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Q. What is the purpose of Form ATF–012: Completion statement by supervising registered training organisation, employer and apprentice?

A. This is an alternative completion form to be used only for electrical apprenticeships.

The department has developed this form in conjunction with the Electrical Safety Office (ESO) to assist completing electrical apprentices to apply for an apprenticeship completion certificate AND an electrical licence using just the one form. The parties would complete this form and send it off to both this department (to consider issuing the completion certificate) AND to the Department of Justice and Attorney-General (to consider issuing an electrical licence).

If an AASN provider receives this form completed and signed, they should send it on to this department for processing.

Please note:

• This form is intended only as an alternative for use in completing ELECTRICAL APPRENTICESHIPS. • The parties may choose to use the standard Completion agreement form (ATF–011) instead of this

new form. • This form is considered as complete (for this department/AASN provider purposes) if all fields have

been completed, which would have been completed had form ATF–011 been used. The AASN provider is NOT required to follow-up on any missing ESO-related details on the form.

• If the parties choose to use this form, it is up to the apprentice to send a copy to the Department of Justice and Attorney-General. The AASN provider is NOT required to send-on the form to JAG.

Q. Can a training contract be completed while it is suspended?

A. No. Whilst a training contract is suspended there is no training and assessment in the apprenticeship or traineeship happening, so full competence could not be achieved with a date of effect which lies within the period of suspension. If training and/or assessment is occurring, then the parties need to apply to end the suspension period.

If the parties and SRTO agree that all training and assessment had been completed at, or before, the date on which the suspension commenced, then they should sign a completion agreement with a date of effect no later than the last day training and/or assessment occurred.

Q. What happens if a completion agreement is received with a proposed completion date which is after the nominal completion date?

A. We would accept a filled out completion agreement signed by the employer and apprentice/trainee, as the parties’ agreement that employment in the apprenticeship/traineeship continued up until the proposed

Further Education and Training Act 2014

Frequently asked questions

Information for Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) Providers

Completing an apprenticeship or traineeship

completion date. There is no need to obtain an application to extend the training contract provided a completion agreement has been signed.

Postponing completion after all competencies have been achieved Q. What happens if an employer has signed to verify that all training has been completed, but does not want to commence the apprenticeship/traineeship completion process?

An employer may have declined to complete and sign a completion agreement so they can continue the employment as an apprentice/trainee rather than allowing the person to progress.

A. An employer should not sign-off on all competencies if they do not consider that the apprentice/trainee is competent. However, if they have signed-off, the following processes apply:

IF THE APPRENTICE/TRAINEE WANTS TO COMPLETE—

The apprentice/trainee may pursue completion of the apprenticeship/traineeship, provided their SRTO agrees. If an apprentice/trainee contacts the AASN provider, the provider should advise them to contact their SRTO with a view to undertaking the “notification of intent to complete” process provided for in sections 48–50 of the FET Act. If the SRTO agrees to progress completion, the “Notice of intent to complete” form (ATF–033) which is available on the department’s website will assist them to initiate the process with the department. This process ensures apprentices/trainees are not disadvantaged by having to complete some sort of time-based arrangement even though they are ready to complete their apprenticeship/traineeship.

IF THE APPRENTICE/TRAINEE DOES NOT WANT TO COMPLETE—

For example: an employer may have signed-off their apprentice as having achieved all required competencies, and the apprentice may want to continue in the apprenticeship/traineeship to refine their skills or work in a particular part of the trade they are not fully comfortable with.

The SRTO must issue the qualification in accordance with the requirements of ASQA (the Australian Skills Quality Authority). Issue of the qualification does not impose a requirement on the department to complete the training contract immediately.

Even though the SRTO has issued the qualification, the apprentice/trainee and their employer may agree to a future completion date for the apprenticeship/traineeship and sign a completion agreement when that date arrives.

There seems little benefit in forcing the parties to complete if they both agree they want to continue. The wage issue is for them to resolve as issue of the qualification, in most cases, would mean they are progressing beyond apprentice wages (not all awards, but most with competency-based progression).

Releasing an apprentice/trainee’s completion details to prospective employers Q. When an apprentice/trainee ticks “Yes” on the completion agreement form, giving their consent to the department providing details of their completed apprenticeship/traineeship to a third party or prospective employer, how does the department use this information?

A. This information would assist the department to provide verification to a prospective employer that an apprentice/trainee has successfully completed through an apprenticeship/traineeship pathway.

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School-based traineeships Q. Can a school-based traineeship be completed if the trainee has not worked the minimum days required?

The department receives a number of requests to “approve” exemptions to the minimum employment requirement for school-based trainees to allow training contracts to be completed. Most commonly, this is due to the trainee having a medical condition which has prevented attendance in the workplace.

A. No. There is no exemption available to the minimum completion requirements and a school-based trainee must have worked a minimum of 50 days (375 hours) to be eligible to complete.

If a school-based trainee has missed a number of days during the period of their traineeship, they must either:

• continue as a school-based trainee to achieve the outstanding days/hours prior to submitting a completion agreement to the department for consideration; or

• if in year 12 and leaving school, amend to part-time or full-time and complete the outstanding days/hours under the full- or part-time arrangements prior to submitting a completion agreement to the department for consideration; or

• cancel the training contract if neither of the above is suitable.

While an employer has to make available a minimum of 50 days (375 hours) per 12-month period, it is recognised that school-based apprentices and trainees will miss some days due to sickness, school commitments, family holidays, etc.

Provided the department identifies that there was a genuine attempt to provide the minimum in the 12-month period and the days missed were due to circumstances beyond the employer’s control, a school-based traineeship completion can occur when the trainee reaches the minimum employment component, being 50 days (375 hours), even if the days are not all completed within a 12-month period.

PLEASE NOTE: This minimum work requirement applies to school-based traineeship completions only. It appears inconceivable that an apprenticeship could be completed whilst under school-based arrangements.

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