Training for a job in Civil
That training will start on day 1, as our first priority is that you are safe and that the work you do doesn’t put anyone else at risk.
All further ongoing essential training is provided for and paid by the employer.
What type of training is there?
- Industry specific safety Induction training. To work on a construction site in the industry every person must have a Construction Induction Card. In the industry we call them “White Cards”. Go to “Starting Out” below to learn more.
- Employer induction training is what every single employer will do when you first start with them. It’s to ensure you know how they do things.
- Site induction training is what will happen when you go to a new site. Each place is different, so when you go to a new place you will be taught about it.
- Often the training is specific to particular skills, machines or equipment the company has, or is about their own practices. This is called inhouse training and is organised and paid for by the employer.
- You can do a Nationally Accredited Qualification. If you are employed and your employer agrees to the training (this is very common in our industry) the employer will pay for the training and you will do it in working hours. They will often receive subsidies from the Government for this. However, if you wanted to do one of these courses yourself, you can also receive significant funding from the Government.
For a list of some of the Qualifications – See Below
- Sometimes, to do a particular type of activity, the Government has ruled that you have to do training and get a licence (a bit like you need a licence to drive a car). An employer will pay for this if you are working for them and they want you to do the work.
- You may however choose to do training yourself or to get a licence yourself so you get more choice of roles and employers. This is also a way to advance yourself and make yourself more employable.
Check out a day in the life of a civil Construction Trainee
Apprenticeships and Traineeships
To see what Qualifications can be done under each see below.
This stuff is always a bit confusing, so let’s try and help…
First, here’s what’s common and different between Apprenticeships and Traineeships…
What’s Common?
- They are both structures that Governments have set up to formalise how people do Nationally Recognised training.
- They both require the person to do a Nationally Recognised Qualification, although the Quals are different for each – some are just for the App and some are for the T/ship. TIP: the Quals that are linked to each of the App and T/ship can be different in each State…you need to check!
- They are both Agreements the person signs up to, and both are signed up to a Federal Government-approved organisation that sorts out the paperwork (a body called an ANP)…this is not the training organisation.
TIP: ANP’s stand for Apprenticeship Network Provders but they do both Apps and T/Ships… confusing huh!
- They both require the person to enrol with a Government-approved Registered Training Organisation (RTO) who will do the training.
- They both have benefits for the employee (and the employer).
- There is no maximum age limit for starting either, but to start in NSW you have to have completed year 10.
- Both have nominal periods of time… in civil it’s about 3 years.
What’s Different?
- Timing: A Traineeship must be signed up to within three months of the employee starting with an employer. An Apprenticeship can be commenced at any time after someone starts.
- Benefits: The benefits to the employee are slightly different, and different in each State. A chat with the ANP will explain the differences. TIP: Don’t focus on the Benefits – they aren’t different enough. Focus on the Qualification YOU want to do.
TIP: Don’t sign up to a Traineeship or Apprenticeship with an ANP, or indeed with an RTO, to do a Qualification without first discussing it with the employer… they will fund it but they need to know about it and approve it.
What’s the sign-up process?
Here are the steps:
- Once employed…talk to your employer about doing a Qualification
- Talk to a few RTOs about the Qualification you want, and how they would deliver it with your employer (but don’t sign anything yet!)
- Talk to a few ANPs about how they would support you (but don’t sign anything yet!)
- Talk to the employer again to make sure all is good.
- Sign with the ANP
- Sign with the RTO
Qualifications in Civil
You can do a Nationally Accredited Qualification in the civil construction industry…there are lots of them.
If you are employed and your employer agrees to the training (this is very common in our industry) the employer will pay for the training and you will do it in working hours. They will often receive subsidies from the Government for this.
However, if you wanted to do one of these courses yourself, you can also receive significant funding from the Government.
Here is a list of just some of the Qualifications you can do (we can’t list them all, there are too many!) and whether in NSW you can do them as an Apprenticeship, Traineeship, or just as a standard entry format, and some of the Civil Jobs you can do with them:
| Qualification | NSW Apprenticeship or Traineeship | Standard Entry |
| Certificate II in Civil Construction |
T |
Yes |
| Certificate III in Civil Construction – Plant Operations |
A |
Yes |
| Certificate III in Civil Construction (General) |
A |
Yes |
| Certificate III in Civil Construction (Bituminous Surfacing) |
A |
Yes |
| Certificate III in Civil Construction (Bridge Construction and Maintenance) |
A |
Yes |
| Certificate III in Civil Construction (Pipe Laying) |
A
|
Ye |
| Certificate III in Civil Construction (Road Construction and Maintenance) | A | Yes |
| Certificate III in Civil Construction (Tunnel Construction) | A | Yes |
| Certificate III in Civil Construction (Timber Bridge Construction and Maintenance) | A | Yes |
| Certificate III in Civil Construction (Road Marking) | T | Yes |
| Certificate III in Civil Construction (Traffic Management) | T | Yes |
| Certificate III in Civil Foundations | T | Yes |
| Certificate III in Trenchless Technology | T | Yes |
| Certificate IV in Civil Construction Design | T | Yes |
| Certificate IV in Civil Construction Operations | T | Yes |
| Certificate IV in Civil Construction Supervision | T | Yes |
| Diploma of Civil Construction Design | T | Yes |
| Diploma of Civil Construction Management | T | Yes |
| Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Management | T | Yes |
| Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Design | No | Yes |
To obtain the detail of these Qualifications, including content and electives, go to the Federal Government’s managing site
Starting out… Getting a White Card
To work on a construction site in the industry every person must have done a Construction Induction Course. In the industry we call them “White Cards”. This important course teaches you the basics of safety in the workplace.
It is a Nationally Recognised Qualification and can only be delivered by a Government Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
The good news is, once you have it, you won’t ever need to do it again, even if you move States.
They are cheap and easy to obtain and take about a day. We strongly recommend you do NOT do an online course. While it will cost a little more, you will learn much more by attending the course and interacting with a teacher…you may even learn something that will save your life!
This course is not subsidised by the Government. A prospective employer will ask you if you have done it. Some will pay for it, others will expect you to already have a White Card. If you obtain it yourself, you will be more attractive to an employer.
Each State has one, and each State recognises others. In NSW it is administered by the NSW Government’s workplace safety agency, SafeWork NSW.