School-based apprenticeships and traineeships
Version 16 - 24/6/2010 (Uncontrolled document when printed)
Operational Policy
1. Authority
Legislation
Vocational Education, Training and Employment Act 2000 (the Act) [PDF 1.2MB] available on the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel website
Industrial Relations Act 1999 Section 392 - Paying apprentices or trainees for supervised training
Other authority
Training and Employment Recognition Council delegations
Delegation 2 - Lodgement of training contract
Delegation 37 - Approval or refusal to register training contracts for school based apprentices in the electrotechnology industry
- TERC 1/12/2009 - Item 10.1: Approving applications to relax council's one-third rule limiting the amount of institutional training undertaken by school-based apprentices
- TERC 8/6/2004 - Item 12.2: Credit transfer for part-time and school-based apprentices and trainees to full-time arrangements
- TRC 26/11/2002 - Item 10.2: School-based apprentices in the electrotechnology industry
- TRC 4/10/2001 - Item 9.4: Minimum hours of paid work for SATs
Related documents
- Education, training and employment schedule example
- Amendment of school-based training contract form
- Review of days worked application
- Electro Skills Schools-based policy
2. Purpose
The purpose of this operational policy is to outline the specific requirements related to school-based apprenticeships and traineeships.
3. Terminology
SAT - means 'school-based apprentice or trainee'
ETES - means Education, Training and Employment Schedule
LUI - means 'Learner Unique Identifier'
QCE - means 'Queensland Certificate of Education'
QSA - means 'Queensland Studies Authority'
4. Definition
A school-based apprenticeship or traineeship is a contract of training and paid employment where a school student's timetable or curriculum reflects a combination of work, training and school study, which together lead to the award of a Senior Certificate or its equivalent, and progress towards a vocational qualification.
To clarify, SAT work and/or training arrangements will impact upon the school timetable (Ref: Papers to the Council's meeting of 31 May 2005, item 13.5).
5. Entry Requirements
In order to meet the above definition and be eligible to participate in a SAT the following requirements (approved by the Council on 3 August 2004 and updated on 5 June 2007) must be met:
5.1 enrolment in a registered government school, an accredited non-government school or a senior college; or registered with the Home Education Unit, Department of Education and Training (DET) as a home schooled student;
5.2 progress towards the attainment of a senior certificate or equivalent and/or a vocational qualification*;
* enrolment in the Senior Phase of Learning
* enrolment in the Transition Year (Year 10)
* in exceptional circumstances, students enrolled in the later portion of the Middle Phase of Learning (Years 8 and 9 only) may be considered eligible for participation in a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship. (See section 8 of this policy for further details.)
* students enrolled in the Early Phase of Learning (prep through to Year 3) and the first portion of the Middle Phase of Learning (Year 5 through to Year 7), are not eligible to participate in school-based apprenticeships or traineeships,
5.3 attendance at school, work and training (work and/or training must impact on the school timetable);
5.4 a training contract which links to an industrial award or agreement and is signed by the employer and the student in training;
5.5 schedule of education, training and employment, negotiated by the supervising registered training organisation and agreed/signed by all the parties, including the principal of the school where the student is enrolled (the education, training and employment schedule must demonstrate that the student is participating in work and/or training as part of his/her school timetable or curriculum);
5.6 a commitment to a minimum of 48 days of paid work (80 days for electrotechnology) in any 12 month period from the date of commencement of the school-based apprenticeship or traineeship ('day' as defined in the relevant industrial award).
For electrotechnology applicants, the Council requires the parties complete a pre-registration approval process. For more information on this process, see the 'Electro Skills School-based Policy'.
It is essential that the parties obtain the student's school principal's agreement to the school-based apprenticeship or traineeship arrangement early in the sign-up process as the student cannot be registered as a SAT without this agreement.
6. Waiving Of Entry Requirements
6.1 The Registration Management Entity has the delegated authority to waive, in special circumstances, one or more of the entry requirements.
6.2 If, in exceptional circumstances, the minimum of paid work (section 5.6) is unable to be met, the employer must make a written application directly to the Training and Employment Recognition Council to seek exemption from this requirement.
