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Government of South Australia - Department of Industry, Innovation and ScienceOffice for Small Family and Business

Employing an apprentice or trainee

Apprentices and trainees can provide rewards for small business

Apprenticeships or traineeships are a really effective way to inject new ideas, knowledge and energy into your workforce and grow your business.

When you employ an apprentice or trainee, you get a cost-effective worker you can mould to fit your business, who can meet your current and future skill needs and bring fresh, new perspectives.

You can also access government support to take on an apprentice or trainee. If your plans to employ an apprentice or retain an existing one have been disrupted by Covid 19, state and federal government support is available to help you get back on track.

Find government support to help you employ apprentices and trainees.

Looking after your apprentice or trainee

When you take on an apprentice or trainee, you have the same responsibilities to them as you have for your other employees. These include:

  • Pay -Use the Fair Work Ombudsman pay calculator to work out how much you may need to pay your apprentice or trainee.
  • Conditions -Overtime, holidays, superannuation, personal leave. Use the Fair Work Ombudsman pay and conditions tool to work out what conditions your apprentice or trainee may be entitled to.
  • Safe workplace - As the business owner, you have a legal responsibility to ensure your apprentices or trainees, along with all your employees, have a safe workplace and you are managing risks. Go to work health and safety for more information.
  • Training - Apprentices and trainees need training and supervision delivered by a qualified and experienced worker to ensure they learn the skills required for their qualification.
Learn more at SafeWork

Where to start

Employing an apprentice or trainee in South Australia takes some simple steps and there’s plenty of support to help you.

Start by identifying the skills your business needs, then register with SkillsSA and choose an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network Provider to help you find an apprentice, check your eligibility for financial incentives, and sign the training contract.

Follow the steps to employ an apprentice or trainee in South Australia.

Australian Apprenticeship Support Network
Hiring an apprentice or trainee
Employer registration
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