Traineeships and Apprenticeships
Traineeships and apprenticeships are utilised at CSU to recruit and train new staff into existing positions, to provide employment opportunities for particular cohorts such as Indigenous people, people with a disability or school leavers, or to support existing staff to obtain or upgrade a nationally recognised vocational qualification.
A traineeship combines time at work with formal training. It can be full-time or part-time and may run from one to four years. At CSU the term apprenticeship is used to refer to the structured training required to obtain a trade certificate. However, all registered traineeships and apprenticeships are termed Australian Apprenticeships under Federal Government programs.
Australian Apprenticeships are governed by state and federal legislation and supported through a combination of state and federal subsidies and programs. They are registered through an Australian Apprenticeship Centre and may attract financial incentives depending on the eligibility of the trainee and the status of their employment. Further information on setting up a traineeship or apprenticeship and the external support available can be obtained from the Australian Apprentices web site and the State Training Services (NSW) or Education and Training (ACT). Up to date information on the subsidies and incentive payments available can be obtained from an Australian Apprenticeship Centre.
The NSW Department of Education and Training publication, A Complete Guide to Apprenticeships and Traineeships in NSW , provides comprehensive information on traineeships and apprenticeships in NSW.
There are four major steps to setting up a traineeship or apprenticeship. These are:
- Recruit a trainee or apprentice
- Contact an Australian Apprenticeship Centre. Once you have found the suitable candidate, you must contact your local Australian Apprenticeships Centre(AAC) to negotiate and sign the Australian Apprenticeship/Traineeship Training Contract. This is a legal requirement.
- Select an appropriate course and a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to deliver training The Australian Apprenticeship centre will assist with identifying an appropriate RTO.
- Prepare on the job training and allow time for course attendance or workbook completion, depending on the mode of study.
Alternatively, an apprenticeship/traineeship can be set up and administered through the Group Training scheme. At CSU Group Training will generally only be used in trades areas.
A new entrant traineeship/apprenticeship aims to provide the skills and competencies for a new recruit to undertake a position at a particular classification level, through a combination of on the job and formal training. New entrant traineeships will usually be implemented at, but are not restricted to, positions at General Levels 1-4. Remuneration at CSU is generally at a designated percentage of the base salary of the position for which the new recruit is being trained.
Tuition fees for new entrant traineeships/apprenticeships are paid by the state Department of Education and Training. However, the RTO may charge an administration fee. This may be waived for certain categories of trainees/apprentices (for example Indigenous trainees/apprentices, trainees/apprentices with a disability). Both employers and trainees/apprentices may be eligible for training incentive payments. In addition, Commonwealth wage incentives may be available, depending on the eligibility of the appointee.
Payroll tax rebates are available for the term of the traineeship/apprenticeship and apprenticeships are exempt from Work cover NSW premiums.
An existing worker traineeship supports an existing staff member to obtain or upgrade a nationally recognised vocational qualification in the workplace. Some advantages of creating a traineeship in the workplace are:
- it may be a useful strategy to support succession planning;
- it enables training and assessment to take place in the workplace rather than externally; and
- it may be a more cost effective way of undertaking a qualification by providing access to government subsidised vocational training aimed at existing workers (Productivity Placement Program).
Training costs for existing worker traineeships are met by the employer. However, existing staff members may attract a training incentive if they undertake a vocational qualification at Certificate Level III or IV which has a nominal 2 year term. Access to incentives depends on whether the staff member meets the eligibility requirements of the program and their prior qualifications. For detailed information on existing worker eligibility to attract incentives, contact an Australian Apprenticeship Centre in your region.
The University’s registered training organisation offers vocational qualifications tailored for University staff. The Certificate IV in Front Line Management is subsidised under a government program to reduce fees for existing staff, with the option of trainee incentive funding where the staff member is eligible. For more information on this and other qualifications available go to CSU Training
Group training is an arrangement whereby a Group Training Company employs a trainee or apprentice and hires them to other businesses while they are undertaking their training.
The Group Training Company acts as the primary employer and:
- selects the trainee/apprentice;
- manages the training;
- takes responsibility for all paperwork connected with wages, allowances, superannuation, workers compensation, sick/holiday pay and other employment benefits; and
- rotates the trainee/apprentice from business to business, where necessary, to ensure that he or she receives a broad range of training and experience.
Group training is an alternative for organisations which:
- are unable to guarantee ongoing work for the full term of the traineeship/apprenticeship; or
- might not have the range of work available to ensure that the trainee/apprentice gains all the necessary job skills for their relevant industry; or
- do not have the time to undertake all employment and training functions
For further information on Group Training go to Group Training Australia.
Although not paid employees, trainees appointed under a group training scheme should be inducted in the same way as all CSU staff. A Group Training Trainee/Apprentice Form should be completed as soon as the trainee details are known.
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