7. General Provisions Regarding School-Based Apprentices And Trainees
7.1 Apprentices are not allowed to complete more than one-third of the structured training component while under SAT arrangements without prior approval from the Training and Employment Recognition Council. The Council has authorised Directors - Training and Regional Managers - Training to approve applications to exceed the 1/3 rule in exceptional circumstances;
7.2 A trainee may complete the traineeship while at school, however this is not a requirement of the SAT. If not completed by the time the SAT leaves school, the training contract must be amended to part-time or full-time;
7.3 Students generally would not enter SAT arrangements after the end of semester one of their year 12 studies, so as not to overburden the student;
7.4 SATs can have the results of all components of the SAT recorded on their senior certificate.
8. Students Enrolled In Years 8 And 9
8.1 Students enrolled in years 8 and 9 may be considered eligible to enter a SAT provided 'exceptional circumstances' exist that would warrant consideration and all other entry requirements are met. Prior to entering into a training contract, a business case supporting the SAT arrangement must be submitted to, and approved by, the relevant Manager - Training or Regional Manager - Training.
8.2 The development and submission of a business case is the primary responsibility of the parties to the training contract, however, it may be facilitated by a third party (e.g. school, SRTO).
8.3 The business case must be supported by the SAT, parent/guardian, employer, school and RTO who is likely to provide training under the proposed arrangement.
8.4 The business case will include the following evidence to support the application:
- what is considered to be the 'exceptional circumstance/s' that warrant consideration of the application (e.g. limited employment or training opportunities in a remote community; age and maturity of the student)
- the range of other options that have been considered by the school (e.g. work experience) prior to supporting the engagement of the student in a SAT
- how the school will accommodate the SAT arrangement within the existing curriculum
- how well the student is handling school and whether they have the capacity to take on the additional study load necessary to achieve the outcome of the SAT
- additional learning/support provided by the school and/or SRTO which will be available to support progress through the qualification
- the level of support, training and supervision that will be provided in the workplace
- any potential exposure to workplace risks associated with the particular employment arrangement.
9. Pattern Of School, Work And Training
9.1 The school timetable must be affected by either the work and/or training arrangements for the apprenticeship or traineeship to be considered school-based. The education, training and employment schedule, must clearly detail how the school timetable is affected - For example: 'Attends work on Wednesday afternoon instead of sport' or 'Training with SRTO on Friday morning during free period' or 'Maths A has been dropped to undertake SAT - work and training will occur when Maths A was scheduled'.
9.2 The pattern of work agreed within the schedule identifies the pattern of paid employment the SAT will undertake. The total number of hours of paid work must equate to the equivalent of a minimum of 48 days of full-time paid employment, as identified in the relevant industrial instrument for each year of the apprenticeship or traineeship. This can include standard days of work during the week or on weekends or periods of full-time work during the school holidays. This section of the schedule needs to be detailed so all parties are aware of when work will be undertaken and the school timetable can be accommodated.
9.3 The pattern of training agreed within the schedule identifies when training with the SRTO will occur. It must be detailed to show how, when and where training will occur so the school timetable can be accommodated - For example: 'Block training for 2 weeks during the September school holidays' or 'Training will occur every Tuesday afternoon from 2.00-5.00pm'.
9.4 Where a necessary timetable modification relates to a SAT, it will also be necessary for the school, SAT, employer and SRTO to negotiate an amendment to the schedule. The needs of the school take precedence over the needs of other parties in these negotiations. Provided the modification maintains definitional requirements for SATs, Training Queensland officers do not need advice of the changes. If the student moves to another school, a revised schedule is required to document the agreement of the new school to the pattern of work and training.
10. One-Third Rule Limiting Institutional Training Undertaken By School-Based Apprentices
10.1 The Council has determined that school-based apprentices be limited to undertaking a maximum of one-third of the institutional training required for their apprenticeship whilst under school-based arrangements. This restriction arose out of the Council's concern that some school-based apprentices may seek to undertake inappropriate amounts of college attendance without commensurate exposure to workplace experience to support this delivery.
10.2 This restriction does not apply to school-based traineeships.
10.3 The Council recognises there may be some exceptional circumstances where it would be desirable for an apprentice to undertake more than one-third of their institutional training whilst under school-based arrangements and has made the following determination in regard to these cases.
Process for deciding applications to relax the one-third rule:
The Council determined that Directors - Training and Regional Managers - Training would decide applications to relax Council's requirement that school-based apprentices be allowed to complete no more than one-third of their competencies whilst under school-based arrangements, and approved the criteria to be used in deciding these applications.
It should be noted, however, that the Council's approved criteria (shown below) allow Directors - Training and Regional Managers - Training to approve additional institutional training up to a maximum of 45% only, of the total number of competencies required for the apprenticeship.
In agreeing to this process, the Council expressed the view that such approvals are to be very much the exception and not routine.
Criteria to be used in deciding applications to relax the one-third rule:
(1) The application, including the reason the apprentice should be allowed to undertake additional institutional training, must be made to the local regional office of Training Queensland and, where possible, should be supported in writing by the employer, apprentice, guardian, school and supervising registered training organisation.
