Temporary closure of Apprenticeship Office
Christmas 2018 and 2019 new year period
The Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office will be closed from 4.30 pm Friday 21 December 2018 to 8.30 am Wednesday 2 January 2019 Western Standard Time.
The 13 19 54 information hotline will not operate during the temporary closure period. Please email your enquiry to ApprenticeshipOffice@dtwd.wa.gov.au and we will respond to your enquiry in the new year.
- Training contracts can continue to be lodged during the closure period, and will be assessed from 2 January 2019
- Training contract changes can be submitted via the Western Australian Apprenticeship Management System (WAAMS) portal during the closure period
- Emails or training contract related requests received in the Apprenticeship Office email boxes during the closure will be actioned after the Apprenticeship Office reopens in the new year
From everyone at Apprenticeship Office, we would like to wish you well over the festive season.
New apprenticeship and traineeship policy released
More user-friendly, and streamlined for all stakeholders
Following extensive consultation with stakeholders, the Department has updated its Apprenticeship and traineeship policy (A&T policy). The revised policy came into effect on 29 November 2018, and is now available on our website.
View the new Apprenticeship and traineeship policy
The new A&T policy has been simplified to make it more user friendly for apprentices, trainees, employers, registered training organisations, AASNs, GTOs, students, parents and schools. The key changes are as follows.
- All related policy documents are now incorporated. This includes the School-based apprenticeship policy; Travel and accommodation allowance (TAA) policy; Trade skills recognition policy; and the Trade certificate policy.
- The policy includes web links for easy access to program information and fact sheets and forms for employers, apprentices, registered training organisations and other providers operating in the apprenticeship system.
- The strengthening of eligibility criteria for Western Australian trade certificates, including those issued under the trade skills recognition (TSR) process, to ensure the integrity of the application and assessment processes. The new eligibility criteria come into effect on 1 January 2019.
- Individuals who are qualified tradespersons in an Australian state or territory other than WA are now able to apply for a WA trade certificate if they meet the requirements.
- The policy reflects recent changes to regulations which clarify requirements around training plans, including for school-based apprentices and trainees.
Several fact sheets on the Apprenticeship Office website have been updated to align with the new policy, and the following new fact sheets have been developed.
| Title | Location |
| Applying for a WA trade certificate by interstate tradespeople | Other publications |
| Applying for a WA trade certificate via trade skills recognition (effective from 1 January 2019) | Information for RTOs, and also in Other publications |
| Eligibility for a WA trade certificate | Other publications |
| Training contract and exemption notices for children of compulsory school age | Training contract forms and fact sheets |
New fact sheet and calculator tool to determine employment status for traineeship training contracts
The Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office recognises stakeholders' need for guidance on the determination of a person's employment status (ie; new entrant or existing worker) when entering into a training contract.
A new fact sheet and calculator tool have been developed to provide information to stakeholders, and to assist with the calculation of the relevant periods. They are both available on the Apprenticeship Office website, under 'Other publications'.
Updated fact sheet/form: Suspension of a training contract for serious misconduct
The Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office has recently undertaken a review of the process for an employer to suspend a training contract due to apprentice’s serious misconduct. The associated fact sheet and form has been reviewed and updated – please ensure you are using the current version of the form when submitting requests to Apprenticeship Office.
New FAQs – What happens when an RTO no longer provides training?
The Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office is committed to providing guidance to stakeholders when a registered training organisation (RTO) no longer provides training. To assist stakeholders to determine options available for apprentices and employers when confronted with this scenario, a new fact sheet outlining a serious of frequently asked questions and answers has been developed.
Registered training organisations: Information session
An invitation from Apprenticeship Office to all RTOs.
The Department of Training and Workforce Development is committed to engaging stakeholders in the Western Australian apprenticeship and traineeship system on a regular basis, and providing updates on changes that may impact their operations.
The Department’s Apprenticeship Office and Policy, Planning and Research branch would like to invite you to an information session in which a number of topics will be covered, including:
- the distinction between Class A and Class B qualifications, delivery and conferral;
- the proposed changes to issuing trade certificates under the trade skills recognition process;
- training contract completion requirements; and
- training plan signing and notification requirements.
You can attend the information session either in person or via online live streaming.
| When | Thursday 20 September 2018 9.30 am to 12.00 pm |
| Where | Keirp Nyinalungup (formerly Town Hall), ground floor Department of Training and Workforce Development Optima Building 16 Parkland Road, Osborne Park |
Registration closes at 4.00 pm on Thursday 13 September 2018.
You are also invited to submit any questions in relation to the above-mentioned topics via email to apprenticeshipoffice.compliance@dtwd.wa.gov.au by Friday 14 September 2018. The Department will endeavour to respond to all questions at the information session.
