How to Get an Apprenticeship in Queensland?

Apprenticeships let you earn a wage from day one whilst learning a trade, but landing one in Queensland’s booming industries takes more than just wanting to work with your hands. You’ll be competing with dozens of other candidates for the same positions, and the ones who get hired are the ones who are already qualified with the essential tickets and qualifications through Civil Safety (RTO 32381).  

What is an apprenticeship and how does it work in Queensland?

An apprenticeship is an employment contract where you work for a company while training toward a trade qualification. You’ll spend most of your time on job sites learning from qualified tradespeople, with regular classroom sessions through a registered training organisation. When you do this, you start earning wages from day one, starting at around half of what qualified tradespeople make and increasing each year as your skills improve.

Being able to earn money while you learn is part of the reason why Queensland had over 55,000 apprentices in training in 2024, which was the highest number in over a decade. That surge happened because the state government funded over 244,000 people in vocational qualification training through programs offering more than 200 free qualifications. You’d be joining a proven pathway that thousands of Queenslanders use every year to build their trade careers.

Apprenticeships usually last three to four years and focus on traditional trades like carpentry, plumbing and electrical work. Traineeships are a bit different. They’re shorter programs that last a year or two in business or service industries. Your apprenticeship involves your employer who pays your wages and supervises your work, a registered training organisation that delivers your education and the Queensland Government that registers your contract and tracks your progress.

Why construction and civil apprenticeships are worth pursuing

Queensland is expected to hit a shortage of 50,000 construction workers by 2026 as building activity explodes from $53 billion to $77 billion per year. The Brisbane 2032 Olympics are driving much of this demand, creating infrastructure projects that need workers now and for years to come. That worker shortage means that apprenticeship positions are ready to welcome anyone willing to learn a trade.

You get money from your first day instead of paying for university. A first-year apprentice might take home $600–$800 in weekly wages while learning, climbing each year until they reach qualified wages of around $1,500 per week. After you’re qualified, you can move into supervisory roles or specialise in high-demand areas that pay even more. 

How to get an apprenticeship in Queensland

You need to follow specific steps to land your apprenticeship in Queensland’s competitive construction market. This is how to start an apprenticeship in QLD:

1. Get work-ready qualifications

Employers love it when you already have the qualifications they need. Start by getting your white card training (CPCWHS1001) through Civil Safety before you apply because every Queensland construction site requires it. Add high risk work licences, traffic control or confined space training based on which trade interests you. When employers have to choose between two candidates and one can start work safely tomorrow while the other needs basic training first, the choice is obvious.

2. Research which trade suits you

You can pick from dozens of apprenticeship pathways:

• Carpentry

• Plumbing

• Electrical

• Bricklaying

• Painting and decorating

• Civil construction

• Plant and machinery operation

• Wall and floor tiling

• Plastering

Each trade demands different physical abilities and technical skills. Talk to people already working in trades that catch your interest so you understand what their regular workdays are like before you commit.

3. Search for apprenticeship openings

You can find apprenticeships through:

• Apprenticeship Support Australia job boards

• Group training organisations that hire apprentices and place you with host employers

• Direct employer websites

• WorkForce Australia job search platforms

• Networking at industry events or through training providers like Civil Australia

4. Prepare your application

You need a resume highlighting hands-on experience, even if it’s just helping your family with home repairs or working physical jobs part-time. List every licence and ticket you hold, especially your white card and safety qualifications. Show willingness to learn and acknowledge that apprenticeships mean hard physical work and early starts.

5. Ace the interview

Employers value reliability and safety awareness above everything else. Answer questions about why you chose this trade, what you know about their company and how you handle physical demands and 6am starts. Be honest about your experience while showing enthusiasm. Employers would rather hire someone for an apprenticeship who’s eager to learn than someone who’s overconfident.

6. Sign your training contract

Once an employer offers you the apprenticeship, you’ll sign a formal training contract registered with the Queensland Government. This spells out your wage progression, your training schedule and the qualification you’re working toward. Read it before signing because it commits both you and your employer to completing the apprenticeship.

School-based apprenticeships in Queensland

You can start a school-based apprenticeship during Year 10, 11 or 12 through special programs. You’ll split your week between school classes, paid work with your employer and trade training. The apprenticeship takes roughly twice as long as a full-time apprenticeship because you’re working reduced hours, but you finish school with both your Queensland Certificate of Education and serious progress toward your trade qualification.

School-based apprenticeships let you test a trade before committing to full-time after graduation. If it suits you, you continue with the same employer after Year 12 and complete your remaining training faster because you already logged a good number of hours. If it doesn’t work out, you still graduate with work experience and safety qualifications.

Getting an apprenticeship as a mature-age worker

You can start an apprenticeship at any age in Queensland. Over 40% of apprentices across the country are adults pursuing career changes or new skills, with roughly one-third aged 25–49 and another 5% over 50. Adult apprentice numbers tripled between 1996 and 2018 as employers recognised that mature workers bring reliability and professional communication skills that younger apprentices tend to lack.

You’ll start at apprentice wage rates no matter what you earned in your previous career, which creates financial pressure if you’ve got a mortgage or family to support. Fortunately, government incentives help employers offset the cost of hiring mature-age apprentices, which makes you more attractive as a candidate.

Prepare for your apprenticeship with Civil Safety

Civil Safety delivers the pre-apprenticeship training that separates you from other applicants in Queensland. Your white card can give you access to construction sites whilst your high risk work licence proves you understand safety and can contribute immediately instead of needing weeks of basic training first.

Contact Civil Safety today to complete your work-ready qualifications and position yourself ahead of other apprenticeship candidates.

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