A school-based apprentice is a secondary school student who is starting their trade qualification while completing their high school education. Students generally start their training at the end of year 10 or at the beginning of year 11.

A training contract is signed and lodged the same way as for other apprenticeships.

Off-the-job training will be delivered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), for example TAFE. It can also be delivered by the apprentice’s school if they’re authorised to provide training. Training can be done a few hours a week or in blocks.

Awards can set out conditions of employment for school-based apprentices.

Working during a school-based apprenticeship

As well as school and off-the-job training, a school-based apprentice does paid work with their employer.

Paid work can be done during or outside school hours. The number of required hours and when paid work takes place will depend on the:

• needs of the employer
• rules in each state or territory
• industry or trade.

School-based apprentices get the same pay rates as other apprentices. Use our Pay Calculator to find pay rates.

Payment for off-the-job training

For school-based apprentices, payment for trade school isn't worked out based on the actual hours the employee attends training.

Instead, they’re paid for the hours they work on the job for their employer each week, plus an additional payment equal to 25% of these hours. This includes both ordinary and overtime hours.

The additional 25% isn’t a loading. School-based apprentices get the same minimum hourly rate of pay as other apprentices. 

Payment for off-the-job training can be averaged over a semester or year and only applies to full-time school students.

Example

Colleen is a school-based apprentice. She’s completing a hairdressing apprenticeship.

During the week, Colleen works 8 ordinary hours and 2 overtime hours in a salon, a total of 10 hours. In addition to the 10 hours of work, she will also be paid 25% of 10 hours to cover the time she spends in off-the-job training. 

Colleen will be paid:

• 8 hours at her ordinary hourly rate
• 2 hours at her overtime rate
• 25% of 10 hours at her ordinary hourly rate (2.5 hours).

Paid leave entitlements

The additional 25% of hours for off-the-job training is considered to be time worked. This means that paid leave entitlements such as annual leave will also accrue on those hours.

Example

James is a full time school student doing a school-based apprenticeship. He works 12 hours each week with his employer. 

As well as the 12 hours, James gets paid 3 hours per week for his off-the-job-training (25% of 12 hours). James is paid a total of 15 hours’ work each week.

After 3 months, James checks his annual leave balance. He has accrued 15 hours of annual leave in this time.

Overtime

While the additional 25% of hours for off-the-job training are considered to be time worked, they don't count towards ordinary hours when calculating overtime.

Working during school holidays

School-based apprentices may work additional hours with their employer over the school holidays.

During this time, they’ll still be paid for the additional 25% of the hours worked each week on the job to cover off the job training. This applies even if they aren’t completing any off the job training during the school holidays.

Example

Seb is a school-based apprentice.

During the first week of the school holidays, he works 36 ordinary hours on the job with his employer. He doesn’t work overtime.

As well as the 36 hours, Seb gets paid for an extra 9 hours (25% of 36 hours) to cover the time he spends in off-the-job training. He gets paid the additional 9 hours even though he’s not attending training during the school holidays.

This brings his total pay for the week to 45 hours.

Only the 36 hours worked on the job are considered when calculating overtime. 

This means that Seb is paid for 45 hours at his ordinary hourly rate.

Block release training

Block release training is a period of off-the-job training that may require an apprentice to attend trade school for several days or weeks in a row. They don’t perform on-the-job work for their employer during this time.

This is common where an RTO is not within a reasonable travelling distance for the apprentice to attend on a weekly basis.

An employer isn't required to pay a school-based apprentice for training time in periods where they don't perform any work on the job. This is because payment for training time is based on 25% of the hours they work on the job, not the actual time spent in off-the-job training.