If you’re a student entering Year 11, have a great attitude and aptitude to take on a trade-based career – then you! But it’s not for the faint-hearted and you definitely don’t come here because you don’t like school and it might look easier. We’re preparing you for a trade career and giving you every opportunity to succeed … but the students that do the best put in.

 
The College will provide support to you by identifying appropriate career pathways decisions and linking with employers for work experience and Australian School-based Apprenticeship opportunities, but ultimately it’s up to you. And once you’ve found an apprenticeship, our teacher-mentors help you to manage school, training and work.

The length of a school-based apprenticeship depends on the field you’re in and how many training hours the student commits to. Our students commit to a minimum of 35 weeks at the place of employment and eight weeks of trade training with the RTO during their two years at the College.

In Year 11, you’ll undertake a six-month preparatory and prevocational program. From July, you’ll be looking to start a school-based apprenticeship, so would begin to spend up to six to eight weeks with an employer (in blocks of two, three and five weeks).

You’ll return to the College and RTO to undertake SACE and Trade Training. When signed up as an ASbA, students are also advised to negotiate with their employer for additional work to be undertaken over the school breaks.

In Year 12 students spend approximately half of their time with their employer (or work sites) and the remainder of the time is spent completing SACE and Trade Training at the College or RTO.

After you’ve finished Year 12 successfully, you’ll have your SACE qualifications and will set out on the final year of your apprenticeship. (At the conclusion of Year 12, a variation of your school-based apprenticeship contract is established. The remainder of the apprenticeship is then completed as a full-time contract.)