Employ apprentices and trainees? Understand your obligations
3 March 2023
Labour hire providers and hosts should be aware of their regulatory obligations when employing apprentices and trainees as labour hire workers. There are more than 74,000 apprentices and trainees in Victoria, across a broad range of industries, with many employed by labour hire providers.
The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) are an independent statutory authority that registers all apprentices and trainees, approves their employers, and ensures all parties meet their contractual obligations.
Labour hire providers must ensure that all apprentices and trainees are provided with a suitable work environment and are trained in a safe and responsible manner. This includes providing appropriate equipment and resources, as well as ensuring they are supervised and supported.
LHA collaborates with the VRQA, WorkSafe Victoria and other regulators on the protection of apprentices and trainees in the labour hire industry.
Legal obligations when hiring apprentices and trainees
All employers, including labour hire providers, must be approved by the VRQA before they can take on apprentices and trainees. All apprentices and trainees working for labour hire providers must also be registered with the VRQA.
This helps to ensure apprentices and trainees receive appropriate pay, conditions, training and support throughout their employment. Labour hire providers must keep detailed records of their apprentices and trainees, including their training plans and progress reports. This information must be made available to the VRQA upon request.
Failure to comply with these regulations can result in consequences for labour hire providers, including fines and even the revocation of their approval to hire apprentices and trainees by VRQA. It is important to ensure obligations are met in order to keep your business operating legally.
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