New SA program to fast-track apprenticeships in key trades

The Industry Accelerated Apprenticeship Pilot (IAAP) is an Australian-first and will support up to 1,000 new apprenticeships across seven critical trade pathways.

 The program focuses on seven high-demand trades: carpentry, cookery, painting, civil construction, plant operations, mechanical engineering, and fabrication engineering. It builds on South Australia’s existing flexible apprenticeship framework, which already allows early completion in some trades. Training will be tailored to real-world job requirements, with intensive on-the-job learning and quality assurance from Group Training Organisations (GTOs).

Th pathways to be shortened are:

• Certificate III in Carpentry, will go from 48 to 36 months
• Certificate III in Commercial Cookery, which includes roles such as cook and chefs, will go from 48 to 30 months
• Certificate III in Painting and Decorating, will go from 48 to 36 months
• Certificate III in Civil Construction, which includes roles such as site construction worker, road paver and builder and tunnel constructor, will go from 36 to 18 months
• Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations, which includes roles like excavator, grader, pipelayer and earthmoving plant operator, will go from 36 to 18 months
• Certificate III in Engineering – Fabrication Trade, which includes roles like welders, boilermakers and sheet metal workers, will go from 48 to 36 months
• Certificate III in Engineering – Mechanical Trade, which includes roles like mechanical fitters, fitters and turners and toolmakers will go from 48 to 36 months

"South Australia is entering a once-in-a-generation infrastructure boom. To deliver on our ambitions, we need a skilled workforce ready to hit the ground running. The fast-track pilot is a proactive solution that accelerates apprentices into areas of critical demand, while maintaining training quality and apprentice wellbeing,” said Blair Boyer, Minister for Education, Training and Skills.

Host employer safety and quality checks undertaken by the South Australian Skills Commission will allow alignment with national skills reforms and workforce needs.

The Commission will undertake stakeholder engagement to ensure the pilot is responsive to workforce demand and project timeframes.

How we can help

Apprenticeship Support Australia (ASA) service is contracted by the Australian Government to aid apprentices, trainees and employers with a range of support services in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. These include:

• Signing up apprentices and facilitating the national training contract
• Mentoring apprentices to help them to completion
• Mentoring employer to help them build their capability and capacity to retain and complete apprentice
• Assess and administer the Apprenticeship Incentive program/system, as well as troubleshooting assistant to get access to the government claiming system
• Specialised and enhanced services for women entering into a male-dominated trade
• Career advice for job seekers.

Businesses and apprentices or trainees can contact our team with any enquiries.