Manage an apprentice or trainee

Your rights and responsibilities

Your rights as an employer include that your apprentices or trainees:

  • attend work and do their job in a professional manner
  • follow your lawful instructions
  • work towards achieving their qualification and take advantage of learning opportunities
  • attend all training and complete assessments
  • respect others in the workplace and your property.

Your responsibilities to apprentices and trainees include to:

  • make sure they receive the correct training
  • ensure they enrol with a registered training organisation (RTO) within 3 months
  • release and pay them to attend all training and assessment
  • provide them with appropriate facilities and experienced people to work with
  • monitor their progress against the training plan
  • meet the requirements of the approved training scheme.

You also need to provide on-the-job training to apprentices or trainees that:

  • allows them to learn all the skills related to their trade or occupation
  • is taught by a suitably qualified or experienced person
  • provides them the opportunity to learn how to use tools and equipment found in their trade or occupation
  • provides hands-on experience in a wide range of relevant tasks, covering all the competencies in their training plan.

Checklist for employers

This list can help you check whether you are meeting all our requirements for employing an apprentice or trainee.

If you tick Yes to every question, the apprenticeship or traineeship is likely to be progressing well.

If you tick No to question or you are unsure, you can ask for advice from your apprentice or trainee’s training organisation or your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider or contact us.

1. Training contract

Within 3 months of commencing the training contract, I have enrolled my apprentice or trainee with a registered training organisation.

You can contact us for advice if you:

  • have concerns about a training contract
  • are concerned that an apprentice or trainee may not be meeting their obligations
  • have questions about disputes and dispute resolution
  • have questions about how to meet your obligations under the training contract.

Call us on 1300 722 603 from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday or email at vrqa.apprenticeships@education.vic.gov.au.

Managing school-based apprentices or trainees

A school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SBAT) gives students paid on-the-job training while they complete secondary school.

To employ a student on an SBAT, you need to work with the:

  • school
  • student
  • student’s parents or guardians
  • training provider.

You need to agree to a training plan that suits both:

  • student’s school commitments
  • requirements of the apprenticeship or traineeship.

When agreeing to your training contract, check the approved training schemes for delivery as an SBAT. [link]

SBAT training contracts can continue after the student has left school. This can be as a part-time or full-time apprenticeship or traineeship.

If you want to employ a student on an SBAT, contact your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider.

Further information about SBATs is available from the Department of Education(opens in a new window).

Details about employing a student on an SBAT are also in the department’s policy and resources(opens in a new window).

Minimum hours for employment and training

There are minimum requirements for the number of hours an apprentice or trainee is in either work or training.

Full-time apprentices spend 38 hours per week in work or training.

Our policy outlines the minimum hours for each type of apprenticeship or traineeship.

Minimum hours per week for employment and training 
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