Minimum wage rates raise from 1 July
Pay rates for apprentices and trainees also set to rise
On 13 June, the WA Industrial Relations Commission increased the state minimum wage for adult award free employees and all pay rates in WA awards effective from the first pay period on or after 1 July 2018. Junior rates and rates for apprentices and trainees will also increase.
Location allowances for employees working in regional areas are also increasing from 1 July 2018.
The new pay rates will be available on the Wageline website by Friday 29 June 2018
WAAMS set to launch on 14 May
New online portal to benefit employers, apprentices and RTOs
On 14 May 2018 the Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office will release a new training record management system, the Western Australian Apprenticeship Management System (WAAMS). WAAMS has an online client portal that will deliver significant benefits, including 24/7 online access to view and manage training contracts and greater flexibility to manage your personal details and/or those of your organisation. For most types of training contract changes, you can submit requests (either individually or in bulk) in the client portal, replacing the current requirement to submit forms via email to the Apprenticeship Office. Where possible, your change requests will be instantly approved.
WAAMS will replace the current Training Record System (TRS) and as a consequence TRS will be decommissioned when WAAMS is released. Additionally, a blackout period will be put in place from 4 pm Wednesday 9 May to 9am Monday 14 May 2018. During this period, the interface between TRS and external systems such as TYIMS and ASRI will be disabled. In addition, no transactions such as training contract registrations or variations will be processed in TRS. You can continue to submit training contract change requests via email to the Apprenticeship Office during the blackout period and they will be processed as soon as WAAMS is released.
The invitation to stakeholders to access the WAAMS client portal will be sent via the following staged process.
- Stage 1: On Monday 14 May RTOs, AASN providers and employers currently have access to TRS will receive an email invitation for them to create a WAAMS client portal account.
- Stage 2: On 18 June all other employers with active training contracts who did not receive an invitation in Stage 1 will receive the email invitation.
- Stage 3: On 9 July apprentices (and guardians if applicable) in an active training contract will receive the email invitation to WAAMS.
Stakeholders in Stage 2 and 3 can continue to submit training contract change requests to the Apprenticeship Office by email until they receive the WAAMS portal invitation.
Please follow the instructions provided in the portal invitation to register as a user and access the portal once the registration process is completed.
A series of WAAMS how-to videos are now available on the Apprenticeship Office website. More videos on specific functions and features of the WAAMS client portal will be available in the near future.
The Apprenticeship Office will continue to conduct training sessions following the WAAMS release and all stakeholders are encouraged to attend. Further details of these sessions will be distributed to stakeholders via email and published on the Apprenticeship Office website.
Apprenticeship Office engages with stakeholders
Well attended session included WAAMS preview
The Department of Training and Workforce Development’s Apprenticeship Office held a stakeholder engagement session which included a showcase of the new Western Australian Apprenticeship Management System (WAAMS) to an attentive audience earlier this month.
Approximately 200 people, including secondary school VET coordinators and staff from both group training and registered training organisations, attended either in person or online. The session was also an opportunity to present information about changes to vocational education and training (VET) regulations and systems.
Service Delivery Strategy Director Philip Wyles said the Apprenticeship Office was committed to providing information to help keep stakeholders of the apprenticeship and traineeship system up to date with any changes to systems and regulations that could impact on their operations. “Our main objective was to inform stakeholders about amendments to the Vocational Education and Training (General) Regulations 2009, and changes to the school based apprenticeship/traineeship arrangements.” he said. “The session was also an opportunity to demonstrate the functionality and benefits of the new WAAMS client portal. All private training providers who deliver training and assessments to apprentices or trainees in Western Australia will be encouraged to use WAAMS to notify the Department when training plans are signed and training contracts are completed. Employers and apprentices/trainees are also expected to the use the portal to manage their training contracts.”
Mr Wyles said feedback from Apprenticeship Office’s stakeholders showed a demand for stronger engagement with the Department on matters relevant to the apprenticeship system. “The Apprenticeship Office is committed to undertaking stakeholder engagement activities on a regular basis.” he said. “More than 185 people attended the previous training sector stakeholder information session we held in November last year. We have had a number of changes occur since that session, and given their impact, it was vital to give stakeholders an opportunity to have any questions they had about the changes answered.”
New and updated forms, fact sheets and FAQs
The Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office has updated a number of publications.
- Form – Notice to terminate a training contract
- Form – Notice to assign a training contract to a new employer
- Form – Notice to vary a training contract
- Fact sheet – Termination of a training contract without apprentice consent
- Fact sheet – Extending a training contract
- Fact sheet – Assignment of a training contract to a new employer
- Fact sheet – Training contract registration and assessment – Frequently asked questions
- Fact sheet – Training plans
- National training plan template
- Case study – Completion of a training contract
In addition, the following new fact sheets have been developed and published.
