Hiring an apprentice is a multi-year commitment. Unlike a casual you can let go in a fortnight, an apprentice is signed to a training contract, and the time and money you invest in year one only pays off if they stick around to become a productive tradesperson. That makes getting the selection right the single most important part of the process.
The tricky bit is that apprentices, by definition, don't have much experience to judge them on. So you're not hiring for what they can do today — you're hiring for what they'll become. This guide covers what experienced Australian employers actually look for when picking an apprentice, and how to spot it before you commit.
Attitude over experience
If you take one thing from this guide, make it this: hire the attitude, teach the skill. A candidate with zero trade experience but the right mindset will almost always outperform a more polished one who's lazy, entitled or hard to teach.
Signs of the right attitude show up early — in how they turn up to the interview, whether they've done any homework on your business, how they talk about work, and whether they seem genuinely keen to learn the trade rather than just chasing a wage. We go deeper on this in Why attitude matters more than experience.
Reliability and genuine interest
The two most common reasons apprenticeships fall over are unreliability and a lack of real interest in the trade. Both are worth probing hard before you hire.
For reliability, look at their track record. Have they held a part-time job? Stuck at school or a pre-apprenticeship course? Do they have a way to actually get to work each day — a licence, a car, or reliable transport? A candidate with no way to get to a 6am start in an outer suburb is a problem waiting to happen, no matter how keen they are.
For genuine interest, ask why this trade. The good answers are specific — they've done work experience, they've helped a relative, they've pulled things apart since they were a kid. The weak answers are vague: "my careers advisor suggested it" or "the money's good." You want someone who'll still be motivated when the novelty wears off in year two.
Practical aptitude and common sense
You're not looking for a finished tradesperson, but some basic hands-on aptitude helps. Have they done any pre-apprenticeship courses? Any hobbies that involve working with their hands, fixing cars, building things? Have they held a White Card or any relevant tickets?
Common sense matters even more than raw skill. In an interview you can test this with simple scenario questions — "what would you do if you turned up and I wasn't there yet?" — to see whether they think practically. For more structured questions, see Interview questions that reveal a great apprentice.
How they'll fit the crew
Trade work is close-quarters, team-based and often physically demanding. A technically capable apprentice who can't get along with the crew, sulks when corrected, or won't muck in with the cleanup will drag the whole team down.
During the interview and any trial, watch how they interact — with you, with your other staff, even with the receptionist. Are they respectful? Do they listen? Can you imagine spending years in a ute and a lunch room with this person? Fit isn't about hiring clones; it's about hiring someone the crew can work with and teach.
Doing your due diligence
Before you sign anyone up, do the basic checks:
- Talk to references — a quick call to a former boss, teacher or work experience host tells you more than any resume
- Check the practicals — do they have (or can they get) the licences, White Card and any tickets the job needs? See Which tickets actually get you hired
- Use a trial or probation — a paid trial day and the probation period in the training contract let you confirm the fit before you're locked in
- Be honest about the job — long days, early starts, dirty work and study on top. A candidate who knows what they're signing up for is less likely to quit
For how probation and contracts work, see Apprenticeship contracts and probation explained.
Consider a Group Training Organisation
If you're not sure you can guarantee continuous work, or you don't want to carry all the admin and risk of a direct hire, a Group Training Organisation (GTO) is worth a look. The GTO employs the apprentice and hosts them out to you, handling wages, super, paperwork and even rotating them elsewhere if your work goes quiet.
It costs more per hour, but it de-risks the hire — and if an apprentice isn't working out, the GTO can manage that too. Read more in How Group Training Organisations work.
Know the costs and support available
Part of hiring well is understanding what an apprentice actually costs and what support is out there. Apprentice wages are set under the relevant modern award and rise as they progress — use the Wage Calculator to see indicative rates for your trade and state.
There's also government support for employers who take on apprentices, which changes from time to time. Check the current incentives at apprenticeships.gov.au and see Employer wage information and incentives for how it fits together. Don't let a subsidy drive the decision, but do factor it into your planning.
Trust your read, then verify it
At the end of the day, hiring an apprentice is part gut feel, part homework. The gut feel tells you whether you'd enjoy teaching this person for four years. The homework — references, trials, licences, probation — protects you if the gut feel is wrong.
When you're ready to find candidates, browse apprenticeship profiles and post a job or create a free employer profile to get started.
Key takeaways
- Hire for attitude and potential, not for the skills they'll learn from you
- Probe hard for reliability and genuine interest in the trade
- Basic aptitude and common sense beat a polished but lazy candidate
- Consider crew fit — technical skill can't fix a bad attitude
- Do your due diligence: references, licences, trials and probation
- A Group Training Organisation can de-risk the hire if work isn't guaranteed
- Understand the wage costs and current employer incentives before you commit