How to get a mining or construction apprenticeship

If you want a long career on site, get a trade. Tradies are the most sought after people on any site, and an apprenticeship is how you get there while being paid. It is also one of the few ways into the big operators with no experience. Here is how it works, and how to get picked.

How an apprenticeship works

An apprenticeship is a job and a qualification at the same time. You are employed, you work alongside qualified tradespeople, and you do your formal training with a registered training organisation, usually in blocks or one day a week. Most trade apprenticeships run for three to four years. At the end you are a qualified tradesperson.

There are two kinds of employer:

• A direct employer. A mining company, contractor or builder hires you as their apprentice.
• A group training organisation. They employ you and place you with host businesses. Useful when you are starting out. Group training and pre-apprenticeships, explained.

Traineeships are similar but shorter, often for operator, warehouse, admin or hospitality roles. Some dump truck and plant operator roles start as traineeships.

There is no upper age limit

Mature-age apprentices are real, and many employers like them, because they turn up, they are reliable and they have done some living. If you are thirty or forty and thinking about it, do not rule yourself out. Mature-age apprenticeships in mining and FIFO.

Which trades

On mining sites, the trades in steady demand are heavy duty diesel fitters, electricians, mechanical fitters, boilermakers and instrument technicians. On construction sites, add carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers, concreters, plasterers and more. Pick a trade you would actually enjoy doing for years, not just the one with the biggest pay packet in the ad.

Where apprenticeships are advertised

The big operators and contractors run apprentice intakes, often once a year, and the applications close well before the start date. Builders and smaller contractors hire all year round. Group training organisations advertise constantly. Your state government apprenticeship office and the federal apprenticeships site explain how it all works and link to free support. The Employer Map in the FIFO guide has the official apprenticeship page for every state.

The national starting point is apprenticeships.gov.au. It explains the system and links to free Apprentice Connect Australia Providers, who help you find and sign up for an apprenticeship.

How to get picked

Apprentice intakes get a lot of applications. The people who get picked are rarely the ones with the best school marks. They are the ones who show they will turn up, they are safe, and they actually want the trade. What employers look for in an apprentice application.

Three quick wins: get your White Card and a first aid certificate before you apply, get your driver’s licence if you can, and do something hands-on you can talk about, even if it is fixing cars in the shed. If you need it, a pre-apprenticeship shows you mean it.

Apply early, apply widely

Set alerts for the intakes. Apply to the operators, the contractors and a group training organisation at the same time. And if you miss an intake, take a labouring or trades assistant role in the meantime. Getting known on site is half of getting picked next time.

Get the Apprenticeship · A$29How employers pick apprentices, from someone who sits on the panel. The application, the aptitude test, the interview and a section for parents.Get it →

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