What should you do?

• Advise Training Services of your situation and status.
• Look for an apprenticeship through the various employment agencies and online services.
• Check your eligibility for unemployment benefits with Centrelink.
• Sign up for the Continuing Apprentice Placement Service (CAPS) - find instructions below.
• Don’t stop your formal training - apprentices and trainees should continue their formal training with their training organisation such as TAFE while they're temporarily unemployed.

What is the Continuing Apprentice Placement Service (CAPS)?

Training Services has set up a service that helps apprentices and trainees who have lost their job find an employer and complete their apprenticeship or traineeship.

Lean more about the CAPS program.

How CAPS works (registration)

1. Unemployed apprentices/trainees register using the online or printed form. E-mail the completed form to CAPS@det.nsw.edu.au.
2. You will receive confirmation of your registration within two days.
   1. NOTE: Registering your details does not guarantee an offer of employment so you should continue to look for another position.
3. The unemployed apprentices/trainees register is called the Continuing Apprentices Register and is publicly available online. It does not show personal details.
4. Employers register with CAPS as being willing to take on an apprentice or trainee who is part way through their apprenticeship/traineeship.
5. Employers identify suitable apprentices/trainees on the Continuing Apprentices Register and complete a registration form (if not already registered).
6. Training Services contacts the employer to discuss the opportunity they are offering for an apprentice or trainee.
7. Training Services contacts the apprentice/trainee to discuss the type of work and training that they need to complete their apprenticeship or traineeship.
8. The employer and apprentice/trainee arrange to meet.
9. If a job offer is made and accepted, an Apprentice Connect Australia Provider visits the workplace when the apprentice/trainee commences to prepare a training contract between the employer and apprentice/trainee.

Types of Apprentices/traineeships

Positions on offer may be:

• full time or part time
• school based (for current high school students)
• directly with a business or through a Group Training Organisation.

Financial assistance to relocate

Apprentices and trainees who are completing a certificate in a skills shortage occupation may be entitled to State Government financial assistance up to a maximum of $2500 to relocate to another town to continue their apprenticeship or traineeship.

Copies of receipts for removal expenses and a rental lease arrangement will be required to claim the expenses. See the Travel, Accommodation and Relocation Assistance Guidelines for eligibility criteria or speak to Training Services and when your new training contract has been approved, complete the Relocation and Rental Assistance application form.

Who can help?

Ring your local Training Services office at 13 28 11 or email CAPS@det.nsw.edu.au.

Unemployed apprentices and trainees can also seek help from:

• Centrelink on 13 28 50 for financial support while unemployed
• Workforce Australia on 13 62 68 for job seeking assistance
• Group Training Organisations for job seeking assistance
• Australian Defence Force on 13 19 01 for Defence Force jobs
• Support and services for apprentices and trainees