A situation may arise where a person who has a registered training contract seeks to enter into a second contract, to run concurrently. In some circumstances this arrangement may be allowed, however the AASN provider and the department need to take particular care to ensure the arrangement is appropriate.

The supervising registered training organisation (SRTO) and the parties would need toshow how the requirements for each apprenticeship or traineeship will be met. They would need to clearly identify and understand, in respect of each training contract, the training to be delivered by the SRTO and on-the-job training or workplace tasks to be provided by the employer, as stated in the Guide to Training Plans and Training Records.

When a training contract is electronically lodged, and the apprentice or trainee already has an active training contract, the new contract will be automatically sent to “review” as part of the normal registration process, giving the department an opportunity to review the details and be satisfied that the second registration is appropriate.

The following examples are provided to assist AASN providers to give appropriate advice to employers, apprentices and trainees who may be proposing to establish concurrent training contracts.

Two part-time training contracts with the same employer

This arrangement is technically possible, and would be more likely to occur where a large employer is involved. For example, an employer may employ a part-time automotive electrical apprentice and wish to engage that personas a part-time automotive heavy vehicle apprentice as well.

In such an arrangement, the apprentice would work a 38 hour week, split across the two types of work, training, etc.

There are funding issues under User Choice as only the first qualification is funded – that is an issue for the parties and the SRTO to decide if they are happy to proceed.

Two part-time training contracts with different employers

This arrangement is feasible, though there are many issues to be considered, including:

  • The apprentice or trainee’s time would be split between work and training with the two employers and RTO/RTOs providing training associated with the two training contracts.
  • The apprentice or trainee would need to be available to both employers at times that suit both parties – to be negotiated in-depth, agreed and managed by the parties.
  • There would be issues in regard to User Choice funding – funding would be available only for the first training contract registered (not the earliest date of commencement). There may be other funding issues, depending on the particular case.
  • For two concurrent training contracts in different occupations, a major issue would be timing – When would the apprentice or trainee work and train in the first training contract, and when in the second?
  • For two concurrent training contracts in the same occupation, the arrangements become more complex – Which employer will provide what training and when? Will they use the same training organisation? How will the core competencies be divided between employers?
  • The proposed training organisation/s would need to be closely involved in working through the training issues with all the parties.
  • There should be a regular pattern of paid employment and training for each of the two trainingcontracts. A proposal where an apprentice or trainee has two active training contracts and alternates between two employers, spending weeks at a time with one of the employers exclusively,should not be encouraged as this sort of arrangement is not compatible to the intent of apprenticeships and traineeships.

One full-time training contract AND one part-time or full-time training contract with the same or different employers

Whilst this arrangement may be possible technically, it seems highly unlikely that an apprentice or trainee would be working full-time in one occupation (working the associated hours), and then full- or part-time in a second occupation (again working the associated hours), either in the one workplace or across two.

There would be significant workplace health and safety issues under this set-up.

However, in a FIFO (fly in, fly out) environment, it would be possible for an employee to be engaged under two arrangements and working effectively every week.

School-based training contracts

It does not seem conceivable that a school would support a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship if a student were to have two concurrent training contracts.

Electrotechnology training contracts

The minimum requirements which are particular to individual electrotechnology training contracts would apply to concurrent electrotechnology training contracts – minimum off-the-job training release and minimum work requirement for part-time, etc.

For more information on the requirements, refer to the Declaration of apprenticeships and traineeships in Queensland policy.

In summary

If these types of arrangements are submitted for registration, the department would need to be satisfied that:

  • the apprentice or trainee is actually engaged in two separate employment arrangements – with the same or different employers, and
  • the arrangements meet the full- or part-time requirements for the first apprenticeship or traineeship and the additional full- or part-time requirements for the second apprenticeship or traineeship.

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