Working hours for apprentices and trainees

Apprenticeships and traineeships can be done full-time, part-time and while at school, but not by working casual hours.

Comparison of working hours

Full-timePart-timeCasualSchool-based
38+ hours/week 15+ hours/week Not allowed 7.5+ hours/week

Full-time

Full-time apprentices and trainees work and train an average of 38 hours per week and have ongoing employment.

Learn more about full-time apprenticeships and traineeships.

Part-time

Part-time apprentices and trainees are rostered to work on a regular basis, working and training no less than 15 hours per week, averaged over a 4-week cycle.

Learn more about part-time apprenticeships and traineeships.

Casual

You can't work casual hours as an apprentice or trainee because casual hours can be irregular and won't give you enough contact with your workplace to meet the training plan requirements.

School-based

School-based apprentices and trainees must work a minimum of 7.5 hours per week, averaged over every 3 months, for every 12 months of the training contract.

Learn more about working hours for school-based apprentices and trainees.

More information