Understand how apprenticeships and traineeships work
Apprenticeships and traineeships combine work with study, so you earn while you learn.
As an apprentice or trainee, you'll learn practical skills at work, gain knowledge and skills through a training provider and at the end, be awarded with a qualification.
Types of apprenticeships and traineeships
Apprenticeships and traineeships can be:
- full-time
- part-time
- or
- school-based.
Apprentices and trainees can be:
- school students
- school-leavers
- young adults
- mature age people
- existing workers who want to improve their skills and gain a qualification.
Read more about different types of apprenticeships and traineeships.
Requirements
There are general eligibility criteria and requirements related to:
- minimum age
- working for a Queensland-based employer
- citizenship and working visas
- working hours.
Read more about eligibility and requirements.
School-based apprenticeships and traineeships have extra requirements that relate to school support, parental consent and timetables.
Length
The time it takes to complete an apprenticeship or traineeship varies, depending on:
- the allocated length of your apprenticeship or traineeship (called the 'nominal term')
- whether you are full-time, part-time or school-based (part-time and school-based apprenticeships and traineeships may take twice as long as full-time apprenticeships and traineeships)
- whether you are eligible for time credit or recognition for previous training
- how quickly you complete your training (apprenticeships and traineeships are 'competency-based training' in which skills and performance matter more than time served).
School-based traineeships can be completed before graduation depending on your start date and length, but school-based apprenticeships can't be completed during high school, because they take longer.
Comparison of approximate completion times
| Full-time | Part-time | School-based | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traineeship | 1–2 years | 2–4 years | 2–3 years |
| Apprenticeship | 3–4 years | 6–8 years |
5 years (2 years at school plus 3 years full-time after school) |
How many hours you work
The hours you work vary, depending on whether you are full-time, part-time or school-based.
Comparison of working hours
| Full-time | Part-time | Casual | School-based |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38+ hours/week | 15+ hours/week | Not allowed | 7.5+ hours/week |
Learn more about required working hours.
Getting paid
As an apprentice or trainee, you get paid for:
- the hours you work and train on the job
- the hours you attend training delivered by your training provider.
School-based apprentices and trainees, however, are not always paid for the time spent training with the training provider; this is dependent on the industrial award or agreement.
Learn more about wages and entitlements.
How training works
A training provider will work with you and your employer to develop a training plan, which describes what, when and how you do your training.
They also deliver all your formal training and assessment.
Your training may be:
- online
- at work, with an on-site trainer
- in a class at a training provider
- a combination of the above.
How often you attend training
How often you attend training will vary, but most apprentices and trainees attend training 1 day a week or for a few weeks at time, as a block.
How much it costs
The biggest cost will be paying for training. You'll need to talk to training providers about costs associated with your apprenticeship or traineeship, noting course fees can vary, so it pays to shop around for your training provider.
Depending on your qualification and employer, you may not need to pay anything for your course fees as they could be fully funded by us and/or your employer.
Find out more about costs.
Who else is involved
Your apprenticeship or traineeship is a partnership between:
- you (the apprentice or trainee)
- your employer
- your training provider
- and
- your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider.
If you are under 18, your parent or guardian will also be involved, and if you are a school student, your school will also be involved.
Read more about the roles and responsibilities of those involved.