Traineeships begin with an employment opportunity within your organisation.
The position can be part-time or full-time depending on your needs.
Different states and territories have specific rules about what constitutes part-time
To be eligible as a New Entrant Trainee, the Training Contract (discussed later) must commence (ie be signed) within 3 months for Full Time staff and 12 months for Part Time staff.
The Training Contract is a formal document that is created between you (as the employer), the Trainee and your State/Territory government.
This agreement will establish the course, duration and stakeholders involved in the Traineeship contract.
This document officially starts (also referred to as lodged or commenced) the Traineeship with your State or Territory.
Don鈥檛 worry, you will have help with the government contract, forms and registration from an Apprentice Connect Australia Provider (ACAP).
These Providers are contracted by the government to help facilitate Traineeships (and Apprenticeships) and they are very good at what they do.
If you don鈥檛 have a current Provider, we are happy to provide you with information about your options (you can also visit for more information on the ACAP Providers and how they support you).
In later stages of the process, we will create a Training Plan with you for each Trainee that provides specific details like subjects, units of competency and timelines.
The qualification is the formal 鈥渙ff-the-job鈥 training component of the Traineeship.
The choice of qualification is sometimes very straightforward and other times more complicated.
However, help is available in choosing the right option for a Trainee.
The ACAP and/or ACCM College (as the supporting Registered Training Organisation) can help you look at the available options and choose the best fit.
The qualification is the vehicle for the Traineeship that will also bring together the 鈥渙n the job鈥 training they receive within your business.
Each State and Territory chooses which qualifications are available as Subsidised Traineeships in their regions.
鈥淪ubsidised鈥 means that their Department of Education (or equivalent) will cover some or all of the costs of training provided by the RTO.
Unfortunately, not every qualification is subsided in every state and territory and most Traineeships have a government-mandated enrolment fee.
The good news is where a qualification is subsidised, the enrolment fee ACCM College is required to charge is a much smaller portion of the total training cost.
More information on Traineeship costs is provided further down the Traineeship information page.
NSW, QLD, WA, TAS and ACT offer an exemption and/or rebate on the wages of New Entrant trainees.
If you are paying or liable to pay Payroll Tax 鈥 this can be a significant saving amounting to thousands of dollars.
Current details on Payroll Tax Rebates for your State or Territory can be found here:
Please click on the picture above to download ACCM College's Payroll Tax Rebate handout.
This will help explain how this financial consideration is calculated and how it can help employers offset the costs of Traineeships.
Contact your Accountant or the relevant government body in your state to determine whether you will attract an exemption or rebate, and at what rate and for what period of time.
Traineeships offer the opportunity to enrol your employee in a structured training program that will achieve a nationally recognised qualification.
Most traineeships offer elective subject choices to allow you to tailor the program to your business needs.
By definition, Trainees need supervision.
One of the best ways to develop your existing staff's leadership skills is to give them responsibility for a Trainee.
Helping a new starter learn the ropes, develop their skills and become a valued member of your business will teach those skills.
Leadership opportunities like this are the perfect way to develop the managers and leaders your organisation will need in the future.
You have dedicated a great deal to the industry you support in terms of time, effort, resources and emotional investment.
Helping someone launch their career in your chosen profession is part of protecting the future of your industry.
The structure of a Traineeship helps drive strong outcomes because it combines formal training and real world experience.
Safeguard the future of your industry by ensuring people start on the good foot.
As part of a Traineeship, learners will complete a formal qualification.
This qualification will directly relate to their industry and can be tailored (in most cases) to better align with the specifics of their role.
This qualification is nationally recognised and forms the foundation for future career growth and professional development.
ACCM College will work with you and your Trainee to determine the right qualification for their role and your needs.
On the Job learning is a critical component of a Traineeship.
While the nationally recognised qualification provides extensive theory and practical opportunities to demonstrate their skills, the ability to use those skills in your workplace is at the heart of a Traineeship's benefits.
The skills you teach your Trainee in a real-world setting will set them up for success and a future in your industry.
There is nothing like learning from someone who has direct experience in your industry.
Trainee's will learn from two invaluable sources.
The Supervisor you assign to your Trainee will provide skills and knowledge on how to thrive in your workplace and industry.
ACCM College's team of industry experienced experts will also provide coaching and mentoring in their qualification and the larger industry.
With so many different types of support available, Trainees should be able to reach their goals.
Given the range of options across Australia, it can be difficult to easily determine the best option for you and your staff.
We really are here to help, so please just give us a call to get expert assistance with no-obligation.
Call the College on 1300 515 321 or write to us at courses@accm.edu.au to get expert advice.
Australian School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships are an important part of the National Australian Apprenticeship system. They develop the skills of young people and provide employers with keen and motivated young staff ready to learn about their chosen industry.
The program combines paid part-time work, formal studies in that vocational field and allows the student to stay in school and finish their secondary education as well as a vocational qualification.
