School based part-time traineeships
A number of significant improvements have recently been introduced into the apprenticeship and traineeship system in NSW to make training more flexible and to better meet the needs of industry. For example, some traineeships in NSW can now be:
- offered to secondary school students
- delivered on a part-time basis
- easily linked to further vocational education and training and university studies
- established in new industries and at higher qualification levels
- delivered completely in the workplace.
School based part-time traineeships need to be flexible because the trainees are still at school undertaking studies towards the HSC. The time spent at school, at work and in training needs to be negotiated by the employer, student, parents (or caregivers) and school, in conjunction with the New Apprenticeships Centre and the local State Training Centre.
School based trainees generally undertake a Certificate II traineeship over a period of between 24 and 36 months during years 11 and 12. The formal or off-the-job training component that they undertake as part of the traineeship contributes directly to their HSC, and is delivered by a school and/or other registered training organisation.
School based part-time traineeships include all the requirements of full-time traineeships. In NSW, the requirements for each traineeship are set out in a Vocational Training Order (VTO). As with all apprenticeships and traineeships, school based traineeships include:
- paid work under an appropriate industrial arrangement
- a training contract that is signed by both the employer and the trainee and then registered with the NSW Department of Education and Training
- a training program, delivered by a registered training organisation, that meets the requirements of a declared traineeship in NSW and leads to the nationally recognised qualification which is specified in the VTO.
Applications
The Training Contract, must be submitted to the NSW Department of Education
and Training through a New Apprenticeships Centre.It must include a training
plan that sets out the proposed mix of school, work and training the trainee
will undertake. Where school based part-time traineeships are proposed
through group training arrangements, it is the responsibility of the group
training company to ensure that appropriate employment and training opportunities
are available through host employers.
The main differences between full-time and part-time traineeships relate to:
- the wage rates paid to the trainee
- the number of hours of employment and training per week
- the length of the training contract
A school based part-time trainee must complete the hours of work and training that are required of a full-time trainee in the same traineeship. A full-time traineeship with a nominal duration of 12 months (and the equivalent school based part-time traineeship) requires 1500-1600 hours of work and training. These hours are made up of a formal training component of up to 400 hours with the remainder logged as work time, including on-the-job training. The number of hours per week for a part-time traineeship are identified in the relevant award or agreement. They vary according to the industry but range from an average minimum of 15 hours per week to an average maximum of 30 hours per week for on-the-job and off-the-job training. School based part-time trainees are not required to spend more than 7.6 hours per week on on-the-job or off-the-job training during examinations and exam preparation periods. They may work full-time during school vacations.
School based part-time traineeships at Certificate II level must be completed within a maximum of 36 months. To assist employers, trainees and training providers in developing training plans, several patterns of work, school and vocational training have been identified that will allow the trainee to meet the requirements of the traineeship and the HSC within this timeframe. See How to complete a traineeship as part of the HSC (PDF 24KB) for more details.
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