How to find and hire an apprentice
Register with Department of State Development
When you employ an apprentice you have a duty of care to your employee and a responsibility to deliver the training they need to become competent in their chosen career. To make sure you and your apprentice are both set up for success, all employers are required to register with us. This involves providing details of:
- your business and the way it operates
- relevant professional and occupational licences
- worksites where your apprentice will receive on-the-job training
- the range of work and experience you can offer an apprentice.
Prior to submitting your application, you will complete a declaration confirming that you can provide appropriate employment, supervision and training for your apprentice.
Step 2: Choose an Apprentice Connect Australia Provider (ACAP)
These support providers or ACAP's, help you with all aspects of hiring and managing apprentices and trainees including:
- how to register with us
- choosing a qualification, you can also browse available courses here.
- finding apprentices/trainees
- checking your eligibility for financial incentives
- choosing a training provider or Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to create the training plan, and monitor and manage your apprentice/trainee's off-the-job training
- signing the training contract.
Find your apprentice/trainee
There are a few tactics you can use to find the right apprentice for your needs:
- advertise online through websites such as SEEK
- contact a Group Training Organisation or GTO - a specialist organisation which helps connect apprentices and employers
- advertise through your business channels, e.g., your place of business, website, LinkedIn profile, existing internal and external networks or word of mouth
- conduct an interview process as you would for any other position to find the candidate best suited to your workplace culture
Apprentices for small businesses
Taking on an apprentice can be hugely rewarding for small businesses, but sometimes you’re not sure you can offer the range of experience an apprentice needs, or commit to the full term of a training contract.
Group Training Organisations can help.
Group Training Organisations employ apprentices directly, and then place them with you – the host employer – to get the on-the-job training they need. You might provide all their on-the-job training, or you might share them with another business so the apprentice gets the diversity of experience they need to become competent in their chosen career.
As the employer, the Group Training Organisation:
- recruits apprentices
- pays wages, allowances, superannuation, workers compensation, leave, and other employment benefits
- manages on and off-the-job training
- provides support the apprentices need to complete their training.
If you choose to hire an apprentice through a Group Training Organisation you will still need to meet the supervision requirements for your apprentice, but you will not need to register your business with us.
Get started
Once you've found your new apprentice or trainee, you will initiate a training plan.
Your ACAP will drive the following official processes:
- signing the training contract with your apprentice
- obtaining approval of the training contract by the regulator.