They allow students to achieve a nationally recognised qualification through combining formal training with practical paid employment. The students remain registered at school and have the workplace learning counted towards their senior school studies.
So for young people there is no better opportunity 鈥 a chance to develop their skills and knowledge in a real work environment, while still completing their senior school studies.
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For employers, School Based Traineeships offer an immediate flexible staffing option, as well as the opportunity to develop a pool of potential staff for the future. The paid work conducted by a School Based Trainee is scheduled to meet the needs of the employer and the minimum work requirements of School Based Trainees in that state.
Each state and territory sets the formal rules about how many hours and how regularly a School Based Trainee must work.
The rules are designed around ensuring:
The rules allow flexible options such as the school student working Thursday nights, or Saturdays during main school periods and more hours during school holidays. Some options allow work during a standard working week, subject to school commitments being able to be met.
Under School Based Traineeships the student must complete a vocational certificate. This involves study (just like at school) but in that vocational field.
Under School Based Traineeships the student, their school, their employer and the College agree on when the student will work and when they will complete their College vocational studies. These times work around school attendance requirements.
Any school student can be a School Based Trainee. There are no academic entry requirements, other than suitability for that vocation.
They simply need a career goal, an employer who will give them a chance, and obtain agreement from the school that they can undertake the School Based Traineeship in conjunction with normal school requirements.
The formal eligibility criteria to enter a School Based Traineeship are that the student must:
To be eligible for a School Based Traineeship a student must be an Australian citizen, Australian Visa holder, permanent resident or New Zealand passport holder resident for more than 6 months.
Each vocational course has different workplace needs. We simply confirm that you have in place what is needed and agree on solutions for any issues identified.
Each trainee has unique needs. We start by getting them to provide us with information so that we can discuss how we can best support them. This also ensures that they are aware of their obligations.
This involves determining the best subjects to suit your work environment. The assessments for each subject are timetabled to be achieved so that the formal component of the traineeship is completed as quickly as possible 鈥 allowing the remaining time to be dedicated on further developing workplace skills.
Trainees have immediate access to high quality learning resources that they can access 24/7. This puts them in full control to best use the times at work that are most suitable for their studies. The materials are designed to allow them to do small parts at a time 鈥 so they give the best flexibility for a work environment.
We ask trainees to make regular contact with us 鈥 but we are also proactive in contacting them.
Trainees can simply give us a phone call when they need help with the learning materials or they can book times in advance.
Many assessments are structured to require trainees to interact with the College by phone so that we know they are making progress on specific subjects.
We recognise that many employers may not be readily available on the phone, so we have created the Employer Dashboard to ensure you have up to date information about your Trainee's progress.
This also ensures that you are fully aware of any progress issues that may impact completion (and completion incentive payment) and have the opportunity to address those issues.
From time to time there are issues with a trainee's progress. You will be advised both informally and formally to ensure that you are aware of the situation, and that all parties are doing what they can to resolve the problem.
In some instances we are required to advise the relevant state Department of Education if there are trainee progress issues. This will only happen after we have tried to resolve the problem directly with you.
Your trainee will be required to get employer agreement that they meet the workplace requirements of each subject. Please ensure that within your workplace, anyone who may be asked by the trainee to do this has your approval.
Once all required subjects have been completed your trainee is eligible for the award of their qualification and Competency Completion.
Workplace agreement of Competency Completion and the return of a signed copy of the Training Plan is required. We will email these to you.
Please be aware that Competency Completion may affect the rates of pay for any trainees on the National Training Wage. It will also trigger eligibility to any employer completion incentives and at the same time cease any eligibility to payroll tax exemptions or rebates.
The College will report to the relevant Department of Education that the trainee has completed the formal requirements.
In some states this automatically triggers Competency Completion. In others you will receive a letter (that you must reply to) if you wish to delay Competency Completion.
Traineeships are employment arrangements where the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments support and encourage the training of new employees.
Each state and territory determines the areas it will support as traineeships, and in many cases will subsidise the training costs. Some states and ACT offer generous payroll tax advantages for trainees.
The Commonwealth Government supports the program by offering employer incentives for employers engaging and successfully completing apprentices and trainees.
However, only those Traineeships that are on the national priority list are still eligible for Hiring Incentives and other benefits.
Currently, the qualifications offered by ACCM College are not on the National Priority list and do not attract any federal hiring incentives.
The Federal Government is currently conducting a national review to determine if a return to prior incentives should be reconsidered. We will update this page according if this information changes.
With so many different levels of government involved 鈥 traineeships can seem complicated, but they don鈥檛 need to be.
ACCM College specialises in traineeship delivery so feel free to call us and get your questions answered.
Apprentice Connect Australia Providers determine the eligibility of employees for traineeships.
The following information is a guide to how the Traineeship system works:
1. The type of work must be declared a traineeship in the state that you wish to employ the trainee.
This government website shows the , but the College is happy to work this out for you.
