Apprentices and trainees
What is an apprenticeship?
What is a trainee?
Getting started
Work limitations while training
Your role as a supervisor
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a legally-binding training arrangement between an employer and an apprentice that combines structured training with paid employment.
Apprenticeships usually take four years to complete, with training taking place both at the workplace and with a training provider.
What is a trainee?
A trainee must undertake electrical training with a registered training organisation or be a student of electrical work under the supervision of teaching staff at an approved university, college or school.
Getting started
To become a qualified electrical worker, you will need to complete an apprenticeship or traineeship. You will learn the trade, supervised and on-the-job, as well as study at an approved registered training organisation.
For information on training to become an electrical worker contact:
-
Department of Employment and Training
Telephone: 1300 369 935
- Energy Skills Queensland (ESQ) (non-Queensland Government link)
Work limitations while training
Section 209 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (PDF, 1 MB) places limitations on work carried out by apprentices and trainees to protect them from electrical shock and injury.
In the first six months of the training program, an apprentice/trainee must not work:
- near a live high voltage exposed part or
- where there is a risk of coming into contact with a live low voltage exposed part
Throughout training, the apprentice or trainee must be supervised at all times by an appropriately licensed electrical worker.
Your role as a supervisor
An employer has an obligation to ensure apprentices are supervised at all times with a level of supervision having regard for the work performed and the level of training and competencies held by the trainee or apprentice.
Supervisors oversee the work of a trainee or apprentice so that the risk of injury or property damage is at least minimised – if not entirely eliminated.
Supervision of electrical work and the way it is performed includes:
- statutory compliance e.g. what work an apprentice is allowed to do
- health and safety matters
- technical compliance to Australian Standards (non-Queensland Government link) and
- implementation of a safe system of work
As a supervisor, you must be properly qualified and experienced in the work you are overseeing and your licence must be current.
Last updated July 28, 2005
Other languages