Get started as an apprentice or trainee
Step 1: Choose your apprenticeship or traineeship
Find one that suits your interests and the skills you want to develop:
Step 2: Find an employer
As an apprentice or trainee you can be employed:
- directly by a business—read tips on finding an employer
- by a group training organisation*—contact a group training organisation.
*A group training organisation will place you with different businesses, pay your wages and organise your training with the support of a supervising registered training organisation.
Step 3: Choose your training partners
Work with an Australian Apprenticeships Centre
Australian Apprenticeships Centres (AACs) provide a free service to help you and your employer throughout your apprenticeship or traineeship.
You and your employer must contact a local centre to help you complete a training contract—an agreement to work and train together for a length of time.
A training contract is legally binding and states the roles and responsibilities of both you and your employer (if you are aged under 18, your parent or guardian must also sign the contract).
Your AAC can advise you and your employer about any financial help that is available.
Choose a supervising registered training organisation
Supervising registered training organisations (SRTOs) are registered training organisations (such as a TAFE or private registered training organisation) who deliver training and assessment to an apprentice or trainee under a training contract.
Your AAC can help you and your employer choose an SRTO and advise you on the cost of training.
The SRTO will:
- help develop a training plan
- deliver the training
- assess your skills
- issue the qualification on successful completion.
To find an SRTO relevant to your chosen field:
- visit the Queensland Training Information Service
- phone your AAC on 13 38 73
- phone Apprenticeships Info on 1800 210 210.
Step 4: Get started
Completing the paperwork
When the training contract is lodged by the AAC, you and your employer will get a letter from the Department of Education, Training and Employment who will oversee your apprenticeship or traineeship.
Your SRTO will then help you and your employer create your training plan. This is done before the end of your probation period.
The training plan states:
- what you will learn
- where you will learn it
- how you will be trained
- how and when you will be assessed.
Probation
Probation begins on the day you start your apprenticeship or traineeship and usually lasts 90 days for an apprentice and 30 days for a trainee.
Before the end of probation, you and your employer must decide if you want to continue and complete the training contract.
