Apprenticeship and traineeship employment options

Before taking on an apprentice or trainee in your business, you'll need to consider how you want to employ them, what you can expect of them and whether they are eligible for an apprenticeship or traineeship. There are different age restrictions for some apprenticeships and traineeships.

You can employ your apprentice or trainee full-time, part-time or while they are still at school. You can hire school leavers, mature age workers or existing workers.

Apprenticeships are usually trade-based roles like carpenters and hairdressers, which typically take 4 years full-time to complete. Traineeships, on the other hand, cover a wider range of roles such as marketing, administration and hospitality. They usually take 1 to 2 years full-time to complete.

This guide outlines the eligibility criteria for apprenticeships and traineeships, their work and training responsibilities as well as your employment options.

Choose the right apprenticeship or traineeship for your business

Apprentices and trainees can be full-time, part-time, school-based, adult or mature age. Not everyone can be an apprentice or trainee in Queensland.

Eligibility criteria

To become an apprentice or trainee in Queensland, your apprentice or trainee must meet basic criteria for:

minimum age
visa requirements for workers other than Australian and New Zealand citizens/residents.

Read more about eligibility requirements—including age requirements, restricted callings and visa requirements—for apprenticeships and traineeships in Queensland.

Difference between apprenticeships and traineeships

Apprenticeships are less broad compared to traineeships and are mainly available for trade-based roles, like carpenters, electricians and hairdressers. An apprenticeship usually takes 4 years full-time to complete.

Traineeships cover a huge range of industries (over 700) from business-related fields such as marketing or administration, to hospitality. A traineeship usually takes 1 to 2 years full-time to complete.

Full-time or part-time

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

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.

School-based

School-based apprenticeships and traineeships allow high school students, generally in Years 10, 11 or 12, to work for an employer and train towards a recognised qualification, while completing high school and studying for their Queensland Certificate of Education or its equivalent. A school-based apprenticeship or traineeship takes twice as long as a full-time apprenticeship or traineeship.

Learn about the advantages of taking on a school-based apprentice or trainee, and how combining study, work and training will give them a head start in their career.

Adult or mature age

Your apprentice or trainee does not have to be young. In fact, older apprentices and trainees usually bring maturity, reliability, life experience and knowledge. You will have to pay your adult or mature age apprentice or trainee higher wages, but there may also be special incentives for eligible employers.

Existing workers

You can transition one of your existing workers to become an apprentice or trainee and depending on their experience, they may be eligible for recognition of prior learning (RPL).

Find out how you can take on your existing employee as an apprentice or trainee.

Apprentice and trainee responsibilities in the workplace

Workplace responsibilities

At work your apprentice or trainee must:

follow the conditions set out in their employment contract
perform work as directed by their supervisor
behave politely and professionally
follow all legal instructions and directives (e.g. dress codes, health and safety procedures)
not waste, damage or injure your property or goods.

Specific requirements may apply to certain apprenticeships and traineeships and workplaces.

Training responsibilities

As part of their training your apprentice or trainee must:

work toward achieving the competencies set out in a training plan
do the training and assessment set out in the training plan
update the training record and produce it when required.

Scope of work

The tasks that you expect of your apprentice or trainee greatly depend on the apprenticeship and traineeship and the workplace.

Your training organisation is responsible for understanding all the training requirements of your apprentice or trainee and applying them to your workplace.

They will break down the training requirements into discrete workplace tasks that suit your workplace as well as allowing your apprentice/trainee to progress in their training.

Also consider...

Learn about your obligations as an employer to your apprentice or trainee.