Jobs & pathways
From 'I'm interested' to 'I know what to do next' - how to get an apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeships, GTOs and more.
How to get an apprenticeship
Do a pre-apprenticeship or some work experience, put together a simple one-page resume, then attack it from several angles at once: ring and doorknock local employers, register with a Group Training Organisation (GTO), and get a free Apprentice Connect Australia provider working for you. If you want a big employer like a utility or tier-one builder, watch their annual intake window, because applications often open a full year before the January start.
Read →Pre-apprenticeships explained
A pre-apprenticeship is a short TAFE or RTO course (usually a Certificate II, three months to two years) that gives you basic trade skills, a White Card and some work placement before you commit to a full apprenticeship. You are a student, not a paid employee. In some trades, especially electrical, it is close to a hiring requirement; in others, like carpentry and automotive, plenty of employers take people on with no pre-app at all.
Read →Apprenticeship resume template
Keep an apprenticeship resume to one page: contact details, a short intro, education (including your maths level), any work experience, tickets and licences like the White Card and your driver's licence near the top, and two referees. Then get it in front of people: plenty of apprenticeships are won by phoning builders and handing printed copies over on site, not just emailing PDFs to job ads.
Read →Common apprenticeship interview questions
Most apprenticeship interviews focus on why you want the trade, whether you will turn up reliably, and whether you can take direction and handle the physical and safety side of the job. Bigger employers and group training organisations often add a literacy and numeracy aptitude test or a paid trial day on top of the chat. Answer honestly, do a bit of homework on the business, and have questions ready about pay, tools and how your training will run.
Read →Group Training Organisations (GTOs) explained
A Group Training Organisation (GTO) hires you on a registered training contract, then places you with one or more host businesses to learn the trade on the job. The GTO is your legal employer: it pays your wages, super and TAFE fees, and if a host placement ends your apprenticeship keeps running while it finds you another one.
Read →Electrical apprenticeship pathway
The standard pathway is a 4 year apprenticeship under a registered training contract: paid work for a licensed electrical contractor plus a Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician at TAFE. Progression is competency based, so apprentices who get signed off early can finish in closer to 3.5 years. The Certificate III alone does not make you a licensed electrician; you still need to pass your state or territory regulator's licensing step at the end.
Read →Plumbing apprenticeship pathway
A plumbing apprenticeship in Australia is a paid training contract, usually around four years, combining on the job work under a licensed plumber with TAFE or RTO training toward the Certificate III in Plumbing (CPC32420). Most people get in through a Certificate II pre-apprenticeship and a white card, and because progression can be competency based you may move up pay points or even finish early. The Certificate III alone does not make you a licensed plumber: every state then has its own registration and licensing steps, usually involving exams, extra verified experience, or a Certificate IV.
Read →Carpentry apprenticeship pathway
A carpentry apprenticeship in Australia runs about 4 years full time: paid work on the tools plus off the job training at TAFE or another RTO, leading to the nationally recognised Certificate III in Carpentry (CPC30220). You need a White Card before you can legally step onto a construction site, and what you earn depends heavily on whether you land a residential award job or a commercial EBA job, because the gap between the two is enormous.
Read →Apprenticeships in WA
In WA your training contract is registered with the state Apprenticeship Office (Department of Training and Workforce Development), not just the national system, and you manage it through the WAAMS portal. Your pay depends on whether your boss is in the WA state system (sole traders and partnerships), the national Fair Work system (Pty Ltd companies), or on an enterprise agreement that pays well above both. There is also real money for you personally: travel allowance for block release, up to $10,000 for housing and clean energy trades, and fee-free TAFE.
Read →Apprenticeships in Perth
In Perth, most apprenticeships come through a Group Training Organisation (GTO) that places you with a host employer, direct hire by a local trade business, or job boards. Jobs and Skills Centres and Apprenticeship Support Australia offer free help finding a placement, and there is real government money on the table, up to $15,000 combined for priority trades under the Key Apprenticeship Program from 2026. WA also runs its own rules on pay, TAFE fees, probation and completion, so know which system you are in before you sign.
