Apprenticeships and Traineeships Policy

1. Purpose

This policy describes principles to:

support ongoing continuous improvement of courses for students enrolled as Australian Apprentices (apprentices and trainees and school-based apprentices)
meet Canberra Institute of Technology's (CIT) regulatory and compliance obligations.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

all students with an approved Australian Apprenticeship training contract enrolling in a nationally accredited training product
employers (including Group Training Organisations (GTOs)), host employers, and other parties interested in students enrolling in a nationally accredited training product as part of an Australian Apprenticeship
CIT staff including administration and teaching staff involved with the commencement, delivery and completion of an approved Australian Apprenticeship training contract.

Other CIT policies and procedures applying to all CIT students equally apply to students undertaking courses as part of an approved Australian Apprenticeship training contract.

This policy must be read in conjunction with:

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Standards Compliance Guide for Australian Apprentices
NSW Smart and Skilled Operating Guidelines and Policies
external legislation and regulations
internal policies and procedures listed below
other State and Territory guidelines.

In the event of any conflict, external regulations take precedence over this policy and Apprenticeships and Traineeships Procedure.

3. Principles

CIT is committed to providing students as Australian Apprentices with a student-centric, inclusive and supportive environment to:

maximise students’ chances of success in their chosen courses
assist students to reach their full academic potential and successfully complete their Australian Apprenticeship training
promote the principles of child safety, gender equality and mutual respect.

State Training Authorities determine which qualifications are available as Australian Apprenticeships and produce a register of approved Australian Apprenticeship qualifications. CIT has agreements in place with the ACT and New South Wales (NSW) governments to deliver subsidised Australian Apprenticeship training. The State Training Authority in the ACT is represented by Skills Canberra. The State Training Authority in NSW is represented by Training Services New South Wales (NSW).

The ACT Qualifications Register lists all available Australian Apprenticeship qualifications in the ACT. Qualifications available as Australian Apprenticeships in NSW are listed on the Training Services NSW website. All courses offered at CIT to Australian Apprentices align to the approved qualifications in the ACT and NSW.

As the awarding body for Australian Apprenticeship qualifications CIT will meet the requirements of the relevant State Training Authorities standards and compliance requirements.

CIT collaborates with industry (employers), Apprentice Connect Australian Providers (Providers), State and Territory Training Authorities in the development and delivery of Australian Apprenticeships.

Prior to application and enrolment at CIT, an Australian Apprentice will be:

employed with a Training Contract as an apprentice or trainee in the relevant state or territory jurisdiction in either a full time or part time capacity under an award or registered employment agreement
party to an Australian Apprenticeship Training Contract signed by both the apprentice and their employer and approved by the relevant State Training Authority.
involved in paid work and structured training (structured training may be delivered as off the job or workplace training)

The employer understands their role and obligations and CIT’s expectations as outlined in the Training Plan

Training to Australian Apprentices cannot occur without agreements in place with the relevant State or Territory Training Authority.

Australian Apprentices are informed of their rights and responsibilities with regards to assessment through:

course materials
the CIT website
the CIT learning management system (LMS).

CIT and each employer will work collaboratively to achieve the requirements of the Training Plan.

Training and assessment for Australian Apprentices may occur in a CIT facility or in a workplace setting.

Evidence of engagement by Australian Apprentices in each unit of competency will be collected, collated and reported in accordance with the requirements of State Training Authority to monitor and address poor progress (Refer Student Progression Policy and Procedures).

Australian Apprentices are required to actively participate in all learning activities.

Electronic attendance rolls will be established for all units for structured off the job training (Refer Attendance Policy and Procedures).

Evidence of workplace visits will be collected and attached to the Australian Apprentices student file in a timely manner.

All tuition and other fees will be set by the person delegated under the CIT financial delegations instrument.

