There can be several aspects to consider including the terms and conditions of the training contract with your apprentice or trainee, State and/or national regulatory requirements, commercial arrangements and information about the right course, qualification or apprenticeship or traineeship for your business needs.
Explore information to assist you or your staff with a successful apprenticeship or traineeship.
An overview of key resources and agencies is available below:
The Traineeship and Apprenticeship Pathways (TAP) Schedule provides a consolidated list of occupations and qualifications that have been declared under the South Australian Skills Act 2008 as trades (apprenticeships) or declared vocations (traineeships) in South Australia.
In addition, the TAP Schedule outlines the supervision ratio for apprentices and trainees.
If you are considering employing an apprentice or trainee for the first time, or you are a current registered employer, we can assist you to achieve a successful apprenticeship outcome.
Apprenticeships and Traineeships are under a training contract agreed to by:
To employ an apprentice or trainee you must be a registered employer. This means that you must be registered with the South Australian Skills Commission.
A step-by-step guide on how to employ an apprentice or trainee is available:
Need assistance? We can provide you with information about:
We aim to help you to have a positive training experience and a successful apprenticeship, so when employing a trainee or apprentice, these are some of the key points and resources to consider:
Training Contract
Helpful Resources:
Industrial Arrangements
More Information:
Course Requirements
Our services include:
If you have an issue with your apprentice or trainee, please try resolving directly with them first. If you are unable to resolve, we can provide support.
Where a resolution cannot be achieved, all parties to the training contract may be referred to the South Australian Employment Tribunal.
Did you know that there are State and national awards for businesses to be recognised for high level achievement and their contribution to the training sector, including:
You can now apply to formally complete their traineeship or apprenticeship.
You can apply to complete a traineeship or apprenticeship when:
Hint: Make sure the training provider’s certification matches the qualification that’s set out in the training contract. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to apply for a change of qualification first.
To apply, as the employer, sign in to mySkillsSA and complete an application.
Or you and the apprentice or trainee can complete the Training Contract Completion Application form (PDF) and email to the South Australian Skills Commission.
The South Australian Skills Commission will let you know if your application was successful. For apprentices, their Trade Certificate will be issued and sent to the address listed in application.
Our role is to provide a free and confidential advisory service to employers.
We can provide information about:
When hiring an apprentice, you have certain responsibilities and obligations. You will enter into a training contract, which is a legally binding agreement to work and train together until your apprentice has completed their training and you both agree they are competent in the skills required for their trade or vocation.
Make sure you know your rights and responsibilities before you hire an apprentice or trainee.
For more information about employer rights and responsibilities, see the following resources.
Apprentices need to train under the supervision of qualified and experienced workers. Supervision requirements are outlined in the South Australian Skills Standard.
Some apprentices or trainees need more supervision than others. To make sure that all apprentices or trainees are adequately supervised, employers must not exceed the supervision ratios that apply to them.
Each apprenticeship and traineeship has been assessed as either high, medium or low risk for supervision.
Employers are responsible for supervising and ensuring oversight and coordination of on-job training of an apprentice or trainee. On-job training must be by a skilled or qualified person in the competencies laid out in the agreed Training Plan. The work should be work relevant and appropriate to the trade or declared vocation.
If an employer delegates or assigns the responsibility of supervising or providing on-job training to any staff member (or contractor), the employer must make sure they understand and adhere to the requirements of the standard.
Help is available to resolve problems or disputes with your apprentice or trainee. For the most part, training is a positive experience for both employers and apprentices, but occasionally, disagreements or disputes may arise between you and your apprentice.
Problems in a training contract are easier to resolve when they’re dealt with as soon as possible. It’s important that employers try to resolve the issue with their apprentice directly before referring the matter further.
If you’re unable to resolve the matter with your apprentice, we can provide help to find a resolution.
Whilst we want to see all training contracts fulfilled successfully for the employer, apprentice or trainee, we recognise that sometimes contracts can be terminated when a more suitable option would be to temporarily suspend the contract.
A suspension is a temporary postponement of a training contract for a period of time agreed by both the apprentice/trainee and the employer with a view to the parties completing the training contract.
The South Australian Skills Commission will assess and either approve or decline an application for training contract suspension. It is important to know that suspension must be a last resort.
Examples of when a suspension may occur:
To apply for a suspension, an application form must be completed with information and support documents provided.
It is your responsibility as an employer, to comply with the South Australian Skills Regulations 2021, and the South Australian Skills Standards. More information can be found in the link below on what you need to know, and why.
Probationary periods are different depending on the type and level of qualification your apprentice or trainee is completing. For more information, visit South Australian Skills Standard 8.
In most cases as an employer, you provide on-the-job training to your apprentices and trainees, while the Nominated Training Organisation (NTO) provides off-the-job training.
To ensure your business is ready to give apprentices relevant on-the-job training, we need to check it has:
Employers will need to release apprentices and trainees to attend off job training, paying their wage while they’re training, and their training fees.
Find out how you can make changes to a training contract, including all the necessary information and forms by calling the South Australian Skills Commission on 1800 673 097.