Read →HVAC and refrigeration apprenticeship pathway
To become a fridgie in Australia you do a paid apprenticeship, usually around four years, while studying the nationally recognised UEE32225 Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration at TAFE. Finishing it lets you apply for the national Refrigerant Handling Licence (ARCtick), and in most states you also pick up a restricted electrical licence for the wiring side of the work.
Read →Automotive apprenticeship pathway
Becoming a light vehicle mechanic in Australia means doing a four year apprenticeship that leads to a nationally recognised Certificate III (AUR30620). You earn while you learn: on the job in a workshop, and off the job at TAFE or another registered training organisation. You can start through a pre-apprenticeship, a school-based apprenticeship, or straight into a job with an employer or a Group Training Organisation.
Read →Welding and fabrication apprenticeship pathway
You become a qualified welder or boilermaker by completing an apprenticeship in MEM31925 Certificate III in Engineering - Fabrication Trade, the nationally recognised qualification listed on training.gov.au. It runs for about four years, splitting most of your time on the job with block or day-release training at TAFE. There is no single welding licence, but you will need a white card for construction sites and, for higher end work, welder qualifications tested against Australian standards.
Read →Painting and decorating apprenticeship pathway
You become a qualified painter by serving a painting and decorating apprenticeship and completing CPC30620 Certificate III in Painting and Decorating, the nationally recognised trade qualification. It usually runs three to four years, mixing paid on the job work with block or day release training at TAFE. Licensing to run your own jobs is separate and set by each state.
Read →Bricklaying apprenticeship pathway
You become a bricklayer by completing an apprenticeship that leads to CPC33020 Certificate III in Bricklaying and Blocklaying, the nationally recognised trade qualification. It combines paid work on the tools with block training at TAFE or a registered training organisation, and it usually runs about four years. You need a job with a host employer (directly or through a Group Training Organisation) and a construction white card before you set foot on site.
Read →Tiling apprenticeship pathway
Do an apprenticeship: paid work with a tiling contractor plus the Certificate III in Wall and Floor Tiling (CPC31320), usually over three to four years. You need a white card to start, and no Year 12 is required.
Read →Plastering apprenticeship pathway
Sign a training contract with a plastering employer or GTO, then complete CPC31220 Certificate III in Wall and Ceiling Lining (dry) or CPC31020 Certificate III in Solid Plastering (wet) through TAFE or an RTO while working. The contract typically runs up to four years, competency based, no entry requirements beyond a White Card for site work.
Read →Cabinet making apprenticeship pathway
You become a cabinet maker through an apprenticeship of around four years, completing the Certificate III in Cabinet Making and Timber Technology (MSF30322) at TAFE while working full time in a cabinet or joinery shop. There are no entry requirements, and you can start straight from school, via a school-based apprenticeship, through a group training organisation, or as an adult.
Read →Diesel mechanic apprenticeship pathway
Do a four year apprenticeship with a workshop or through a group training organisation, completing the AUR31120 Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology (trucks and buses) or AUR31220 Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology (mining and earthmoving gear) at TAFE while you work. You can start from school, via a school based apprenticeship, or as an adult.
Read →Auto electrician apprenticeship pathway
You become an auto electrician through a roughly four year apprenticeship: paid work plus the Certificate III in Automotive Electrical Technology (AUR30320) at TAFE or another RTO. No uni, no ATAR, and you can start straight from school, via a pre-apprenticeship, or as an adult career changer.
Read →Hairdressing apprenticeship pathway
Complete the Certificate III in Hairdressing (SHB30416), almost always through a salon apprenticeship of around three to four years, or start early with a school-based apprenticeship. Barbering is a separate Certificate III (SHB30516) if men's cutting is where you want to be.
Read →Commercial cookery apprenticeship pathway
You become a qualified cook by completing an apprenticeship: paid full-time kitchen work plus the SIT30821 Certificate III in Commercial Cookery, usually over about three years. You can start straight from school, through a school-based apprenticeship, or as an adult career changer.
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