A new kind of apprenticeship or traineeship
Apprenticeships Victoria is here to support a wide and diverse range of Victorians, ensuring they have a simple, safe, and supported pathway to a rewarding career.
Apprentices & Trainees
What is an apprentice? What is a trainee?
An Australian Apprenticeship, commonly known as an apprenticeship or traineeship, is a learning pathway that combines paid on-the-job training and formal study with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), often a Victorian TAFE institute. It’s a great way to gain a nationally recognised qualification. Earn while you learn!
- An apprenticeship is a structured training arrangement, normally completed over 3.5 or 4-years. Apprenticeships combine practical, on-the-job experience at work with complementary training at a TAFE institute or Registered Training Organisation. Upon successful completion of your training, you’ll be issued with a nationally-recognised qualification that is highly regarded by many employers across Australia and around the world.
- A traineeship is a training agreement, normally completed between 9 to 48 months depending on the course and qualification level. Traineeships combine practical on-the-job work experience with training at a TAFE or Registered Training Organisation. Upon successful completion of your training and work experience, you will be issued with a nationally recognised qualification that is highly regarded by employers across Australia and around the world.
The Approved Training Scheme for each qualification will tell you whether it is available as an apprenticeship or a traineeship.
Find out more here:
How does it work?
Apprenticeships Victoria will connect you with an employer. The employers that Apprenticeships Victoria will use are called Group Training Organisations. A Group Training Organisation or (GTO) is an organisation that directly employs apprentices and trainees, and then places them with a host employer (an employer within the industry) who they work for whilst receiving on-the-job training for their apprenticeship or traineeship. It is the GTO that is the direct employer of apprentices and trainees.
Apprenticeships Victoria will work with the host employers to identify job opportunities. The host employer will find suitable jobs for the apprentice or trainee. These will then be matched to apprentices and trainees, who will combine full or part-time work with training.
What are the benefits?
Earn an income while you study!
Use your qualification to work anywhere in Australia or around the world
Work towards owning your own business
Choose from over 500 careers
Not sure where to start?
Get in touch with a Skills and Jobs Centre to talk about your career needs
Visit the VRQA website to learn more about Apprenticeships and Traineeships
Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program
Register as a retrenched apprentice or trainee to get support with recommencing your apprenticeship or traineeship.
The Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN) is working with the Department of Education to maintain a Victorian register for retrenched apprentices and trainees, supported by staff to provide job matching and other assistance.
The Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program was created in response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apprentices and trainees who have lost their employment and are seeking to recommence their training with a new employer are encouraged to register with the Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program.
Employers who have vacancies for apprentices or trainees can register job details on the same site.
Apprenticeship and traineeship independent assessment trials
The Victorian Government is supporting the quality of apprenticeship and traineeship training by trialling independent assessments in a range of Victorian apprenticeships and traineeships.
The assessments being trialled aim to provide consistent feedback on training outcomes to all users of the apprenticeship and traineeship system. This information will help improve the quality of training provided to apprentices and trainees.
By undertaking the trial assessments, apprentices and trainees will help us test if the independent assessments themselves. The outcomes from the assessment trials will be evaluated and provide information to Government on the possible future uses of independent assessment in improving the quality of training.
The Department of Education and Training has contracted VETASSESS to develop and trial independent assessments in eight occupations. Trials are continuing and apprentices or trainees who are nearing completion or have recently completed their apprenticeship or traineeship in one of the following occupations can participate. Incentive payments may apply.
- Certificate III in Cabinetmaking (Apprenticeship)
- Certificate III in Carpentry (Apprenticeship)
- Certificate III in Civil Construction (Apprenticeship)
- Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (Apprenticeship)
- Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (Traineeship).
- Certificate III in Engineering – Fabrication (Apprenticeship)
- Certificate III in Engineering – Mechanical (Apprenticeship)
- Certificate III in Hairdressing (Apprenticeship)
For further information on Apprenticeships and Traineeships click in the links below:
