Responsibilities

National Code of Good Practice for Apprenticeships and Traineeships 

This Code of Good Practice has been developed to assist both employers and apprentices and trainees entering into a Training Contract, with a clear understanding of each other’s obligations and expectations.

Both parties understand that there is a formal agreement to train the apprentice or trainee known as the training contract that sets out the legal obligations binding on the employer and the apprentice or trainee.

Both parties enter into the employment and training arrangement with a commitment to mutual respect, honesty and fairness.

Both parties agree to determine the qualification and the competencies that the apprentice or trainee is working to attain.

Both parties have a clear understanding of their contractual obligations including the duration of the Training Contract. Both parties are clear about available dispute resolution avenues and understand what is required to terminate the Contract.

The Employer will:  

Meet legal obligations  

This involves:

• Conforming with relevant Australian Government and State/Territory legislation, including that relating to apprenticeship and traineeship arrangements. 

Provide a safe working environment

This involves:

• Providing a safe workplace, free from workplace, verbal, physical, racial and sexual abuse.
• Ensuring that all occupational health and safety requirements are addressed.
• Provision of an appropriate introduction to the workplace, stressing those core occupational health and safety requirements essential to workplace safety.

Support structured training.  

This involves:

• Providing opportunities to develop knowledge and skills
• Lodging Training Contract documentation with the relevant authorities and selecting a Supervising Registered Training Organisation (SRTO) to enrol the apprentice or trainee with, within the timeframe determined by your State/Territory Training Authority.
• Participating in the development of the training plan and providing facilities and expertise to assist in the training of the apprentice or trainee in the agreed qualification (this may include on-the-job training, supervision from competent people, monitoring, or time off for off-the-job training).
• Ensuring that a record of training is maintained.
• Ensuring that the relevant authorities are notified on the completion of the Training Contract, or advising them in instances where the Training Contract is in danger of not being completed.
   

Provide supervision and support.

This involves:

• Providing the apprentice or trainee with a nominated workplace supervisor and could involve a coaching or mentoring arrangement, especially for apprentices or trainees with little experience of work.
• Being mindful that apprentices or trainees under the age of 18 are minors, and that their parents or guardians have legal responsibility for them.

Advise Apprentices or Trainees of their rights and responsibilities.

This involves:

• Ensuring that apprentices or trainees are encouraged to raise issues and problems both in the workplace and with the SRTO.
• Advising them of entitlements, such as wages and conditions etc.
• Ensuring that the apprentices or trainees are aware that help and assistance is also available from the relevant State/Territory Training Authority.
• Providing comprehensive induction processes for commencing apprentices or trainees to ensure that they are aware, from the time of commencement, of the proposed training program, workplace safety requirements and their rights and responsibilities.
• Notify the apprentices or trainees of any choices available for undertaking the training program.

The Apprentice or Trainee will:

Be aware of and make a commitment to fulfil work responsibilities.

This involves:

• Attending and performing work in a professional and courteous manner in accordance with the employer’s requirements.
• Taking care of workplace property and resources.
• Respecting the rights of other apprentices or trainees and employees in the workplace.
• Remembering that information obtained from the employer must be kept confidential and not disclosed without approval from the employer.
• Consent from a parent or guardian, if you are less than 18 years of age.
• Observe the conditions of the relevant employment agreement or award.
• Acknowledge that all workplace instructions and any other material which comes into the apprentice’s or trainee's possession as a result of the training, remains the property of the employer.

Be aware of and make a commitment to fulfil training responsibilities.  

This involves:

• Making all reasonable efforts to achieve the competencies specified in the training plan and undertaking any training and assessment required.
• Participating in the development of the training plan.
• Attending training sessions or supervised workplace activities and taking advantage of learning opportunities.
• Maintaining a record of training such as a training record book.