Apprenticeships in Perth

Where apprenticeships actually come from in Perth

Most first years in WA land their start one of three ways: a Group Training Organisation (GTO) places them with a host employer, a business hires them directly after work experience or a trade taster, or they apply cold through a job board.

There are around 26 registered GTOs operating in WA, covering building, automotive, electrical and more. A GTO employs you, handles pay and paperwork, and rotates you between host businesses, which takes a lot of the risk off your plate as a first year. If a host placement falls through, the GTO finds you another one.

High schoolers have a fourth route: a school-based apprenticeship. These are paid, employment-based training contracts for full-time students generally 15 and over, and the training counts towards your WACE. Fee-free pre-apprenticeships (Cert II level) in bricklaying, carpentry, electrical, plumbing and cabinet making are another common springboard, and many include the White Card.

• •GTO directory searchable by trade and region: apprenticeships.gov.au
• •Apprentice Employment Network WA (aenwa.com.au) is the peak body for WA GTOs
• •Jobs and Skills Centres at TAFE campuses give free advice, call 13 64 64
• •Apprenticeship Support Australia WA (asa.cciwa.com) helps with eligibility, contracts and problems after sign-up

Resi vs commercial vs industrial

Perth's market splits three ways, and your day-to-day, pay and paperwork differ across them. This is the number one question to sort out before you pick where to apply.

• •Residential housing: small crews, often a sole trader or partnership, award-level pay is common, less site paperwork, broad hands-on skills fast. Most first-year jobs live here.
• •Commercial construction: bigger builders and union sites in and around the CBD. Enterprise agreements (EBAs) often pay well above award, with site allowances and RDOs, but expect stricter inductions, SWMS sign-offs and site rules every day.
• •Industrial and resources: refineries, workshops and mine-site maintenance. Companies like Rio Tinto and Alcoa (Kwinana) run their own four-year apprentice intakes, usually opening once a year and heavily contested. Apprentices are mostly based residentially near facilities; full FIFO rosters generally come after you are qualified, not during the apprenticeship.
• •You are not locked in forever. Plenty of Perth tradies do their time in resi, then chase commercial EBA money or resources shutdown work once qualified.

Pay: which system you are in matters

WA is the only state with a genuine two-system setup. If your employer is a sole trader or partnership (very common in small residential trade businesses), you are in the WA state industrial relations system: your pay comes from WA awards set by the WA Industrial Relations Commission, and Wageline is your helpline. If your employer is an incorporated company (Pty Ltd) or you are employed by a GTO, you are in the national Fair Work system with modern awards.

Two WA state system rules worth knowing. First, your employer must pay you for time spent at TAFE or other off-the-job training as normal working hours. Second, adult apprentices (21 or older) must be paid the adult apprentice rate or the rate for their year of the apprenticeship, whichever is higher. That difference is what makes retraining as a career changer financially possible, so check it before you sign.

On Perth commercial and union sites, EBA rates for apprentices commonly sit well above award once site allowances are added. Ask for the actual rate, not just "award".

TAFE fees and who pays them

Training is not free by default, and here is the bit nobody tells you: employers in WA are not legally required to pay your TAFE fees. Some good ones do anyway. Raise it before you sign, and get the answer in writing.

The good news is WA fees are capped. Under Lower Fees, Local Skills, apprenticeship course fees in 2026 are capped at $400 per year if you are under 25, a jobseeker or a concession holder, and $1,200 per year for everyone else. On top of that, five housing-construction apprenticeships are completely fee-free in 2026, including plumbing, bricklaying and blocklaying, wall and ceiling lining, and solid plastering.

If money is tight on a training wage, Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans are interest-free while you study, with repayments only starting once your income passes the standard threshold.

Licences and cards before you touch the tools

• •White Card (CPCWHS1001): compulsory for anyone entering a construction site in WA, including work experience. One-day course with a practical component, regulated by WorkSafe WA. It stays valid unless you leave the industry for two years or more.
• •Electrician's Training Licence: electrical apprentices cannot legally perform electrical work without one. Your employer runs a written safety test (80 per cent pass mark), you supply a police check dated within three months, and you lodge Form R116 with Building and Energy. Processing takes roughly 8 to 10 weeks, so get it moving the week you sign.
• •Plumbing has a similar setup: apprentices work under the supervision of a licensed plumber, so confirm your employer or host holds the right licence class for the work you will do.
• •If a job ad expects you to already hold a White Card, most Perth pre-apprenticeships and GTOs build it into induction. Ask rather than paying for it twice.

Money on the table

From 1 January 2026 the Commonwealth incentive system changed. If your trade is on the Key Apprenticeship Program list (a lot of housing construction and clean energy trades), combined support is up to $15,000 across the apprenticeship: $10,000 to you and $5,000 to your employer. Broader Priority List trades attract up to $5,000 total, split evenly. WA also pays its own employer incentive on top, which is part of why local employers are keen.

If you travel more than 70 km round trip from home to your closest training provider, the WA Travel and Accommodation Allowance helps cover it: 40 cents per kilometre, plus accommodation of $100 per night (or $150 above the 26th parallel) for block release. Claims go through the WAAMS portal and must be lodged within 60 days of the training, or you get nothing. Regional and outer-metro apprentices miss this constantly.

• •Check what your trade qualifies for: apprenticeships.gov.au Incentives Explorer
• •TAA questions: taa@dtwd.wa.gov.au or 13 19 54 (option 2)

What to ask before you sign anything

• •Who actually employs me: the host business or the GTO?
• •Am I under the WA state system or Fair Work, and what is my actual rate each year, award or EBA?
• •Who pays my TAFE fees, and will you put that in writing?
• •Which RTO delivers my off-the-job training, and which campus? Compare providers on Your Career / training.gov.au before committing.
• •How long is my probation? Training contracts carry a 1 to 3 month probation (length depends on contract duration) during which either side can end it without the other's consent. After probation, cancelling needs your consent or an Apprenticeship Office process.
• •If I am 21 or over, am I getting the adult apprentice rate?
• •Am I eligible for the Key Apprenticeship Program or Priority List money for this trade?

Contract admin and when to stop and ask for help

The regulator for WA training contracts is the Apprenticeship Office (part of the Department of Training and Workforce Development), on 13 19 54. Everything about your contract, suspending it, transferring it to a new employer, extending it, updating details, runs through the WAAMS online portal. Set up your WAAMS account in your first week, not when something goes wrong.

WA completion is competency-based, not time-served. If you, your employer and your RTO all agree you are competent, you can sign off before your nominal end date; the RTO reports the agreed completion date to the Apprenticeship Office. The reverse is also true: the contract can be extended if you are not ready.

Stop and call someone if: your pay does not match the award or EBA for your year, you are not being paid for TAFE days, your employer wants to cancel after probation without your consent, or you are asked to do licensed work (electrical especially) without the right training licence. Wageline (1300 655 266) covers state system pay, the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) covers national system pay, and the Apprenticeship Office covers the contract itself. All three are free.