Apprenticeships and Traineeships Made Simple

By Sarah Fitzgibbon

January 10, 2018

Apprenticeships and Traineeships Made Simple

If you’re like most hospitality business owners and managers, when someone starts talking about apprenticeships and traineeships you tune out.

Sure you’re keen to train your staff, but it all seems too complicated…

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew the basics so you could confidently find and implement training that is relevant and valuable to you?

We’ve outlined all you need to know about apprenticeships and traineeships to make it easy for you to understand how they can work for your business.

So, firstly – why should you care?

Everyone knows that training is important for any business. But for hospitality businesses, it’s vital. Your staff serve your customers directly, and ultimately ensure your business’ success (or otherwise).

Accredited training, including apprenticeships and traineeships, can play an integral part in your overall training strategy, because;

It is designed to meet industry standards so you can be confident in a consistent outcome.
There are Government subsidies and financial incentives available for eligible programs.
When done right, it strengthens your in-house training.

What are apprenticeships and traineeships exactly?

Australian Apprenticeships is the official term that refers to both apprenticeships and traineeships.

Unfortunately these words are often used interchangeably, which can make it confusing for business owners and their employees.

But there are some similarities and some differences. So we’ve broken it down for you. Here’s the basics…

Both apprenticeships and traineeships are;

Nationally accredited training
Undertaken by students in employment
Delivered by a training provider – RTO (private) or TAFE (public)
Subsidised by the Victorian and/or Commonwealth Government where eligible
Attract Work Cover exemptions for enrolled students (Find out more about Work Cover exemptions for apprentices and trainees here and select Apprentices and Trainees from the drop down menu.)

However, only apprenticeships are;

Trade qualifications, which carry greater industry recognition
Attract additional financial incentives for employers of eligible students (Find out more about additional incentives available here.)

And, who are they for?

Apprenticeships and traineeships are training that is specifically for students in employment.

They are designed to meet your needs as an employer. And to produce job ready employees.

Both new staff and existing staff may be eligible for apprenticeships or traineeships.

Students still at high school can complete, or commence, an apprenticeship or traineeship as part of their VCE.

If you’d like to find out more about whether your staff are eligible, contact your local Australian Apprenticeship Support Network Provider, which you can find here.