Career Start School-Based Traineeship

Queensland Government Subsidised Training — Earrn while you learn while you’re still at school Delivered by KKTC Education Pty Ltd | RTO 40636 | Approved Skills Assure Supplier and Supervising RTO (SRTO) Qualification: CHC30125 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care Training pathway: School-Based Traineeship (SAT) Approved delivery locations (Queensland): Brisbane, Cairns, Central Queensland, Darling Downs – Maranoa, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Logan – Beaudesert, Mackay – Isaac – Whitsunday, Moreton Bay – North, Moreton Bay – South, Queensland – Outback, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Townsville, Wide Bay.

About the School-Based Traineeship

A School-Based Traineeship (SAT) lets a Queensland high school student combine their senior school studies with paid work and nationally recognised training in early childhood education and care. As a school-based trainee, you remain enrolled at school while also being employed by an early childhood service, working under a Training Contract registered with the Department of Trade, Employment and Training (DTET) under the Further Education and Training Act 2014 (Qld).

KKTC Education Pty Ltd (RTO 40636) delivers your training and assessment as your Supervising RTO (SRTO). Your employer provides on-the-job experience and supervision. Your school supports your participation through your Workplace Learning Coordinator and contributes to your overall study load through QCE points.

On successful completion, you will be awarded the CHC30125 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, a nationally recognised qualification under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF Level 3). The qualification can also contribute up to 8 points towards your Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE).

Why choose an SAT with KKTC?

Earn a wage while completing your senior schooling
Gain a head start on your early childhood career — finish school job-ready
Pay no co-contribution fee — school-based trainees are fully fee-exempt under the Queensland Government’s Skills Assure Supplier Policy
Earn QCE points that count toward your senior schooling qualification

Be supported by a school, employer and KKTC trainer team committed to your success

Eligibility

Eligibility for a School-Based Traineeship is determined by DTET, your school, and your employer. To start an SAT, you must:

Be a Queensland high school student in Year 10, 11 or 12
Be at least 15 years of age (or as set by your school)
Have written consent from your parent or guardian
Have agreement from your school, including your Workplace Learning Coordinator (or equivalent)
Be employed (or about to be employed) by an early childhood education and care service willing to enter into a Training Contract
Hold a current Queensland Working with Children Check (Blue Card) or have a Blue Card application submitted
Have work and/or training hours that form part of your school timetable — you must either work during school hours or attend training during school hours. If all of your work and training would happen after school or on weekends, the arrangement is a part-time traineeship, not a school-based one, and is not eligible under this program. Meet the minimum work and training hours for SATs (typically 7.5 hours per week during school terms, of which at least 3 hours must be on the job — confirm with your school and ACAP)
Not be currently enrolled in another qualification funded by the Queensland Government (Department of Trade, Employment and Training) — including one that is on hold or deferred
Not have completed a government-funded apprenticeship or traineeship (including a school-based one) within the last 10 years

Final eligibility is confirmed by DTET when your Training Contract is registered. The Queensland Government funds a maximum of one school-based apprenticeship or traineeship per student, and only one apprenticeship or traineeship at a time.

Enrolment Process

Career Start provides Queenslanders with skills and support to start their career.

PROCESS:

Talk to your school. Speak with your Workplace Learning Coordinator (or careers/VET coordinator) about the SAT pathway and your interest in early childhood. Your school must support your participation.
Find an employer. An early childhood education and care service must agree to employ you and provide on-the-job training under a Training Contract. KKTC and your school can assist with introductions.
Engage an Apprentice Connect Australia Provider (ACAP). ACAPs are federally funded providers who assist you, your employer, and your school to register the Training Contract with DTET. They will nominate KKTC as your Supervising RTO.
DTET registers the Training Contract under the Further Education and Training Act 2014 (Qld). KKTC will be notified once your contract is registered.
KKTC conducts a Pre-Enrolment Assessment (PEA). Our Student Services team will speak with you and your parent or guardian to confirm eligibility, suitability for the qualification, and any learning support needs. KKTC will also conduct an Apprenticeships / All Students Info – Self Service (AISS) check.
6. KKTC conducts an Employer Resource Assessment (ERA). We confirm with your employer that the workplace can provide the facilities, range of work, supervision, and on-the-job training required by the FET Act 2014.
Training Plan developed. KKTC develops your Training Plan in consultation with you, your parent/guardian, your employer, and your school. This forms part of your Training Contract.
Training commences alongside your school studies. Your KKTC Student Services contact will check in regularly to make sure things are tracking well.

Hours and Structure

School-Based Traineeships are designed to fit alongside your senior schooling. Typical structure:

Minimum hours: typically 7.5 hours per week of combined work and training during school terms (with at least 3 hours per week on the job)
Maximum hours: as set by your school and consistent with your school timetable, usually no more than one full day per week of paid work
School holidays: with your school’s agreement, you may work additional hours during school holidays, subject to your employer’s needs
Duration: typically 18 to 24 months while you complete senior schooling, with the remainder completed after Year 12 if needed

Specific hours are confirmed in your Training Plan and depend on your school timetable, your employer’s roster, and the requirements of the qualification.

