Get an Australian Apprenticeship
With an Australian Apprenticeship, you can earn an income
while you complete a nationally recognised qualification.
It’s a great way to get a head start in your chosen
occupation.
Australian Apprenticeships are competency based—you can
finish your apprenticeship early if you reach the
required skills level. They lead to nationally recognised
qualifications and skills. You can qualify for more
advanced training on the basis of having completed an
apprenticeship.
Many schools and colleges offer Australian Apprenticeship
training. You can combine paid work and structured
training on the job or off the job—or both.
Adults can be apprentices, too. If you’re of working age,
you qualify—you don’t need any other qualifications. If
you’re re-entering the workforce, or you just want to
change career, consider an apprenticeship.
More than 500 occupations across Australia offer
apprenticeships in a variety of certificate levels, in
traditional trades and in all sorts of emerging
occupations in most sectors of business and industry.
In some states, Australian Apprenticeships are known as
Apprenticeships and Traineeships. In the ACT and the
Northern Territory, they’re called New Apprenticeships.
Find an apprenticeship that
suits you
Find the Australian Apprenticeship that suits you by
consulting:
- a VET or work placement coordinator (if you’re a school
student)
- your Youth Pathways coordinator (for school students)
- prospective employers (making written applications,
leaving resumes etc.)
- your current employer
- group training companies
- Job Network members
- the Internet
- newspapers (job advertisements and articles)
- your local Australian Apprenticeship Centre.
Use these links, too:
Improve your chances
Increase your chances of getting an Australian
Apprenticeship by doing the following.
- If you’re still at school, choose the right subjects
for the Australian Apprenticeship you want; some
apprenticeships have prerequisite subjects. Speak to your
school careers adviser about which subjects will set you
up right for your apprenticeship.
- Many schools offer industry-accredited vocational and
technical education (VTE) subjects. These count towards
your Australian Apprenticeship qualification, as well as
towards your senior secondary certificate of education.
If your school doesn’t offer them, speak to your school
counsellor or VTE coordinator to find out if there’s a
place nearby that runs them.
- Create a resume highlighting what you can offer an
employer. Keep it up to date as you gain work experience
or qualifications.
- Telephone any businesses you’d like to get an
Australian Apprenticeship with. If possible, speak to the
manager. Visit, if possible, and leave your resume with
the manager. Make regular follow up calls to show that
you’re still interested.
- Organise work experience with a suitable business.
This will:
- give you contacts with business owners
- give you referees to put on your resume
- show prospective employers that you can take the
initiative
- let you see and try out the work you would perform as
an apprentice in that field.
- Employers look for reliability when hiring new
apprentices. During work experience:
- be punctual
- show that you can solve problems
- show that you can concentrate on your job for
substantial periods
- work safely
- be honest and loyal to the employer.
Employers also value apprentices with good communication
skills.
- Check newspapers around August, when many companies
advertise for Australian Apprentices. Go to as many
interviews as possible, just for the experience. Even if
you don’t get the apprenticeship on offer, you may impress
an interviewer enough to keep your name on file for future
positions.
To create a good impression at Australian Apprenticeship
interviews:
- dress neatly
- know what the company you are applying to produces
- bring extra copies of your up-to-date resume to the
interview
- bring any awards, certificates or other items to show
that you’re suitably qualified for the apprenticeship on
offer
- have some questions prepared to ask the interviewer,
to show your knowledge of, and interest in, the position
- arrive on time
- speak politely, cheerfully and with confidence,
keeping eye contact with the interviewer as you speak.
You might be eligible for the Australian
Apprenticeships Access Programme
The Australian Apprenticeships Access Programme
provides job seekers who face barriers to skilled
employment with pre-vocational training, support and help,
so that they can obtain and complete an Australian
Apprenticeship. The program is free for eligible job
seekers.
The program helps job seekers improve their skills, and
they can also use it to get into employment or into further
education or training
The Access Programme provides:
- coaching in general work skills and habits
- training in the basic skills needed for a particular
industry
- help looking for work
- support settling into the workplace.
To find out more about Australian Apprenticeships Access
Programme courses planned for your local area, go to the
Australian Apprenticeships Access Programme
website, or contact your local Centrelink
office or Job Network member.
Find out more
The national website is at Australian Apprenticeships.
Use the links below to go to your state or territory
apprenticeships website.