Out-of-work support
If you lose your job, there is a range of support and advice available including apprenticeship opportunities and training programs.
Get help to continue your apprenticeship
If you’re an apprentice or trainee and you lose your job, there are services available to help you:
- continue in your apprenticeship or traineeship under a new employer
- find a new job, or
- choose a new direction in your career.
Retrenched Apprentice and Trainee Program
If you lose your job while completing your apprenticeship or traineeship, help is available.
The Retrenched Apprentice and Trainee Program helps people who have lost their job to find a new employer so they can finish their apprenticeship or traineeship.
It can help you apply for work and offer you advice.
First, you need to register for the service through Apprenticeship Employment Network(opens in a new window).
Once you are registered a program officer will contact you to discuss next steps.
The program is a partnership between Apprenticeships Victoria and Apprenticeship Employment Network.
Apprentice Helpdesk
The Apprentice Helpdesk offers apprentices and trainees free, expert information, support, and advice on a range of issues, including:
- rights and responsibilities
- concerns or issues with apprenticeships or traineeships
- personal issues affecting training
- general questions about apprenticeships or traineeships.
The Helpdesk can provide information on relevant services that can be accessed if you have lost your job.
Skills and Jobs Centres
Based in TAFEs across Victoria, Skills and Jobs Centres help people with career advice, job searching and choosing courses.
You don’t have to be a student to visit a Skills and Jobs Centre – anyone can go along to get free expert help and advice.
This includes:
- guidance on training options, including apprenticeships and traineeships
- referrals and job matching to local employment opportunities and
- referral to welfare support and financial advice.
Find your local Skills and Jobs Centres(opens in a new window).
Victorian Skills Gateway
Looking for further training opportunities or some help taking the next steps in your career?
Explore the Victorian Skills Gateway to find out how to:
- continue your current studies
- get your student records
- transfer credit to a new course
- switch careers
- access Free TAFE opportunities or
- plot out a pathway to higher qualifications – including university.
You can also use the course search function(opens in a new window) to see what kind of training is on offer.
Explore the Victorian Skills Gateway(opens in a new window).
Updated