3.1 Responsibilities

3.1.1 Senior Manager CIT Apprenticeships and Traineeships

The Senior Manager CIT Apprenticeships and Traineeships is responsible for:

maintaining CIT nominations of Australian Apprenticeship pathways with State and Territory Training Authorities
processing notifications for new entrant Australian Apprentices including School Based Apprentices and Trainees (ASBA)
Make initial contact with the Australian Apprentice and employer to inform them CIT has their training contract and next steps to finalise enrolment.
liaising with employers and Providers in relation to contract variations and contract cancellations
monitoring training contracts and liaising with State Training Authorities in relation to contract variations and Australian Apprenticeship records, unemployment, injury to or death of an Australian Apprentice
reporting training activity data to the relevant State Training Authority to ensure payments for training
creating templates for training plans based on the current Training and Assessment Strategy (TAS) and seeking approval for Training Plans from employers and apprentices/trainees
supporting teaching departments with training record book requirements
advising the relevant Training Authority and CIT Awards and Programs of the completion and / or partial completion of the training contract
liaising with the relevant State Training Authority where CIT cannot resolve apprentice concerns where there is any risk of non-completion
nominating qualifications with the relevant State Training Authority

3.1.2 Head of Department (Teaching)

Heads of Department are responsible for:

liaising with employers to match work duties to the requirements of the Training Plan
liaising with employers in relation to course suitability and preferred delivery
ensuring industry engagement informs the TAS
ensuring enrolment of Australian Apprentices in line with other CIT policies and procedures (e.g. skills recognition, transitions, etc.)
ensuring timely, accurate and up-to-date results are recorded in Banner for units of competency payments for Australian Apprentices to occur
keeping the Senior Manager CIT Apprenticeships and Traineeships informed of any significant information or changes regarding courses
nomination of qualifications with the relevant State or Territory Training Authority
monitoring the training plan
training record book requirements
working with educators to rectify any risks of non-completion and notifying CIT Apprenticeships and Traineeships if issues that might lead to non-completion cannot be resolved.

3.1.3 Department Administrative Officers/Student Services Officers

Department Administrative Officers and Student Support Officers are responsible for:

liaising closely with CIT Apprenticeships and Traineeships regarding Australian Apprentices enrolments and completion
supporting Australian Apprentices with enrolment and re-enrolment
notifying CIT Apprenticeships and Traineeships of any partial completions and any training contract variations
providing Australian Apprentices with information regarding courses, fees and charges
issuing an invoice during enrolment
promoting additional support options to Australian Apprentice
providing direction to appropriate areas to assist Australian Apprentices to find information and navigate CIT systems.

3.1.4 Educators

Educators are responsible for:

conducting an employer resource assessment to ensure the employer can provide appropriate support and supervision with on-the-job training (for new employers or employers who have not been engaged with CIT for more than 3 years)
delivering training in accordance with the training plan
working with the employer to ensure access to and support with on-the-job training.
referring Australian Apprentices to Student Support to access support services
scheduling and communicating details of delivery of training and assessment on –the-job with the Australian Apprentice and employer
monitoring and recording attendance for on-campus and workplace-based training in accordance with CIT Attendance Procedure
logging contact and progress against the Training Plan where training and assessment occurs on-the-job
completing individual records of contact, including running record sheet/s for all Structured Training Off-the-job and Structured Training Workplace-based training and assessment
maintaining a file of each Australian Apprentice's learning and assessment
liaising with employers in relation to attendance and academic progression
reviewing annually the Training Plan for each Australian Apprentice
providing the Australian Apprentice with a Training Record Book and monitoring progress to ensure the Training Record Book is completed in a timely manner and in accordance with the requirements of the Application and Enrolment Procedure and Resulting Procedure
monitoring and recording completions of each unit of competency in line with the Training Plan
organising and carrying visits to the workplace and recording any visits or contact in accordance with ACT Standards Compliance Guide for Australian Apprentices and NSW Smart and Skilled Operating Guidelines
ensuring all apprentice/trainee results are up-to-date on the Student Management System (SMS)
identifying any Australian Apprentices who need additional support with language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills development
formally recognising the contribution of existing skills and knowledge to completion of the Australian Apprentices' courses (Recognition of Prior Learning Procedure)
notifying the Head of Department if there are any risks of any Australian Apprentice not completing the apprenticeships/traineeship
arranging the sign off of final completion with the employer and Australian Apprentice if required by department the administrator.

