is a minimum of 11 hours for Certificate II and 15 hours for Certificate III and a maximum of 20 hours)
undertakes an approved Australian Apprenticeship qualification with a registered training organisation.

6 steps to employing an Australian Apprentice

Step 1 – Seek out your prospective Australian Apprentice employee

This can be done through a group training organisation, an apprenticeship network provider, the Jobactive website, and other job websites, your usual company selection processes, or other sources.

Step 2 – Hire your Australian Apprentice

Commence employment of your selected Australian Apprentice.

Step 3 – Choose an Apprenticeship Network provider (ANP)

Call the ANP to help you complete a training contract, assist in the selection of an appropriate qualification for your Australian Apprentice and nominate a registered training organisation to deliver the training. As at 1 February 2020 there is one ANP servicing the ACT:

Sarina Russo Apprenticeships

The training contract may commence on the same day that employment commences or may commence at a later date.

Australian Apprentices who have been employed less than 3 months full-time or 12 months part-time or casual equivalent when signing a training contract are classified as new workers (those employed longer than this are classified as existing workers). New and existing workers can attract different levels of funding so it is important to finalise a training contract quickly for the new employee. Contact your ANP for further information.

Step 4 – Lodge the training contract

Lodge the training contract for approval within 28 days of the nominated commencement date on the training contract through your ANP and ensure you keep a copy.

Step 5 – Sign a training plan

Negotiate and sign a training plan with the registered training organisation (RTO) you have selected to provide the training for your apprentice.

To find a RTO or nationally recognised course, training package and qualification refer to the ACT Qualifications Register. More detail on specific qualifications, including units of competency, can be found at training.gov.au.

Step 6 – Take an active role

Organise and continuously take part in the workplace component of the structured training for your apprentice through to completion of the qualification. This ensures assessment and validation of competence in the workplace.

Apprenticeship Network providers

Apprenticeship Network providers (ANPs) are contracted by the Australian Government to provide one-stop shops for people wanting to take up an Australian Apprenticeship career path and for employers seeking to hire Australian Apprentices.

ANPs have targeted services that provide advice and support to Australian Apprentices and employers who need additional assistance prior to contract sign-up and during training. Employers, schools, registered training organisations, Australian Apprentices and trainees can receive assistance from their ANP about the Australian Apprenticeship system.

As at 1 February 2020, the ACT has one provider that exclusively services Australian Apprentices and employers. The provider is Sarina Russo Apprenticeships.

For more information about ANPs refer to the Australian Apprenticeships website.

Group training organisations

Group training organisations (GTOs) support the Australian Apprenticeship system by providing employment for Australian Apprentices. GTOs employ Australian Apprentices under a training contract and place them with host employers.

An Australian Apprentice may move from one host employer to another throughout the term of their training contract. This ensures continuity of employment and enhanced quality and range of training experience for the apprentice, and also provides benefits for businesses that may otherwise be unable to employ an apprentice.

All ACT employers that seek to identify as a GTO must be registered in the ACT.

Registered GTOs are able to:

promote themselves as a quality GTO
use the national GTO logo
access Commonwealth, State and Territory government programs and incentives.

GTOs must demonstrate compliance with the National Standards for Group Training Organisations which then allows the GTO to be listed on the GTO National Register and use the GTO National Standards and branding.

(Source: https://www.skills.act.gov.au/employers)