New South Wales is home to nearly a third of the population of Australia, most residing in the country’s largest city, Sydney. The IT and financial sectors are flourishing in the city, while agriculture and tourism still account for a large part of the states GDP.
Programs
As of 2018, the NSW government has been offering fee-free incentives for employers and employees through their “Smart and Skilled Program”. If you are eligible, then you or your employer won’t have to pay for your apprenticeship qualification. This incentive is only offered to those who are out of school, which is great news for those seeking adult apprenticeships. The government is offering 100,000 apprenticeship positions in over 120 fields. For more information about this exciting program, make sure to visit the NSW’s government website here.
Wages
Wages for adult apprentices in New South Wales vary according to a few factors. As mentioned above, it is important to know if your employer falls under an award, or will be categorized as “award free”. If your employer is required to use the award (which again is a bit like the minimum wage for each specific industry), then you will most likely be getting paid just above the national minimum wage, which is currently approximately $695/week. For example, a first year adult apprentice over the age of 21 will make somewhere in the region of $772/week in their first year.
You can find all the details for wages in specific fields on the Fair Work Ombudsman website at www.fairwork.gov.au. The minimum wage for award-free adult apprentices in NSW is not completely clear, however, Support for Adult Australian Apprentices (SAAA) provides financial incentives to adult apprentices over 25 years of age. To find out more information and whether or not you are eligible, you can visit this Government guide to SAAA.
Popular Apprenticeships
Some of the most popular apprenticeships in New South Wales include Electrical, Carpentry and Plumbing. If you are still trying to decide which apprenticeship to undertake, the Australian Apprenticeships Pathway website has an excellent and informative list of the top 20 apprenticeships from 2018 that could be worth your time. Each entry in the list includes some fast facts about the apprenticeship and links to further resources to learn more about it.
How to Apply
There are many RTOs and TAFE programs offered in the greater Sydney area. To start looking for one you can go on the Training website here.