How to Hire Your First Apprentice

You are flat out and you need another pair of hands. An apprentice is the cheapest way to grow your capacity — and the government will literally pay you to do it. But hiring your first one involves a training contract, a registered training organisation, award wages, and enough compliance to make your eyes water. Here is the no-nonsense walkthrough.

Step 1 — Are you actually ready?

An apprentice is not free labour. They need consistent work to learn on, direct supervision (especially early on), and patience. Before you commit, honestly ask yourself:

• Do you have enough work to keep them busy for at least 12 months?
• Can you supervise them safely on site, or will they be left alone?
• Can you handle the admin — payroll, super, training coordination, workers comp?
• Are you prepared to teach, not just tell?

If the supervision question worries you, a Group Training Organisation (GTO) is your answer — they handle the admin and you focus on teaching the trade.

Step 2 — GTO or direct hire?

Direct hire

You are the employer. You handle payroll, superannuation, workers comp, leave entitlements, training coordination with the RTO, and all compliance. You have full control but carry the full admin load.

Group Training Organisation

The GTO is the legal employer. They handle wages, super, workers comp, and compliance. The apprentice works at your business as a "host employer" — you teach them the trade and provide the work. The GTO charges a margin on the wage cost, but for a first-time employer, the reduction in admin risk is often worth it.

Step 3 — Finding your apprentice

• Apprentice Connect Australia — free government-funded service that matches you with candidates and handles paperwork. Start here.
• Local TAFEs and trade schools — contact the career services department. They have students looking for placements.
• Job boards — Seek, Indeed, and trade-specific boards. Write the ad like a human, not a HR department.
• Word of mouth — ask other tradies, suppliers, and your network. The best apprentices often come through recommendations.
• Trial day — before you commit, have the candidate shadow you for a day. You will learn more about their attitude in 8 hours on site than in any interview.

Step 4 — The training contract

Once you have picked your candidate, the next step is formalising the arrangement through an Apprentice Connect Australia Provider. They help you:

• Set up the training contract — the legal agreement between you, the apprentice, and the state training authority.
• Choose a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) — usually the local TAFE — for the formal study component.
• Create a training plan — what the apprentice will learn, in what order, and how it maps to the qualification.

There is a probation period (usually 30–90 days) where either party can exit without penalty. Use it honestly — if it is not working after two months, it is not going to magically improve.

Step 5 — Wages, super, and incentives

Apprentice wages are set by the relevant industry award (usually the Building and Construction General On-site Award or similar). First-year rates are modest — roughly $13–$16/hr for a school-leaver. You also owe 11.5% superannuation on every payment and must hold workers compensation insurance.

But here is where the numbers get interesting: government incentives can offset a significant chunk of the cost. Federal and state programs vary, but can include:

• Direct wage subsidies of $1,500–$4,000 per quarter.
• Completion bonuses when the apprentice finishes their qualification.
• Priority trade incentives for in-demand trades (electrical, plumbing, carpentry, etc.).
• Support for mature-age apprentices and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander apprentices.

Keeping them

Trade apprentice dropout rates in Australia are around 50%. The main reasons: poor treatment, boredom, feeling like cheap labour, and not learning anything. If you want to keep your apprentice past year one:

• Actually teach them — explain the why, not just the what.
• Give them progressively harder tasks as they grow, not the same cleanup work for four years.
• Pay attention to their TAFE progress and let them study.
• Treat them like a person, not a tool carrier. The industry has a reputation problem — be the exception.