SafeWork Australia and the NSW Government have developed a range of helpful support documents for Training Providers and Businesses to support the safe re opening of their business.
These include;

• Recommended Cleaning: Table of Procedures
• COVID-19 Infographic for Suspected or Confirmed Cases
• Working from Home Checklist
• 10 Tips to work well from Home

Please contact us on 13 28 11 and one of our staff will assist you.

Options may include:

• Your apprentice or trainee can proceed on paid leave.
• Your apprentice or trainee could move from full time (FT) to part time (PT).
• You could suspend the apprenticeship or traineeship for a short period of time.
• If formal training has been completed, consider completion of the apprenticeship/traineeship.
  
• Where both you and your employee agree, cancellation of the apprenticeship or traineeship.

For available Australian Government assistance for businesses please see: www.business.gov.au/risk-management/emergency-management/coronavirus-information-and-support-for-business

For available NSW Government Assistance for businesses please see: service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/covid-19-help-businesses/grants-loans-and-financial-assistance

You can also call us on 13 28 11 to explore how we can help support you and your learners.

In the first instance, speak to the training organisation delivering training to your apprentice or trainee to see if they can change their training or assessment modes.

If not, you can look for an alternative RTO that can deliver on-line.

If the training or assessment needs to be suspended, then please contact the training provider and  contact us on 13 28 11.

Your apprentice or trainee should be participating in formal training during paid work hours.

In the first instance, speak to the training organisation to see if they can change their training or assessment modes.

If not, you can look for an alternative RTO that can deliver on-line.

If the training or assessment needs to be suspended, then please call us on 13 28 11

Your apprentice or trainee should be participating in formal training during paid work hours.

Yes, Barranggirra – Skilling for Employment provides end to end support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners through culturally appropriate mentoring to ensure successful retention and completion of training and improved post-training employment outcomes. This service will remain open throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Information regarding support through Barranggirra and contacts in your local area can be found here.

For further assistance email TSNSW.Aboriginal.Initiatives@det.nsw.edu.au

If there has been a delay with the delivery of formal training, and your apprentice or trainee is unlikely to complete their training or assessments within the remaining term of the Training Contract, you and your learner can request an extension of term.

However, to reduce unnecessary paperwork we suggest that you wait to review the need for an extension until the last six months of the nominal training term. This may give time for your learner to catch up on their training before the end of the Training Contract. If you and your learner decide to proceed with a term extension request immediately, it will be assessed on a case by case basis by your Training Services NSW centre.

To request an extension to the apprenticeship or traineeship term, please complete a variation request form and submit to Training Services NSW. If you have any questions, please call us on 13 28 11.

Yes. If you wish to delay this endorsement for whatever reason, speak to your RTO.

Options include:

• Your apprentice or trainee can proceed on paid leave
• You could move your apprentice or trainee from full time (FT) to part time (PT)
• You could host out your apprentice/trainee to another employer for part of the time
• You could implement a short or long term suspension of the apprenticeship/traineeship.

If you have any questions about the above, please call us on 13 28 11.

You can apply for a short or longer term suspension of your apprentice/trainee at any time.

You may request a suspension of up to six months.

If you are planning to suspend the apprenticeship/traineeship for less than four weeks you do not need to let us know.

To suspend an apprenticeship/traineeship for four weeks or longer, you need to complete and lodge a Suspension request form signed by BOTH you and your apprentice/trainee.

If circumstances change, the suspension can be lifted at the request of you and your apprentice/trainee at any time by letting us know.

If you have any questions about the above, please call us on 13 28 11.

If there has been a delay with the delivery of formal training, and your apprentice or trainee is unlikely to complete their training or assessments within the remaining term of their apprenticeship or traineeship, you and your learner can request an extension of term. However, we suggest that you wait to review the need for an extension until the last six months of the nominal apprenticeship/traineeship term.

To request an extension to the apprenticeship or traineeship term, please complete a variation request form and submit to Training Services NSW. If you have any questions, please call us on 13 28 11.

Generally yes. For further information regarding available assistance and eligibility see Commonwealth Government financial assistance.

Generally, they will not be asked to produce evidence of being stood down or terminated. However, if required, you should provide a letter or some other form of evidence.

Note: They DO NOT require a letter to indicate that the apprenticeship or traineeship has been suspended or cancelled from TSNSW. A training contract status has nothing to do with eligibility for Commonwealth Government financial assistance. 

Yes. Please contact us on 13 28 11 for assistance.

Yes. You should still get a Training Plan within 12 weeks of approval of the apprenticeship or traineeship unless your apprenticeship or traineeship has been suspended.

Yes. You should get an updated Training Plan showing your apprentice/trainee’s progress at least every six months unless your apprenticeship or traineeship has been suspended.

Yes. They can continue to do their funded formal training with their approved Smart and Skilled RTO while they look for another employer.

 If there is not enough work to employ your apprentice or trainee full time, you and your apprentice or trainee may agree to move to a part time arrangement. Your trainee or apprentice must meet current Part Time hour requirements. 

You and your employer must notify TSNSW by completing and submitting a variation application.

If you have any questions please contact us on 13 28 11.

For the period 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2022, if this is a temporary change in delivery mode in response to COVID 19, you do NOT need to apply for a variation. However, this change should be reflected in the next update to the Training Plan.

If this is a permanent change, you need to complete a variation application.

If you have any questions, please contact us on 13 28 11.

SBATs will be able to complete their days after 31 December of the HSC year.

For school based trainees (SBT), you and your SBT will need to seek an extension of term to allow for these required days.

For school based apprentices (SBA), your SBA will need to complete these days after 31 December of their HSC year, and before they commence Stage 2 of their apprenticeship.

Yes.

The rules in the new NSW Public Health Orders place obligations on workers, not employers. However, as an employer of a relevant worker, you can request evidence of compliance with the Public Health Order when the worker enters your workplace. You can request evidence of vaccination from your employee where appropriate.

You should also consider your obligations under work health and safety legislation. Further information is available through Safe Work Australia and the Fair Work Ombudsman.

They will need to obtain a medical certificate from a medical practitioner in the form approved by the NSW Chief Health Officer that certifies that because of a specified medical contraindication, they cannot have a COVID-19 vaccine.

For more information visit: COVID-19 vaccination for workers | NSW Government.

Workers may be exempt from the vaccination requirement if they have a medical certificate from a medical practitioner in the form approved by the NSW Chief Health Office that certifies that because of a specified medical contraindication, the person cannot have a COVID-19 vaccine.

Visit: COVID-19 vaccination for workers | NSW Government for more information

If your Apprentice/Trainee falls under the requirements of the NSW Public Health Order but has not had at least 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or has not obtained a medical contraindication certificate, they will not be able to attend their workplace.

Further information on COVID-19, health and safety and vaccinations in the workplace is available from the Fair Work Ombudsman.

From the NSW Public Health Order mandated date, where requested, a worker must show:

• evidence of their name and place of residence,
• regarding proof the vaccination itself:
• online immunisation history statement, or
• a COVID-19 digital certificate from the Australian Immunisation Register, or
• a medical certificate from a medical practitioner in the form approved by the NSW Chief Health Officer

The following people may request evidence of vaccination status:

• The Apprentice/Trainees employer,
• The occupier of the Apprentice/Trainees place of work,
• A police officer, or
• An authorised person (under the NSW Public Health Act 2010).

There is no requirement under the NSW Public Health Order for an employer to collect details of an employee’s vaccination.

Employers should consider their obligations to employees under Australian law. Further information is available from the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

No, there are no penalties set out in the NSW Public Health Order to an employer for not checking the vaccination status of an employee.