Advice and Instructions

School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships Approval guidelines.

Issued: 4 December 2007

Assessing applications

School based apprentices and school based trainees undertake part-time training for the duration of school based attendance in years 11 and 12. Where appropriate, a school based apprenticeship or school based traineeship may be approved to commence in year 10.

The training plan must be considered in conjunction with the information provided on the training contract and the requirements of the relevant Vocational Training Order (VTO) and Vocational Training Guideline.

In addition to the regular information provided in the training plan, consideration should be given to the pattern of on and off the job training specified in it to ensure that the minimum requirements of the school based component of the apprenticeship or traineeship, in particular the minimum number of days of paid employment and the competencies specified in the relevant VTO, would be achieved during the term of the Higher School Certificate (HSC).

Training Term

• School Based Apprenticeships

Where the nominal apprenticeship training term in the relevant Vocational Training Order is four years, the nominal term of a school based apprenticeship specified in the same VTO for that trade is five years. The VTO specifies that the term comprise of two years part time while at school and three years full time post school.

The school based component must be completed by December 31 of the year the apprentice completes the HSC.

During the school based component of the apprenticeship the apprentice must undertake a minimum of 100 days of paid employment (or as specified in the relevant VTO) and complete the competencies relevant to stage one,  year one of the relevant VTO.

To ensure that all the requirements of the school based component of the apprenticeship will be achieved, a school based apprenticeship must commence before the end of the first term of year 11.

However, an application to commence a school based apprenticeship after that period should be considered where it is clearly demonstrated by all parties that all the requirements of the school based component of the apprenticeship as specified in the relevant VTO and the training plan will be achieved within the duration of the HSC.

When dealing with an application where the apprentice commences at a time where the school based component will be more or less than the two years specified in the VTO the nominal term nominated on the training contract should reflect the term from commencement of the apprenticeship to 31 December of the year the HSC would be completed, plus the nominal 36 months specified in the VTO as full time post school.

A Vocational Training Direction must be issued under section 10 of the Act with all approvals of a school based apprenticeship to specify the part time HSC term, the full time post HSC term and the date the apprentice would progress to the next stage of the apprenticeship on a full time basis.

Vocational Training Direction

• School based traineeships

The VTO specifies that the nominal term for a school based traineeship will be two years. 

The minimum training term to be nominated on the training contract for a school based traineeship must be 18 months.

However, an application where a term of less than 18 months is nominated should be considered where it is clearly demonstrated by all parties that all the requirements of the traineeship as specified in the relevant VTO and the training plan will be achieved within the nominated term and within the term of the HSC and completed by 31 December of the HSC year.

When dealing with an application where the trainee commences at a time where the school based component will be more or less than the two years specified in the VTO a Vocational Training Direction must be issued under section 10 of the Act to approve the alternative term.

Vocational Training Direction

Approved by the Commissioner for Vocational Training