- Fact sheet – Employer’s eligibility to enter into a training contract
- Fact sheet – Cancellation of a training contract due to apprentice abandonment
- Fact sheet – School based apprenticeships and traineeships: Minimum hours per week
These documents are all available from the Training contract forms and fact sheets section of the Apprenticeship Office website at dtwd.wa.gov.au/apprenticeship-office.
New minimum part time hours for school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs)
Following extensive stakeholder consultation, the Minister for Education and Training has endorsed the setting of the minimum part time hours per week of paid work and supervised training for school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs).
The setting is identified on the Public Register of Prescribed VET Qualifications. It states:
- a school-based training contract comprises of:
- a minimum of 7.5 hours per week in paid work over the duration of the traineeship or apprenticeship, which can be averaged over six month periods; and
- training which may be supervised on the job, delivered off the job, or as some combination of on and off the job.
Please note that the setting identifies the minimum hours of paid work and allows employers and SBATs to negotiate longer hours of work, if required.
A new fact sheet School-based apprenticeships and traineeships: Minimum hours per week, is available on the Apprenticeship Office website under Training contract forms and factsheets.
Vocational Education and Training (General) Regulations amendments: New fact sheets
Following extensive consultation with stakeholders and with their support, on 29 December 2017 amendments to the Vocational Education and Training (General) Regulations 2009 were gazetted. These amendments will come into effect on 9 February 2018 and training contracts registered by the Department’s Apprenticeship Office on or after this date will be subject to the new requirements.
The changes simplify the timeframe for training providers to develop training plans for apprentices and trainees, clarify training plan requirements and ensure that schools are central to and can support school-based apprenticeship and traineeship (SBAT) arrangements. Overall, the changes will support quality training plans being developed in a timely manner that meet stakeholder needs.
Amendments include:
- changing the timeframe to sign a training plan to six weeks from the date that the parties are notified of the registration of the training contract. In most cases, this will give RTOs more time;
- making all parties aware of their obligations by clarifying that a new training plan is to be signed when there is a new training provider or employer. This will ensure that the same quality applies to the training arrangement after an assignment or variation;
- requiring training providers to notify the Department when a training plan has been signed so that the Department can ensure that training plans are being developed in the early phase of the training;
- requiring school endorsement of the training plan for all SBAT arrangements to ensure that schools are aware of and are supportive of the training arrangement. Completion and submission of the Education, Training and Employment Schedule or ETES form will no longer be required; and
- clarifying that home educated students will no longer be able to access SBAT, but will instead have access to a broader range of apprenticeships or traineeships under a part-time arrangement.
Further information on the amendments is provided in the fact sheets Changes to training plans and School-based apprenticeships and traineeships and changes to training plan requirements which are available on the Apprenticeship Office website under Training contract forms and fact sheets.
Updated forms and fact sheets relating to training plans, assignment and variations and the training plan template will be published on the Apprenticeship Office website on 9 February 2018. Please ensure you are using the current version of the forms when submitting requests to the Apprenticeship Office.
Temporary closure of Apprenticeship Office during Christmas and new year period
The Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office will be closed from 4.30 pm on Friday 22 December 2017 to 8.30 am on Tuesday 2 January 2018 Western Standard Time.
The 13 19 54 information hotline will not operate during the closure period. Please email your enquiry to ApprenticeshipOffice@dtwd.wa.gov.au and we will respond to your enquiry after the Apprenticeship Office reopens in the new year.
Training contracts can continue to be lodged during the closure. They will be held until assessment and processing resumes in the new year. Similarly, any emails, variation, extension or termination requests received in the Apprenticeship Office email boxes during the closure will be regarded as being received on the date of receipt. They will be actioned after the Apprenticeship Office reopens in the new year.
From everyone at Apprenticeship Office, we wish you a very enjoyable Christmas and a happy new year.
Changes to payroll tax exemption arrangements from 1 December 2017
On 30 November 2017 the Treasurer announced changes to be made to the payroll tax exemption arrangement for existing employees entering into traineeship training contracts. The Government will introduce a Bill into the Parliament in 2018 to amend the Pay-roll Tax Assessment Act 2002, with the changes to apply retrospectively to 1 December 2017.
Details of the proposed changes can be found at Office of State Revenue Circular 10. Any queries relating to the administration of the payroll tax exemption should be made to the Office of State Revenue on 08 9262 1300 or by web enquiry at osr.wa.gov.au/PayrollEnquiry.
The Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office will continue to assess and make decisions on requests relating to existing worker traineeships in accordance with the Vocational Education and Training Act 1996 and relevant Regulations.
Please note, under the proposed transitional arrangements for existing worker traineeships registered or lodged with the Department before 1 December 2017, the duration of the payroll tax exemption cannot be extended by suspending or varying the training contract. The transitional arrangements will only allow the payroll tax exemption to apply until the expected completion date of these training contracts as at 1 December 2017.
