How to hire an apprentice in Australia: a step by step guide for employers

Is an apprentice right for your business?

An apprenticeship usually runs for around four years in the traditional trades, and you are signing up to train someone for the whole of it, not just to fill a gap this month. Before you start, be honest about three things: whether you can supervise, whether you have the work, and whether you can carry the cost of the first year.

• •Supervision: someone suitably qualified has to be on the job with the apprentice, especially early on. If you are a sole trader who is often quoting, on the phone or between sites, plan how that will work in practice.
• •Enough work: you need a steady flow of the kind of work the qualification covers, so the apprentice can build every skill in their training plan. A business doing only one narrow type of job may struggle.
• •Cash flow: a first year apprentice earns less but also produces less, and you pay for their time at trade school. Budget for at least 12 months before relying on any incentive payment.
• •Not ready to employ directly? A group training organisation (GTO) can be the legal employer while you host the apprentice. See Group training (GTO) or hire directly? An employer guide.

What the first year really costs

The wage is only part of the bill. Apprentice award rates are set by year of the apprenticeship, and adult apprentices (generally 21 and over) often get a higher rate than junior apprentices. Do not guess the figure: use the Fair Work Pay Calculator (https://calculate.fairwork.gov.au/) with your award. For the basics, see Apprentice wages in Australia.

• •Wages for all ordinary hours, including time spent at trade school, which Fair Work treats as paid working time.
• •Superannuation on top of wages, plus any award allowances such as tool or travel allowances.
• •Training fees and textbooks: many trade awards require you to reimburse the apprentice's RTO fees and set textbooks (or pay the RTO directly), as long as they are making satisfactory progress.
• •Workers compensation premiums, PPE, and the time you or a senior tradesperson spends teaching instead of producing.
• •Federal and state incentives can offset some of this. See Apprentice employer incentives in Australia: what you can claim, and do not build your budget around a payment until your provider has confirmed eligibility.

Pick the right qualification

Every apprenticeship is tied to a nationally recognised qualification, usually a Certificate III in the trade. Choose the one that matches the work your business actually does, because the apprentice has to be able to practise every unit in the training plan on your jobs. For example, an electrician apprentice would normally do the Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician, and a plumbing apprentice the Certificate III in Plumbing.

Your Apprentice Connect Australia provider can confirm the qualification is approved as an apprenticeship in your state, and the RTO can tell you whether your work covers all the units. If it does not, ask about other ways to cover the gaps before you sign.

Supervision rules for licensed trades

In licensed trades such as electrical and plumbing, the law sets who can supervise an apprentice and how closely. The apprentice works under the licence of a qualified tradesperson, and that licence holder carries responsibility for the work. These rules come from state regulators, so they vary between states and can change.

If you are a builder or contractor without the relevant licence, you still need a properly licensed tradesperson on site supervising any apprentice doing licensed work. Check your state regulator's rules before the apprentice starts, not after an inspector asks.

• •NSW electrical: since 1 September 2024, following the Supervision Practice Standard is a mandatory condition of an electrician's licence. It sets direct supervision at one licensed electrician to one apprentice, general supervision at one to three, and broad supervision at one to five, with a table of minimum supervision levels by task. Breaches can lead to fines, licence suspension or cancellation.
• •Queensland electrical: the Electrical Safety Office tells licensed electrical contractors they must ensure apprentices are supervised at all times, with the level of supervision matched to the risk of the task and the apprentice's experience.
• •Victoria plumbing: the Building and Plumbing Commission says plumbing work must be done by someone licensed or registered in that class of work, or by a person in training under the supervision of a licensed plumber.
• •Other trades and states have their own rules, including gasfitting and refrigeration. Ask your licensing regulator or industry association what applies to you.

Finding a candidate

Good apprentices come from lots of places. Look for reliability, a willingness to learn and basic maths and literacy as much as any prior experience. A short paid trial day is common, but check the award and Fair Work rules before asking anyone to work unpaid.

• •Local high schools and career advisers, especially students already doing a VET or school-based course in your trade.
• •Pre-apprenticeship course graduates from TAFE and private RTOs: they already know the basics, safety and tool names.
• •Group training organisations, which recruit and screen candidates and can place one with you as a host employer. See Group Training Organisations (GTOs) explained.
• •Job ads on the usual job boards, your social media, word of mouth and industry associations.
• •Apprentice Match at /match, where ABN-verified employers can find apprentice candidates who have chosen to be contacted.
• •Your Apprentice Connect Australia provider, who can also help with recruitment and pre-employment advice.

