Disclaimer

Please note that this blog is intended for the students and parents associated with MacGregor State High School. Please check areas of interest as seen on the blog to confirm dates and other information as there will be occasions when dates will change and the information may not be included in the blog as it may not have been received by the school. Posts prior to July 2021 may have reference to different schools as this blog was initially developed for students when I was the Guidance Officer at another school.








Sunday 12 June 2011

Apprenticeships and Traineeships

Are you currently at school and would like to know more about apprenticeships and traineeships?

Apprenticeships and traineeships provide you with an opportunity to learn and earn at the same time. They combine training with working in a real job and provide you with a formal qualification on successful completion of an apprenticeship or traineeship.
Apprenticeships exist in traditional trade areas such as plumbing, draining and gas fitting, carpentry, electrical and horticulture, to name a few. Apprenticeships usually have a term of four years with many industries working towards an expected duration of three years.
Traineeships are generally shorter than apprenticeships and exist in nearly every industry. Most traineeships are for approximately 12 months, however some traineeships now run for up to four years.


How to find an apprenticeship or traineeship

The first step is to select the industry you would like to undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship in.

There are many websites available to provide you with detailed information about traineeships and apprenticeships in a range of industry areas.


This website is a useful tool for school students wishing to obtain information on the Automotive, Manufacturing, Metals and Engineering, Electrical, Rural and Farming and Hospitality industry areas. The site hosts videos taken of employees working in a variety of workplaces in each industry area and details the tasks they undertake as part of their trade in their workplace. The site also provides tips for job interviews and a link to current job vacancies. Articles and updates on training organisations, skills shortage areas and employers are also featured.


World Skills is a national, non-for-profit organisation that provides Australians, under the age of 23, with opportunities to further develop their skills in multiple trade areas. The organisation holds a number of competitions aligned to National Training packages in the Automotive, Building and Construction, Client and Service, Computing and Business, Electrotechnology, Food and Beverage and Manufacturing and Engineering industries. Young Australians may enter these competitions to not only measure their skills against others and learn new techniques but also to network and meet potential employers.


My Future is a useful website that allows you to search for current job vacancies that have been advertised in Australian local and national newspapers in a range of industry areas. The site allows users to search job vacancies by industry area, location and job type. Browsers may also develop their own job board with a list of the vacancies they have reviewed.


The Institute for Trade Skills Excellence is a lead agency in developing strategies to assist the growth of trade industries across Australia. The Institute works with numerous training organisations to develop high standards of trade training and to promote the importance of trade areas to the community. Industry areas the Institute is currently working with include Mineral and Resources, Electrical, Manufacturing, Metals and Engineering, Building and Construction and Hospitality and Personal Services. This website provides details on training initiatives within each of these industry areas.

Once you've chosen an industry area...

The next step after you have identified the industry area you would like to undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship in is to find an employer. There are many ways in which you can search for an employer. You can review the job advertisements in local newspapers, access employment websites such as http://www.jobsearch.gov.au/ or contact local Job Network agencies. Contact details for Job Network agencies are also listed on http://www.jobsearch.gov.au/. Group training organisations (GTO's) directly employ apprentices and trainees and may be able to assist you to find a suitable 'host' employer to work with on a day-to-day basis. You can find the contact details of your local GTO by visiting http://www.gtaqnt.net.au/.

Once you have found an employer who is able to employ you as an apprentice or trainee, you can then make contact with an Australian Apprenticeships Centre to organise your training plan and employment contract for the term of your apprenticeship or traineeship and the subsidies and allowances you and your employer the employers are entitled to. Visit http://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/ to locate your nearest Australian Apprenticeship Centre.

You may also continue contact with your chosen Australian Apprenticeships Centre to discuss incentive payments and allowances you may be entitled to throughout the term of your traineeship or apprenticeship.'