Free Apprenticeships and Traineeships for under 25s

If you are under 25 years of age at the time you sign your Training Contract, your training is fee-free.

Under the Queensland Government’s Free Apprenticeships and Traineeships for under 25s initiative, you do not pay a co-contribution fee. This applies to all School-Based Trainees because, by definition, all SAT students are under 18 when they start. There are no instalments, no upfront payments, and no fees charged to you, your parent or guardian, or your school.

Fees that may still apply

There may be some out-of-pocket costs that are not the co-contribution fee but you should be aware of:

Working with Children Check (Blue Card): the application fee is set by the Queensland Government. Free for some applicants — check workingwithchildren.qld.gov.au
Personal protective equipment, uniforms, or specific footwear required by your employer (your employer should advise of any required items at the start of your traineeship)

If you convert to full-time or part-time after school

If you complete Year 12 and choose to continue your traineeship as a full-time or part-time trainee, the under-25s fee-free arrangement continues to apply for as long as you are under 25 at the conversion date. If you have already turned 25, co-contribution fees apply at $1.60 per nominal hour for any units of competency not yet commenced — see the Career Start Traineeship page for full details.

Documentation Required at Enrolment

Proof of Date of Birth (front of driver's licence or equivalent)
Proof of Citizenship/Right to Work (birth certificate, Medicare card, passport, or visa documentation)
Proof of Address (back of driver's licence or equivalent)
Copy of current Blue Card (Working with Children Check)
Verified Unique Student Identifier (USI)
Transcripts of any prior qualifications or units for credit transfer
School consent form signed by your Workplace Learning Coordinator (or equivalent)
Parent or guardian consent form (KKTC will provide this to you)

Refund Policy

Because Free Apprenticeships and Traineeships for under-25s have no co-contribution fee, refund provisions do not apply to your KKTC training. Out-of-pocket items charged separately by your employer (such as uniforms or PPE) are subject to your employer’s own arrangements, not KKTC’s.

Working with Children Check (Blue Card)

All KKTC trainees working with children must hold a current Queensland Working with Children Check (Blue Card). This is a legal requirement under the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (Qld). For students under 18, a different application process may apply — speak with KKTC Student Services or your school for guidance. KKTC operates a strict ‘No Card, No Start’ policy: you cannot commence work or training until your Blue Card is valid.

Training Contract cancellation

If your Training Contract is cancelled or withdrawn in DELTA (DTET’s training database) — for example, because you change schools, leave school, or your employment ends — KKTC will cease delivery and report the cancellation to DTET as required. KKTC will work with you, your parent or guardian, your employer, your school, and your ACAP regarding next steps. There may be options to recommence the traineeship with a different employer, convert to a full-time pathway after school, or transition to fee-for-service training; speak with KKTC Student Services.

Refunds for any fee-for-service training arranged outside the SAT framework are governed by the KKTC Refund Policy and Student Handbook, both available at kktc.com.au.

Delivery and Disclosures

Supervising RTO: KKTC Education Pty Ltd (RTO 40636). No third party delivers training, assessment, marketing, or recruitment on KKTC's behalf for this program.
Training Contract: Required for all SATs. Registered with DTET via your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider under the Further Education and Training Act 2014 (Qld).
Training Plan: Developed by KKTC in consultation with you, your parent/guardian, your employer, and your school; forms part of your Training Contract.
Workplace requirements: Your employer must provide adequate facilities, range of work, supervision, and on-the-job training as required by the FET Act 2014. KKTC assesses these as part of the Employer Resource Assessment.
Course duration: Typically 18 to 24 months while you complete senior schooling. The traineeship may continue after Year 12 in line with your Training Plan.
Nationally recognised qualification: CHC30125 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, AQF Level 3.
QCE contribution: Successful completion of the SAT can contribute up to 8 points towards your Queensland Certificate of Education.
KKTC handles SAT engagement through our Student Services team, who will be your main contact throughout your traineeship.
Impact on future funding: A funded school-based traineeship is a once-only entitlement — you cannot be funded for a second SAT. It also counts as one of the maximum two apprenticeships or traineeships the Queensland Government will fund for you across the School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships, Career Start and Career Boost programs combined over a 10-year period. You and your parent or guardian will be asked to acknowledge this in writing when you enrol. Contact DTET for advice if you are unsure.

Independent Advice

Department of Trade, Employment and Training: www.dtet.qld.gov.au
Queensland Training Ombudsman: www.trainingombudsman.qld.gov.au
Apprentice Connect Australia: www.apprenticeships.gov.au | 1800 210 210
Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA): www.asqa.gov.au
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA): www.qcaa.qld.edu.au — for QCE point queries
Guide to school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (Queensland Government)

Contact KKTC Student Services

Our Student Services team handles all SAT enquiries and is your main contact throughout your traineeship.

Phone: 1300 048 133
Email: info@kktc.com.au

Information for schools and parents/guardians

KKTC welcomes enquiries from Workplace Learning Coordinators, careers advisors, parents and guardians. Contact our Student Services team to discuss SAT options for your student or child, request information sessions for school cohorts, or arrange site visits.