(2) Applications must be considered on a case-by-case basis and all parties advised of the outcome, in writing, by the Director - Training or Regional Manager - Training.
(3) The school-based apprentice should be making solid progress in the apprenticeship to date.
(4) There must be a genuine opportunity for the school-based apprentice to continue in the apprenticeship under full-time or part-time arrangements with the same employer after leaving school.
(5) The workplace experience of the school-based apprentice must be such that their competency on the job is commensurate with the competencies they have achieved at college.
(6) If approved, the apprentice should not complete more than 45% of the competencies for the apprenticeship whilst under school-based arrangements.
(7) Where an application is approved, the school-based apprenticeship should be targeted for monitoring of progress.
(8) Reports are to be furnished to the council on decisions made in respect of these matters for each meeting of the council.
Recording and reporting decisions to the Council:
Decisions regarding relaxation of the one-third rule are to be recorded in the DELTA database and reported to the TERC in the Quarterly Report - Apprentice Retention and Completion Strategy.
11. Conversion On Leaving School
11.1 By definition, a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship is not considered to be 'school-based' once the student leaves or completes school. Therefore, arrangements to amend the training contract to full-time or part-time need to be made immediately after leaving or completing school. The Amendment of School-based Training Contract form should be used for this purpose. As this constitutes a notifiable event, the employer is primarily responsible for ensuring this occurs and the department is notified.
11.2 Should a dispute arise regarding the continuation or cancellation of the training contract, the matter should be addressed as a disputed cancellation.
11.3 An annual bulk mail out is initiated by the DET central office to help facilitate the conversion of SATs school-leavers to either full-time or part-time arrangements. This correspondence reminds the parties to convert if the training contract will not be completed by the time the SAT leaves school. This process may require follow-up actions by central and regional officers, partly due to difficulties associated with isolating potential Year 12 school-leavers from other SATs on the database. (See also the section below on 'Credit points towards Queensland Certificate of Education' in relation to this mail out.)
12. Probation
Probation periods for school-based programs are detailed within the operational procedure on Probationary periods .
13. Nominal Term
The nominal term for school-based programs is double that stated in the Queensland Training Information Service (QTIS) database for the full-time program.
14. Existing Workers' Policy
School-based arrangements are exempt from funding restrictions applied by the existing workers' policy.
15. Minimum Standard Of Entry
Minimum age or education requirements that may apply for entry into an apprenticeship or traineeship are detailed in QTIS. For general information on minimum age requirements, see the operational policy on Minimum age requirements for entry into apprenticeships and traineeships.
16. Travel And Accommodation Subsidies
Travel and accommodation claims by SATs are made on application through the relevant school sector (i.e. Education Queensland, the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and the Association of Independent Schools of Queensland Inc).
17. Training Delivered 100% On-The-Job
SATs are paid only for the time they spend working for their employer. Where the SAT's program is to be delivered 100% on-the-job, it is necessary to establish clearly what time is spent engaged in 'work' and what time is engaged in structured training. The schedule must document this.
18. Change Of School
When a SAT changes school, the apprentice or trainee should notify their SRTO and the Training Queensland regional office.
The parties to the training plan, including the student's new school, will need to review the training plan and the education, training and employment schedule. This will also ensure the new school is agreeable and aware the student is undertaking a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship.
When the Training Queensland regional office receives notification of a change of school, an officer is required to update the SAT's DELTA record to show the name of the new school. This will ensure any future mail sent by DETA, such as mail alerting them to conversion requirements, goes to the right school.
19. Suspension And Exclusion From School
19.1 SATs who are suspended from school remain as students and thus may continue their apprenticeship or traineeship under school-based arrangements. This suspension should not interfere with the SAT's training or employment and may provide an opportunity to increase workplace exposure during the period of suspension.
19.2 SATs excluded from school cannot, by definition, remain in their apprenticeship or traineeship under school-based arrangements. It is acknowledged that some excluded students may be able to re-enrol in other schools. However, for the period of time the apprentice or trainee is not enrolled at school, he/she is either a full-time or part-time apprentice or trainee. In other cases, excluded students forfeit that eligibility and must convert to either full-time or part-time employment and training arrangements. In both cases, an amendment to the training contract is required.
20. Stand-Down
Stand down provisions apply to SATs. Students participating in a school-based arrangement must undertake the equivalent of a minimum of 48 days of full-time paid employment (80 days for electrotechnology) for each year of the apprenticeship or traineeship. If a SAT is stood down, they are still required to work the required minimum number of days that year (that is, a 'make-up' day may need to be slotted in later in the year. For more information on stand downs, refer to the operational procedure on Temporary stand down under a registered training contract .
