Ending the apprenticeship or traineeship
When an apprenticeship or traineeship has been completed, either to the level of qualification/statement of attainment or through cancellation, a number of processes must be followed.
Completion of an apprenticeship or traineeship
Cancellation of a training contract
Cancellation during probation
When the employer and apprentice or trainee both agree to cancel
When only one party wishes to cancel
When can the department cancel training contracts?
Completion of an apprenticeship or traineeship
An apprenticeship or traineeship is complete once the employer, the apprentice or trainee, and the supervising registered training organisation, agree that the requirements of the training plan have been fulfilled. To complete the training contract the following must take place:
- The employer and apprentice or trainee must advise the supervising registered training organisation, in writing, that all the competencies have been achieved.
- The supervising registered training organisation will then confirm that all training is complete and provide the apprentice or trainee with a completion agreement for signature. The employer will be provided with a copy of this agreement.
- Within 21 days of signing this agreement, a qualification or statement of attainment will be issued by the supervising registered training organisation to the apprentice or trainee.
- The Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts will then issue a certificate of completion to the apprentice or trainee and advise the employer in writing that the certificate has been issued.
Set timeframes apply for undertaking this completion process. Contact the supervising registered training organisation or Apprenticeships Info for more advice on completion procedures.
The actual date of completion is the date on which the employer, the apprentice or trainee, and the supervising registered training organisation sign the completion agreement.
When the apprenticeship or traineeship is completed, wage entitlements should change to the appropriate rate for qualified workers. The employer may also find that they will have to meet the cost of any training provided after the apprenticeship or traineeship has ended. For these reasons, it is important to arrange for the formal completion of the training contract, or to apply for an extension of the contract.
Read the fact sheet to learn more about completing the training contract.
Cancellation of a training contract
The training contract is a legally binding document.
Where an employer is considering cancelling the training contract due to, for example, a communication breakdown or behavioural issue, that employer should seek help to resolve the differences and proceed with the training. Specialist officers from the Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts are available to help work through any issues an employer and apprentice or trainee may have.
Cancellation of a training contract should only be considered as a last resort, after all efforts have been made to resolve the issues that threaten the continuation of training.
Cancellation during probation
An apprenticeship or traineeship may be ended during the probationary period by giving the probationary apprentice or trainee one week's notice. Similarly, an apprentice or trainee may cancel their apprenticeship or traineeship during the probationary period by giving the employer one week's notice.
The employer or the apprentice or trainee may decide (without the agreement of the other parties to the training contract) to end the apprenticeship or traineeship, provided employment ceases before the end of the probationary period.
If, however, employment continues past the end of the probationary period (including the working of notice), cancellation cannot proceed unless either all parties agree in writing to cancel the contract, or prior approval is received from the Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts.
When the employer and the apprentice or trainee both agree to cancel
Where the employer and the apprentice or trainee both agree to cancel the training contract:
- Written advice must be provided to the local office of the Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts, or a Cancellation of training contract form completed, within 14 days after the employer and the apprentice or trainee (and the guardian if the apprentice/trainee is under 18 years of age) agree to cancel the apprenticeship or traineeship. The advice to the department should state the date on which the cancellation will take effect. Download the Cancellation of training contract form [PDF 206kb] or telephone the department on 1800 210 210. The Cancellation of training contract form may also be obtained from an Australian apprenticeships centre.
- The department will note the agreed cancellation of the training contract and confirm in writing to all parties that the training contract has been cancelled.
- The employer will need to advise the supervising registered training organisation that the training contract has been cancelled. The supervising registered training organisation will provide the apprentice or trainee with a statement of attainment, showing the competencies achieved up to the date their contract was cancelled.
For more information, read the fact sheet: Cancellation of training contracts (where all parties agree).
When only one party wishes to cancel
Where only one party wishes to cancel the training contract:
- The party who wishes to cancel the training contract will need to write a letter, or complete a Cancellation of training contract form, and send the letter or completed form to their local office of the Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts. Download the Cancellation of training contract form [PDF 206kb], or telephone the department on 1800 210 210. A Cancellation of training contract form may also be obtained from a new apprenticeships centre.
- The department will review the application. Until a decision is made, the training contract remains in force and both employer and apprentice or trainee must continue to honour their commitments.
- Where the application to cancel the training contract is disputed, the department will investigate the situation.
- The department will advise of the decision in writing.
- The supervising registered training organisation should also be advised that the training contract has been cancelled. The supervising registered training organisation will provide the apprentice or trainee with a statement of attainment, showing the competencies achieved to the date their training contract was cancelled.
It is important to note that a party to a training contract must not coerce, or attempt to coerce, another party to cancel the training contract.
For more information, read the fact sheet: Cancellation of training contracts (applications from one party).
When can the department cancel training contracts?
Training contracts can be cancelled by the Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts in instances where:
- the employer or apprentice or trainee provided false and/or misleading information in the training contract
- the training contract was registered in error
- the apprentice or trainee or employer has been convicted of an offence against the Vocational Education, Training and Employment Act 2000
- there has been a change in circumstances of the employer or the apprentice or trainee that makes it unlikely that the contract will be completed
- the apprentice or trainee is failing, for a reason other than neglect or default, to make reasonable progress in training under their training plan
- the apprentice or trainee leaves their employment and cannot be contacted.
For more information, read the fact sheet: Cancellation of the registration of a training contract (initiated by the Department of Education, Training and the Arts).
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