FAQs for Employers

The Australian Apprenticeships & Traineeships Information Service (AATIS) consists of useful information and resources for students, job hunters, employers and industry insiders.

For Employers, AATIS provides information and links on how to find your new apprentice or trainee, your responsibilites, financial information, training and managing an Australian Apprentice.

AATIS does not advertise jobs or training courses.

An apprentice or trainee will need to be signed up into a formal Training Contract as soon as they are employed. This ensures that everyone is aware of their responsibilities, and the apprentice or trainee is registered correctly with the government. Contact an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider in your state.

You can find more information in the Employer section of the our website.

Apprentices and trainees can be found in the same way as any other new employee, such as advertising on relevant job search sites and via word of mouth, and here are some extra options that may be worth considering.

Two organisations that specialise in apprenticeship employment are Group Training Organisations (GTO) and Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) providers.

GTO's will employ the apprentice or trainee and host them out to you and you can advertise vacancies on an AASN website or utilise their gateway service.

You will need to consider if there is an appropriate apprenticeship available in that industry and if your current worker is eligible to start an apprenticeship.

The best thing for you to do is to contact your local Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider who will assess eligiblity, complete the paperwork for the Training Contract and administer any available incentives.

You don’t need to put a lot of detail into your ad. The minimum details would include whether it is a traineeship or apprenticeship and what year level you want. You don’t have to identify the qualification level if you are uncertain. Some examples of the title of ads look like this:

• Electrical Apprenticeship - 1st Year
• Certificate III in Beauty Services Traineeship
• Carpentry Apprenticeship - 1st, 2nd Year
• Part-time Childcare Traineeship

Have a look at some other job ads to get an idea about what to put in yours, in some Job Search Sites.

It is best to know as much as possible about the qualification you are advertising so that you can choose the best person for the job and you can answer the questions your candidates may have about what they will need to do. To find out about the qualification you will use for your apprentice or trainee work through the options in the Job and Training Descriptions on our website.

Employers are responsible for meeting their industrial relations requirements for all staff, and should be aware of the consequences of not meeting these obligations. Apprentices and trainees may be subject to different wages and other conditions compared with other employees.

The Fair Work Ombudsman website will be able to assist employers understand their requirements when taking on an Australian Apprentice.

Yes, apprentices and trainees are paid their normal hourly rate for the time they are in training. Questions about Australian Apprenticeship wages and awards can be answered by the Fair Work Ombudsman. 

The awards which covers your business can also state who is responsible to pay for an apprentice or trainee's enrolment fees, materials fee and whether there are any travel, accommodation, or uniform allowance entitlements.

To find out all of these details, call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 or go to www.fairwork.gov.au.

If you are employing through a Group Training Organisation you need to ask if you will be invoiced for the hours your apprentice or trainee is at training.

There will probably be an enrolment fee connected to the Australian Apprenticeship training. Some awards stipulate that this is the responsibility of the employer whereas other awards are silent on the issue. There may also be State or Territory based policies relating to fees. It's important to check employer responsibilities in this area with the Fair Work Ombudsman.

The Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System provides incentives to assist employers who take on an Australian Apprentice, particularly where the Australian Apprenticeship is in an occupation experiencing a skills shortage.

Visit the Financial Support for Employers page on the Australian Government's website for information about the available incentives and if the Australian Apprenticeship is on the Priority List.

To find out whether you would be eligible for incentives when taking on an apprentice or trainee, speak with an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider.

Employing apprentices and trainees carries a number of additional obligations to normal employment arrangements. When managing an apprentice or trainee it is important to recognise that they may have little or no experience in a work environment. While they will have a lot to learn, this does not mean that they are not able to make a valuable contribution from the very beginning of their Australian Apprenticeship. You will also need to make time allowances for trade school and study.

You can find more information about employer obligations on our Managing an Australian Apprentice page, and your Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider will run through your obligations at the time of sign up.

If you are having issues with your apprentice or trainee that you haven't been able to resolve internally, contact the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider who conducted the sign up, or your Group Training Organisation (GTO) (if you use this service). These organisations should be able resolve any workplace issues and can provide external support and mentoring.

The Registered Training Organisation (RTO) delivering the course work can assist with any off the job training support to keep your apprentice or trainee on track with their training.

If there are issues that cannot be resolved using the above organisations, each State or Territory Training Authority (STA) has Apprenticeship Field Officers who can provide advice and support to you and your apprentice or trainee.

 You might also want to consult the Fair Work Ombudsman’s best practice guide to employing young workers.

Apprentices and trainees all have to do formal off-the-job training with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). A registered training organisation may be a TAFE, a private training provider, community training provider or other education provider.

Your Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider can provide you with a list of suitable training providers. It is a good idea to consider the following before you choose:

• Which RTO can deliver the training you need for the qualification?
• Which RTO has a good reputation for the course needed?
• Which RTO will provide you and your employee with the support you may need throughout the training?

Find out more about how training works, what an RTO does and what training on and off the job looks like.