21. Adequate Training Arrangements
Normal supervisory and training requirements apply. For specific supervision information, officers should refer to the operational procedure on Adequate training arrangements.
22. Credit Points Towards Queensland Certificate Of Education
This section relates to credit points awarded by the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) to students on their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). It does not deal with time credit off the term of their apprenticeship or traineeship (which is a separate matter).
School-based apprentices and trainees are awarded credit points on their QCE for their apprenticeship or traineeship (up to a maximum of 4 points). These credits are awarded as follows:
- credit for the structured training component (awarded to both apprentices and trainees);
- credit for the on-the-job training component (awarded to apprentices only).
The student's Learner Unique Identifier (LUI) number provides a link between DELTA and the QSA database. If Training Queensland receives advice of an apprentice's LUI, they should enter this number into the apprentice/trainee's DELTA record.
An RTO providing structured training to a school-based apprentice or trainee has a responsibility to enter details progressively into the student's learning account, to enable the QSA to award appropriate credit points on the student's QCE. Training Queensland has no role in this process.
Training Queensland has a role in ensuring data on the number of days school-based apprentices have worked in their apprenticeship is available in DELTA, to enable the QSA to award appropriate credits on the apprentice/student's QCE. The number of credit points awarded on the QCE for days worked is in accordance with rules applied by the QSA.
When there is a change to the status of a school-based apprenticeship, DELTA will be automatically populated with the assumed number of days worked (based on the minimum working days per year requirement).
The following departmental mail (for school-based apprentices only) includes information on the allocation of credits:
- registration
- conversion
- amendment
- cancellation, and
- completion.
The correspondence tells the school-based apprentice how many (assumed) days worked DELTA has calculated and advises them that, if they disagree with this number, they should provide evidence of the actual number of days worked to their nearest regional office of Training Queensland. The Review of Days Worked application is available on the Apprenticeships Info website to assist them in notifying the department. Evidence could include, for example, pay records or a statutory declaration signed by the apprentice and their employer.
On receipt of advice of the number of actual days worked and supporting evidence, the Training Queensland processing officer should update the apprentice's DELTA record accordingly. This should be done as promptly as possible, bearing in mind there is an end-of-year cut-off date when the QSA retrieves the data for inclusion in that year's QCE mail out. (Amendments received after this cut-off date should still be processed promptly - the data may be needed by the QSA in the case of a QCE appeal.)
If Training Queensland receives notification of additional days worked, but does not receive supporting evidence, the apprentice must be allowed sufficient time (14 days) to produce the evidence. The processing officer should note the contact in DELTA and place a bring-up in DELTA for the period granted the apprentice to provide the evidence. If at the end of the bring-up period the apprentice has made no further contact, the officer should note this fact in DELTA and close the matter. It is not the responsibility of the officer to take further follow-up action.
Students who repeat Year 12 will only be awarded a QCE if they were not issued one previously. Points shown in the Senior Statement that repeating students receive will be cumulative, with achievement recorded for both repeated and initial learning.
Officers seeking more detailed information on the QCE and the related student learning account credit process can refer to the QCE Handbook which is available on the Queensland Studies Authority website. However, any enquiries particular to the QCE should be directed to the QSA.
23. Completion
Detail on completion processes can be found in the operational procedure on Completion of apprenticeship or traineeship.
24. Extension
Detail on requirements for extending a training contract can be found in the operational procedure on Extension of nominal term of an apprenticeship or traineeship.
25. Failure To Make Reasonable Progress
While the operational procedure on Failure to make reasonable progress applies equally to all classes of apprentice and trainee, officers must remain mindful of the special arrangements applying to SATs, particularly when the 'failure' relates to workplace competencies. When considering an employer-generated application, officers must look closely at:
- the employment schedule to determine whether it has provided for sufficient workplace exposure to support appropriate competency attainment
- whether the employer has complied with the hours of work agreed within the schedule
- the quality of training and supervision provided.
26. Alternative Schooling Arrangements
Some students may not attend school in the traditional sense and are schooled at home. If a student obtains their curriculum from a registered government school, accredited non-government school or senior college (including Distance Education), and all other requirements are met, they can be signed up as a school-based apprentice or trainee.
A student who is home schooled and is registered with the Home Education Unit may also be signed up as a SAT. Students in years 11 and 12 attending an Australian Technical/Trade College may also undertake a school-based apprenticeship.
Authorisation
This document accurately reflects the operational policy in respect of school-based apprenticeships and traineeships.
Original signed by Mr T. Maloney on 13/8/2007.
(Sighted and signed)
................................................................
Director
Industry Development