Youth Transitions

School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships

About School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships

The School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs) were introduced in 1998 as a distinct pathway within Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Schools (VETiS). They are available to secondary school students from 15-years-old who are permanent residents of Australia.

A SBAT offers students enrolled in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) the option of combining part-time employment, school and training. The program is undertaken under a training contract with an employer, has a training plan signed by the school and formally registered with Skills Victoria and leads to a nationally recognised qualification at Certificate II, III or IV level. It also includes paid work under some form of industrial agreement that endorses part-time apprenticeships, such as a Federal Industrial Award, Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA) or Collective Agreement.

Like other VETiS offerings, the vocational training components of SBATs also contribute credit towards a senior secondary certificate. Many school based apprentices and trainees move on to a full-time contract with their employer after leaving school, while others choose to continue their education and training at a Registered Training Organisation or university.

For more information, see:

 

Changes to School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships

In October 2008, changes to the workplace based training plan (training plan) for SBATs were approved by the Victorian Skills Commission. These changes mean that from 2009, all SBATs form an integral part of students’ school learning programs and study timetables.

About the changes

A SBAT now forms an integral part of the student’s school learning program and study timetable when it can be verified that during term time, the training and employment timetable indicate that a minimum of one day of the school week during normal school hours (which may be averaged over three periods of four months duration in each year of the training contract) is spent in employment and/or structured training as an apprentice or trainee. Schools should only endorse a training plan for a SBAT under these circumstances.

Endorsement of the training plan by the school will indicate that it is undertaking responsibility to enrol the student on Victorian Assessment Software System (VASS) so that credit for the training within the VCE or VCAL can be awarded to the student.

Students who undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship that is not integrated into their learning program and study timetable will be undertaking part-time apprenticeships or traineeships. This type of arrangement will still provide credit for VCE or VCAL if it is recorded on VASS.

The change will support the implementation of SBATs as a fully integrated learning and career pathway for students and support vocational pathways that are aligned with skill priority areas.

Endorsing training plans

Schools should only endorse the training plan for an SBAT if the SBAT criteria outlined above have been met. Endorsement of the training plan by the school will continue to indicate that it is undertaking responsibility to enrol the student on Victorian Assessment Software System (VASS) so that credit for the training within the VCE or VCAL can be awarded to the student.

Part-time apprenticeships and traineeships

Students who undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship that is not integrated into their learning program and study timetable will be undertaking part-time apprenticeships or traineeships. This type of arrangement will still provide credit for VCE or VCAL if it is recorded on VASS.

Further information

Sample templates of the revised training plans are available from Related Resources and Skills Victoria

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum number of employment and training hours for SBATs?

The minimum number of employment and training hours is 13 hours per week. SBATs are to be undertaken by the student over two years at an average of 13 hours for employment and training per week.

 

What hours of training and employment should a SBAT student undertake?

SBAT students must undertake at least 7 hours of employment and 6 hours of training per week which may be averaged over three periods of four months in each year of the program. Training should be averaged over three periods of four months duration in each year of the training contract.

 

How much time should a student spend on the job or in training?

At least one day during the normal school week must be timetabled to be spent on the job or in training. Schools should only endorse the training program for an SBAT when it forms an integral part of the student’s school learning program and study timetable and when it can be verified that during term time, a student’s timetable indicates that a minimum of one day of the school week during normal schools is spent in employment and/or structured training as an apprentice or trainee.

 

What are the definitions of the ‘normal school week’ and ‘normal school hours’?

The School Policy and Advisory Guide states that: 

“Schools must provide at least 25 hours student instruction per week. The school day is generally between 8:30am and 3:30pm however specific times are determined locally based on factors such as bus schedules, links with other schools and organisation of the school day….”

The above statement clarifies conventional school operating hours, but recognises that each school is responsible for determining its own ‘normal school week’ and normal school hours’. Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) should consult with the school at which the prospective school-based apprentice or trainee is enrolled for clarification of that school’s normal school hours and week, in order to ensure that the SBAT program satisfies structured training and employment requirements.

For further information see: School Policy and Advisory Guide School Hours

 

What happens if an employer cannot offer a school-based apprentice or trainee any work during school time?

The requirement that a school-based apprentice or trainee spend a minimum of one day during the normal school week in employment or structured training allows for students to undertake a combination of employment and/or training.

 

If the only time a student can obtain employment as part of their apprenticeship or traineeship is outside of ‘normal school hours’ (i.e. in an industry that only operates in the mornings or evenings, for example bakeries, horse-racing stables or some hospitality arrangements), the student is permitted to undertake their employment at such times but must then complete at least one day of structured training per week during normal school hours to fulfil the SBAT requirements.

RTOs should contact the school at which the school-based apprentice or trainee is enrolled to find out their normal school hours.

 

Can school-based apprentices and trainees be employed over the Christmas break and other school holiday periods?

A school-based apprentice or trainee’s employment and structured training obligations may be averaged over 3 periods of 4 months in each year of the program. This allows for employment to be undertaken in school holiday periods.

It is acceptable to continue to employ the school-based apprentice or trainee for the Christmas period so long as this is specified in their training plan and training contract, and the employment is adequately monitored. During such periods, schools are still required to fulfil their duty of care requirements in relation to the student. Though the employer has duty of care in the workplace, the school needs to take steps to ensure parents are notified of holiday placements and approve these arrangements. The Department’s parental approval letter for VETiS students undertaking studies at an external provider may be used to inform the development of a parental consent form for such a purpose. For a sample form, please see: Sample Parental Consent Form (Word - 41Kb)

Regardless of the amount of employment undertaken in school holidays, school-based apprentices and trainees must still have at least one day of each school week during normal school hours timetabled to be spent on the job or in structured training. The requirement that the study, work and training commitments of the SBAT form an integral part of their school learning program and study timetable still stands.

 

Do students undertaking a SBAT have to be enrolled in senior secondary program (VCE or VCAL)? 

In order for the training contract to be registered with Skills Victoria as an SBAT, a school representative is required to sign the student’s training plan to acknowledge that the student is enrolled in a senior secondary program such as VCE or VCAL and that it forms an integral part of the student’s learning program and study timetable.

Related resources

The following are key resources with useful information and advice on the school based apprenticeships and traineeships pathway:

 

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