2. The employee you wish to register in a traineeship must be an Australian Citizen or permanent resident.
They can also be a New Zealand passport holder who has been resident in Australia for more than six months,
Some states will allow visa holders where the specific visa allows employment and traineeships (including Special Category Visa 444 which allows New Zealand Citizens to work and study in Australia for an unlimited period).
3. The employee cannot already hold a formal qualification (but see the many exceptions to this rule below).
Contact us to arrange specific advice from an Apprentice Connect Australia Providers or refer to
In NSW the Vocational Training Orders that declare a Traineeship are published on the site.
Previous qualifications are not an automatic disqualifier from being a Trainee and attracting government subsidies and incentives.
While this used to be a factor, the guidelines have changed a great deal in recent years and it's best to check.
The rules vary by State and Territory about what is allowable.
An Apprentice Connect Australia Provider consider and determine the specific qualifications held by any potential trainees, as there are many exceptions and rules.
To be registered as a New Entrant Trainee, a new employee must be registered as a Trainee within three months of commencing work or within 12 months for part-time employees.
Federal Employer incentives (if available) only apply to New Entrant Trainees.
Payroll Tax exemptions or rebates may also apply based on your State or Territory and specific business situation (please check with your Accountant).
For most states the training costs for many New Entrant Traineeships is subsidised by the State/Territory Government.
Employees registered as trainees who have been employed longer than the time frames for New Entrant status are called Existing Worker Trainees.
Existing employees can be registered as trainees.
The benefits or reasons to do this vary from state to state:
Traineeships are suitable for all employees, however some State and Territories do have minimum age requirements for Traineeships.
For more details on minimum age requirements please contact your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider or ACCM College for specific information.
Our course materials are based on work place skills, so no matter how old your employees are, they will still benefit from the course.
Quick Summary: The Australian Apprenticeship Incentive Guidelines have changed
Always check for the most up to date guidance!
For Traineeships that commenced after 30 June 2024
The Federal Incentives only apply to qualifications on the National Skills Priority list.
Currently, the qualifications on offer with ACCM College do not attract federal hiring incentives.
For Traineeships that commenced after 1 July 2022 but BEFORE 30 June 2024:
$1750 at 6 months from 鈥渄ate of commencement鈥 and $1750 at the six month mark after the effective date of the first date.
For Traineeships that commenced prior to 30 June 2022:
$4000 per FT new entrant trainee, $1500 per PT new entrant trainee
For new full-time trainees of $1500 is claimable at the six month mark of their traineeship, and $2500 at completion.
For new part-time trainees the $1500 is claimable at completion of the traineeship.
How are incentives managed?
Incentives are subject to traineeship eligibility criteria, waiting periods and time limits being met. Your Apprenticeship Support Network provider will assess your trainees eligibility for incentives.
The information provided on this page is for general information only and should not be relied upon because it is subject to change and may not reflect your exact circumstances.
This information is subject to change, always refer to for current information.
Current as of Nov 2024
NSW, QLD, WA, TAS and ACT offer an exemption and/or rebate on the wages of New Entrant trainees.
If you are paying or liable to pay Payroll Tax 鈥 this can be a significant saving amounting to thousands of dollars.
Current details on Payroll Tax Rebates for your State or Territory can be found here:
Please click on the picture above to download ACCM College's Payroll Tax Rebate handout.
This will help explain how this financial consideration is calculated and how it can help employers offset the costs of Traineeships.
Contact your Accountant or the relevant government body in your state to determine whether you will attract an exemption or rebate, and at what rate and for what period of time.
The cost of the training provided by the College may be subsidised by your State or Territory Government.
Each State and Territory determines which courses it will subsidise, and to what extent.
Our courses pages will provide an accurate price or estimate.
All State and Territories currently require an employer contribution (NSW is currently offering a Fee-Free Traineeship program).
ACT, South Australia and Tasmania also subsidise the costs for some Existing Worker traineeships.
Taking on a trainee can be a step forward for many businesses to train and grow their key staff for the future. It provides an opportunity for an extra set of hands that is motivated and keen to learn.
Under the Traineeship Training Contract the employer must provide a workplace environment that supports the trainee's learning, and allows approximately 3 hours per week towards learning activities. ACT requires a higher level of time commitment of 20% of the Trainee's paid work hours.
Employers enrolling their employees as students are responsible to:
As a supervisor you will act as a role model and coach for the trainee.
The trainee will look to you for guidance and help in learning to do their job.
You also have responsibilities to talk to ACCM College about the trainee's progress.
ACCM College provides you the on-line ability to see their progress 24/7.
Trainees also have obligations under a traineeship arrangement.
The key obligations that affect their formal qualification are:
Rates of pay are a matter for your relevant Award or the National Training Wage. The Department of Fair Work could assist you if you are unsure.