Sign the training contract with an Apprentice Connect Australia provider

Once you have made an offer, contact an Apprentice Connect Australia provider. These providers are contracted by the federal Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, their service is free, and you must go through one to start an apprenticeship. They prepare the training contract, get it signed by you and the apprentice (and a parent or guardian if the apprentice is under 18), check eligibility for incentives, and lodge it with your state training authority.

Do not leave this until later. Deadlines are set by each state. In NSW the contract must be lodged within 28 days of the person starting work, and late lodgements need written reasons. In Queensland all parties must sign within 14 days of the start date and the contract must reach your provider within 28 days. Apprenticeships Victoria says to sign within 14 days of the apprentice starting work, and Victorian employers also need to be approved by the VRQA. Other states have their own timeframes, so confirm yours with your provider or see your state guide (for example Apprenticeships in NSW: incentives, fee-free training and where to start or Apprenticeships in Victoria: incentives, Free TAFE and where to start).

Timing also matters for incentives. The Australian Government is changing the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System from 1 January 2027: support will be focused on small and medium employers, large employers will no longer be eligible for new commencements, and the department's 2026 to 27 Budget factsheet says employers who commence an eligible apprentice before 1 January 2027 keep the current rates. The commencement date on the training contract decides which rules apply. Check current amounts on the official pages or Apprentice employer incentives in Australia: what you can claim, as at November 2026.

Choose the RTO and agree the training plan

The registered training organisation (RTO) delivers the off-the-job training and assesses the apprentice. It can be a TAFE or a private RTO, and the apprentice should have a say in the choice. Once it takes on the role, the RTO works with you and the apprentice to write a training plan covering what is learned at trade school and on the job, and when.

When comparing RTOs, ask about block release versus day release, travel time from your area, fees after any state funding, and how they report progress. In Victoria, Apprenticeships Victoria says the apprentice should be enrolled in formal training within three months of starting. Once training starts, you must release the apprentice to attend and keep giving them work that matches the plan.

Use the probation period properly

Every apprenticeship starts with a probation period. In NSW it runs from one to three months depending on the trade's training rules. In Queensland it is usually 90 days for an apprenticeship, and it can be extended but not beyond six months from the start date. Check the length in your state with your provider.

Use this time for a proper induction covering safety, site rules, who to ask for help and what you expect. Give honest feedback early. During probation either side can usually end the arrangement in writing, but you still need to tell your provider or training authority. In Queensland that notice is due within 7 days of the end date.

Set up pay, super and workers compensation

Find the award that covers your business and the apprentice's trade. For example, many electrical contractors use the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award, plumbers the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award, and many builders the Building and Construction General On-site Award. If your business has an enterprise agreement, that may apply instead. Use the Fair Work Pay Calculator to get the right rate for the apprentice's year, age and hours, and set calendar reminders to move them up each year. For your wider legal duties, see Your obligations when you employ an apprentice.

Workers compensation is run by each state, and apprentices usually trigger cover even for tiny businesses. In NSW, icare says you are only exempt from needing a policy if you pay $7,500 or less in wages a year and do not hire an apprentice or trainee. WorkSafe Victoria says that if you hire even one apprentice or trainee you must register for WorkCover insurance, regardless of your wages bill. Sort out your policy before day one, and check your state's scheme for any apprentice premium discounts.

School-based apprentices

A school-based apprenticeship lets a student in Years 10 to 12 (depending on the state) start their trade while finishing school, working with you part time around their timetable. It is a good way to test a young person before committing to a full-time apprentice, and many convert to full time after school.

The school, the provider and the RTO all need to agree the arrangement, and each state sets minimum work and training hours. Pay works differently: Fair Work says that under many awards a school-based apprentice is paid for hours worked plus an extra 25 per cent loading to cover training time, rather than being paid for each hour at trade school. Check your award and the Fair Work school-based guidance before you set up payroll.

If it does not work out

The training contract and the employment relationship are linked but separate, and both need to be ended properly. Simply letting the apprentice go after probation does not cancel the training contract, and getting it wrong can expose you to Fair Work claims.

After probation, the usual route is cancellation by mutual agreement in writing, lodged through your provider or the state training authority. If you cannot agree, the state authority decides, and it may look at whether you have tried to resolve the problem first. Other options include suspending the contract or transferring it to another employer, which can keep the apprentice in their trade. Talk to your provider early when problems start, and get advice from Fair Work or your state training authority before taking action.

• •During probation: give written notice and notify your provider or training authority promptly.
• •After probation: cancellation generally needs mutual agreement or a decision by the state training authority.
• •Alternatives: extend probation (where allowed), suspend, or transfer the contract to a new employer.
• •Closing or restructuring the business: tell your provider, as the authority can deal with the contract in these situations.