3.1.5 Awards and Programs Manager

The Awards and Programs Manager is responsible for:

liaising with educators and Heads of Department in relation to timely and accurate records of Australian Apprentices’ completion
checking Australian Apprentice's record details and compliance in Banner before issuing a transcript and award
liaising closely with CIT Apprenticeships and Traineeships regarding the process for completing an Australian Apprenticeship

4. Documentation

4.1 Related Legislation/Regulation

Memorandum of Understanding - Subsidised Training between CIT and ACT Government
ACT Standards Compliance Guide for Australian Apprentices
NSW Smart and Skilled Operating Guidelines
State and Territory Training Authorities' Standard Guidelines
Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015

4.2 Related Policy and Procedures

4.3 Related Documents

Training Contract
Training Plan
Training Record Book

5. Definitions

All terminology used in this policy is consistent with definitions in the CIT Definitions of Terms. The following terms are provided in the context of this policy.

Australian Apprentice	Term used to describe both apprentices and trainees, who have entered an Australian Apprenticeships Training Contract.
Australian Apprenticeship Training Contract (aka Training Contract):	Means an agreement signed by the employer and the Australian Apprentice (and parent/guardian for apprentices under the age of 18), in accordance with the Act and Regulatory requirements detailing training conditions and the type of training the Australian Apprentice will receive.
On-the-job training	Under an Australian Apprenticeship, both the training provider and employer have an obligation to provide training to the apprentice/trainee. The training provider must provide formal training in the underpinning knowledge and skills and ensure the apprentice/trainee can apply their learning to the workplace tasks required for the unit of competency. The employer must provide informal training and learning in the workplace and ensure the apprentice/trainee has learnt and practiced the workplace tasks and skills required for the unit of competency, under appropriate supervision, to industry and company standards.
Partial Completion	When an Australian Apprentice withdraws from training and their training contract is cancelled and their intention is not to complete the qualification.
Providers	The Australian Government contracts Providers as the first point of contact about starting an Apprenticeship or Traineeship. Apprentice Connect Australia Providers (Providers) work with apprentices and employers from before an apprenticeship starts to identify individual needs, help apprentices to find the right pathway and support employers to better understand their roles and responsibilities in the workplace. Providers also provide support throughout the apprenticeship.
State and Territory Training Authorities	Government departments responsible for apprenticeships and traineeships within their jurisdiction. The State Training Authority in the ACT is represented by Skills Canberra. The State Training Authority in NSW is represented by Training Services New South Wales (NSW).
Structured Training (Off-the-job training)	Means the training and assessment that CIT delivers in a formal setting to Apprentices or Trainees. It is often referred to as 'trade school' or 'block release'.
Structured Training: Workplace-based	Means the training and assessment organised to take place in the workplace by the Training Provider for Apprentices or Trainees. It takes place when the Apprentice or Trainee is withdrawn from regular work duties.
Training Plan	All training delivered under an Australian Apprenticeships training contract is required to be documented in a training plan. The training plan sets out details of how, when and by whom training and assessment is conducted for the student to achieve the competencies required for a qualification.

6. Policy Contact Officer

Executive Director, Education Futures and Students.

Contact CIT Student Services on (02) 6207 3188 or email infoline@cit.edu.au for further information.

7. Procedures

This policy is implemented through the associated procedures. Authority to make changes to the procedures rests with the policy owner.

POLICY INFORMATION

Policy No: CIT2024/666
Approved: June 2024
Next Review: June 2027
Category: Training Policies
Policy Owner: Executive Director, Education Futures and Students

PROCEDURES/DOWNLOADS

Apprenticeships and Traineeships Procedure
(PDF File 411.6 KB)