Apprenticeships and traineeships are employment based training arrangements approved in NSW under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001.
School based apprenticeships and traineeships allow employers to take on school students as part-time apprentices and trainees while they are studying for the Higher School Certificate. They also enable students to attain a nationally recognised Vocational Education and Training qualification as well as their Higher School Certificate and gain valuable work skills and experience through paid employment.
The employment undertaken by the school based apprentice or trainee forms part of the training contract entered into by the student with the employer (and the parent or carer when the student is under 18).
The student’s school is not a party to that contract but releases the student to complete the employment and training requirements of the contract that occur during term time.
In some cases the school may deliver or facilitate the delivery of the off the job (formal) training component of the apprenticeship or traineeship. In other cases, TAFE NSW or another registered training organisation will deliver the training.
An on-going employment and training relationship will exist between the student, the employer and the registered training organisation for the entire term of the student’s apprenticeship or traineeship.