If you want a trade but cannot get an apprenticeship straight away, two things can help: a pre-apprenticeship, and a group training organisation. Both are real doors. Both have catches. Here is how they look from the hiring side.
What a pre-apprenticeship is
A pre-apprenticeship is a short course that teaches you the basics of a trade before you are employed as an apprentice. You learn the tools, the safety rules and some of the early units of the qualification. Depending on the course, those units may count towards your apprenticeship later.
When it is worth it
From the hiring side, a pre-apprenticeship tells me two things: you are serious about this trade, and you will not be completely green on day one. That matters most when you have no other evidence. School leavers with no part-time work, career changers from a completely different industry, anyone whose application otherwise looks like everyone else’s.
It is worth less if you already have hands-on experience in the trade, or if you could get a labouring or trades assistant job on a site instead. Site time often counts for more.
What to check before you sign up
- Is the provider registered? Check it on training.gov.au.
- Which units does it include, and will they count? Ask whether they credit towards the full apprenticeship qualification.
- What does it cost? Some states subsidise pre-apprenticeships or make some courses fee-free. Check your state’s training site before you pay full price.
- Does it include work placement? Time on a real job is worth more than time in a workshop, and it is a chance to get known.
- What happened to the last group? Ask how many got apprenticeships afterwards. A good provider will tell you.
What a group training organisation is
A group training organisation, often called a GTO, employs apprentices and trainees and places them with host businesses. You are their employee. They handle the paperwork and your training arrangements, and they can move you to another host if one runs out of work.
For a lot of people, that is the easiest way in. Small builders and contractors who would never take on an apprentice directly will often host one through a GTO. Some larger companies use them too.
The catches with group training
You may move between hosts, which means less stability and more first days. Ask how placements work, how long they usually last, and what happens between them. And ask whether they place apprentices on mining or major construction projects, if that is where you want to end up.
Where to find both
Your state government apprenticeship and training office lists approved providers and subsidised courses. The federal site, apprenticeships.gov.au, explains the system and links to free Apprentice Connect Australia Providers who can help. The Employer Map in the FIFO guide has the official apprenticeship page for every state, plus labour hire firms that are also group training organisations.
Then read what employers look for in an apprentice application, so that when the door opens, you get picked.
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