Employing a trainee or apprentice

Registration

Under the new Training and Skills Development Act 2008, if you wish to employ trainees or apprentices your business must be registered by Traineeship and Apprenticeship Services (TAS) in the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology (DFEEST) before you enter into a training contract with a trainee or apprentice. Registered employers will be placed on the State Training and Skills Register.

You will need to complete an Employer Registration Application Form and forward it to TAS. A TAS consultant will contact you to assess your ability to meet the registration criteria and arrange a worksite visit. If you meet the criteria, your business will be registered for up to five years.

If you already have a training contract with a trainee or apprentice, you will be automatically registered for five years from the proclamation date of the new Act, that is, 1 September 2008.  After that period, you may apply to renew your registration for up to five years.

Training and Skills Development Act 2008 PDF
Training and Skills Register 
Contracts and other documents 

Finding a trainee or apprentice

If you haven’t already identified the trainee or apprentice for your business, consult the Step by Step Guide to Employing Trainees and Apprentices. An Australian Apprenticeships Centre (AAC) can advise you about the process of signing up a trainee or apprentice and let you know about any Commonwealth incentives you may be eligible for.

You will need to complete a training contract with the trainee or apprentice and choose a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to deliver the training for the qualification. The RTO, the trainee or apprentice and you will need to negotiate a Training Plan, which will form part of the contract. The AAC should lodge the contract with Traineeship and Apprenticeship Services (TAS) for approval within 4 weeks of you signing the contract.

Trainees or apprentices may be eligible for State Government User Choice training subsidies, which help pay for the cost of gaining their qualification. They may also be eligible for travel and accommodation allowances if they are required to attend off the job training which is more than 150 km for a round trip.

You should also appoint a supervisor and mentor to oversee the trainee’s/apprentice’s on the job training.

Step by step guide to employing trainees and apprentices PDF
Australian Apprenticeships Centres in South Australia
Drought Apprenticeship Retention Program

Legal obligations

TAS will work with you and provide support to enable you to meet your legal obligations under Part 4 of the Training and Skills Development Act 2008. However, if you fail to comply with the Act, TAS may issue verbal advice or a letter of warning.  Where the non-compliance is not remedied or is considered more serious, more formal compliance action may be initiated by the department.

Enforcement of the Training and Skills Development Act 2008 PDF