The Apprenticeship Office may also assess a worker’s employment status (ie; existing worker or new entrant) as part of its registration assessment or compliance assessment following the registration of a training contract. Guidelines on how to determine a worker’s employment status will be published in due course.
Fair Work Ombudsman guides for apprentices and employers
The Fair Work Ombudsman has developed guides for apprentices and employers that set out essential information about workplace rights and responsibilities, to assist them in understanding their rights and obligations.
You can download the following documents from the Fair Work Ombudsman's website at fairwork.gov.au.
New fact sheet: Casual workers and apprenticeships
The Department of Training and Workforce Development has developed a fact sheet on the eligibility of casual workers entering into a Western Australian apprenticeship training contract.
Training plan quality improvement consultation sessions
Working together to identify challenges and find solutions.
The Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office is committed to improving the quality and integrity of the apprenticeship system in Western Australia. The training plan is an important document because it sets out how the apprentice will receive quality structured training, both on and off the job.
The Department would like to work with stakeholders to examine some of the challenges faced by training providers in meeting the training plan requirements, and to identify strategies that may assist in overcoming these challenges.
With this in mind, the Apprenticeship Office has prepared a Training plan quality improvement strategy discussion paper. Training providers are invited to review this discussion paper and attend one of the following consultation sessions.
WhenWednesday 16 August 2017 |
WhereTraining Room 3, Ground Floor |
To register your attendance, please email apprenticeshipoffice.regulation@dtwd.wa.gov.au with your name and contact details and kindly state which session you wish to attend. This map gives you directions to find Prospect Place, and details of available free parking.
If you are unable to attend one of these sessions, you may provide written feedback on the discussion paper to us via email. Alternatively you may wish to join in to these sessions online – this attendee information sheet has full details of how to access that option.
Automatic upgrade of superseded qualifications for WA apprenticeships and traineeships
The Department of Training and Workforce Development sought feedback from stakeholders in October 2016 regarding a proposal to automate the upgrade of superseded qualifications where the transition period has ended.
Traditionally, RTOs have had to notify the Department every time a superseded qualification in a training contract needs to be upgraded to a replacement qualification. The Department recognises the administrative burden this practice places on RTOs.
The proposed automation to the upgrade of superseded qualifications where the transition period has ended provides the following benefit to stakeholders:
- removal of the need to notify the Department for a qualification upgrade; and
- instant update of the qualification information in a training contract record.
The Department has received overall positive feedback to this proposal and made necessary amendments to ensure the change meets stakeholder needs. It is planned that the change to TRS will be deployed in the evening on Thursday 8 June 2017.
For detailed information about this change, please refer to this frequently asked questions document.
If you have any questions regarding the above change, please call 13 19 54 or email ApprenticeshipOffice.Projects@dtwd.wa.gov.au.
New fact sheet - Training contracts and holders of temporary work (Skilled) (subclass 457)
The Department of Training and Workforce Development has developed, in conjunction with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Commonwealth Government Department of Education and Training, a fact sheet on the eligibility of Temporary work (skilled) visa (subclass 457) holders entering into a Western Australian apprenticeship or traineeship training contract.
The fact sheet, Training contracts and holders of temporary work (Skilled) (subclass 457), is available on our website under Training contract forms and fact sheets.
Workshop: training contract completion requirements
The Apprenticeship Office is committed to providing ongoing education to stakeholders with regards to our processes and compliance requirements. We will be offering a series of information sessions and workshops in the future and the details will be published on our website as they become available.
The following workshop focuses on training contract completion requirements, as prescribed in Regulation 52 of the VET Regulations:
Regulation 52 training contract completion requirements
When: 26 October 2016 2–3pm
Where: Ground Floor, Optima Centre Building B, 16 Parkland Road Osborne Park
This workshop is aimed at staff within registered training organisations who are responsible for advising the Apprenticeship Office of the training contract completion.
Apprenticeship Office's first anniversary
It is now over one year since the Apprenticeship Office was established on 1 July 2015. Below are some statistics from the actions during our first year of operation to 30 June 2016.
- Number of training contracts registered: 25 282
- Number of lodged contracts that had undergone further assessment: 9 063
- Number of training contracts where registration was refused: 98
- Average time taken to register a training contract: 6.5 days
- Number of variations to training contracts assessed and processed: 17 308
- Number of callers assisted: 22 578
- Number of contacts with employers/apprentices providing advice about training plans: 12 038
- Number of overdue training plans recovered: 4 760
- Number of training plans audited: 461
The Apprenticeship Office would like to thank our stakeholders for your support and cooperation over the last year. We look forward to continuing to work with you to improve the efficiency of the administration of training contracts and the quality and integrity of the apprenticeship system in Western Australia.