Are you in year 10, 11 or 12 and wondering if you should do a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship? Understanding what’s involved can help you decide and get you started on the right career path.
Understanding School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships
It’s important to know what a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship involves. It’s an opportunity to combine paid work, vocational training and your secondary school subjects in order to achieve a qualification and graduate high school. It’s like having a part-time job while you are in high school, but you are assessed and graded on your performance at your job as well as your school work.
How long will it take?
School-based apprenticeships and traineeships will take anywhere from one to four years to complete. For example, you can complete a business administration school-based traineeship through Year 11 and 12 and graduate high school with a Certificate III in Business Administration and two years’ work experience. An engineering trade apprenticeship, on the other hand, will take longer to complete as most of these are four years full-time, but starting as a school-based apprentice will give you a jump start on completing your trade qualification.
But I don’t have any experience yet
Employers will understand that you won’t have much working history or knowledge of your trade while you are still in school. What they look for is all in your attitude. We like to see someone who is keen, resilient, flexible and motivated. Above all it is important to recognise that an employer is not your teacher. If you want to learn you need to have the confidence to admit what you don’t know and ask questions.
Still wondering if you should do a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship?
If you are motivated and prepared to do the work and study hard during and after school, the answer is yes, you should certainly give it a go.
We encourage you to talk to your school Careers Adviser or Vocational Education Teachers about your options to balance study and a school-based apprenticeship.