Complete your apprenticeship or traineeship
Apprenticeships and traineeships are competency-based, not time-based.
Pre-requisites
You can start the formal completion process once you:
- have completed all units of competency in your training plan
- are competent in the workplace to industry standards
- and
- have worked enough hours (only applies to school-based apprentices and trainees).
Finishing earlier than expected
You can finish earlier than the 'nominal completion date' in your training contract if you meet the pre-requisites above.
Completion certificates
When you complete your apprenticeship or traineeship, you will receive:
- a 'qualification certificate' from your training organisation
- a 'completion certificate' from us, the Department of Trade, Employment and Training.
Step by step process
You, your employer and training organisation must all agree that you have fulfilled all the training and assessment listed in your training plan.
If you started as, or are, a school-based apprentice or trainee, you must also complete a minimum amount of paid working hours. This doesn't apply to other apprentices or trainees.
Your training organisation will issue you with a qualification certificate.
You, your employer and training organisation will all need to fill out a completion agreement. There are separate sections for each party within the form.
Form ATF-011 Completion agreement
If the training contract has been temporarily transferred, your original employer must sign the completion agreement, not your temporary employer.
Note: If you are under 18 and under the care and control of a parent or guardian, they must also sign the completion agreement.
Once the training organisation has signed the completion agreement, they must send it to us within 10 days of it being signed.
Once we receive the signed completion agreement from your training organisation and are satisfied that you have completed your apprenticeship or traineeship, we will:
- issue you a completion certificate
- send confirmation to your employer that you have completed your apprenticeship or traineeship.
If we aren't satisfied that you have completed your apprenticeship or traineeship, we will notify all parties (you, your employer and your training organisation) about our decision.
Congratulations! You have completed your apprenticeship or traineeship and you are now trade-qualified or skilled in your vocation.
If you are trade-qualified in electrical or plumbing and draining, you may need to get a work licence before you can continue working.
Ask your employer to help you with this process or contact:
My employer won't sign the completion agreement
If your employer won't sign the completion agreement, contact your training organisation for help.
If all your training in your training plan has been fulfilled, your training organisation will notify us.
We will write to you and your employer saying we are considering completing the apprenticeship or traineeship, and give you and the employer an opportunity to respond. We will contact you about our decision to issue your completion certificate or not.
My training organisation has stopped operating
If your training organisation stopped operating before they issued you with a qualification certificate and/or signed your completion agreement, we may be able to help.
Getting your qualification certificate
We can't issue a qualification certificate. If you require your qualification certificate, you can:
- contact Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA)
- change your training organisation (this is your only option if you are in an industry, like electrical, that requires this certificate for licensing).
Getting your completion certificate
To get your completion certificate, follow these steps:
- Agree with your employer that you have fulfilled all training required in the training plan.
- Agree with your employer on a proposed completion date, which must be within 10 days of the date you signed the application form.
- Complete Form ATF-052 Completion of an apprenticeship or traineeship (where the RTO has ceased operating).
- Send the application to us along with the required evidence and wait for us to make a decision.