How a pre-apprenticeship can launch your trades career

A pre-apprenticeship gives you a fantastic head start on an apprenticeship, allowing you to lay the foundations for an exciting career in trades.

In just a few months you can earn a Certificate II level qualification, with essential skills and hands-on experience that will help you stand out to future employers.

Anyone over the age of 16 can do a pre-apprenticeship – so whether you’re leaving school, changing careers or just want to upskill, applying to VU Polytechnic can be the perfect way to get started.  

Here are just a few good reasons to explore a pre-apprenticeship with us.

Try out a trade before you commit   

If you’re thinking of starting a trade but you’re not 100% sure it’s right for you, a pre-apprenticeship is a great way to try it out and discover what you like.

With a few months of hands-on training, you’ll get a real feel for what the job involves, so you can decide if you want to continue with it before jumping straight into a three- or four-year apprenticeship.  

Start now – no need for a job offer yet  

To do an apprenticeship course, you’ll need to find an employer who’s happy to take you on as an apprentice first. For a pre-apprenticeship, you can get started right away.

VU Polytechnic also offers full time pre-apprenticeships for students aged 16 and older who want to leave school early and start on a trades career.

Learn the tools of the trade

You’ll learn essential basic skills and grow confident in safely using and maintaining tools and equipment.

Even if you’ve never picked up a power drill before, you’ll soon be comfortable with basic tasks and processes in your chosen trade – and come away with lifelong DIY skills.

Practise your skills in state-of-the-art facilities

When you study at VU Polytechnic, you’ll be learning in industry-standard workshop spaces at our Sunshine or Werribee campuses, where you can practice your skills in a real-world setting. 

Our Sunshine campus features a multi-million dollar trade training centre, with labs for concreting, surveying, engineering, soldering and power systems, along with high-tech workshops including modelling software.

Get job-ready  

Along with practical skills, pre-apprenticeship courses are designed to give you valuable knowledge about working in the industry and how to succeed in a professional environment.

You’ll learn about workplace safety, gain an understanding of industry policies and procedures, pick up the industry terminology, and develop skills in teamwork, prioritising tasks, communication and more.  

Earn a qualification quickly

A pre-apprenticeship course at VU Polytechnic gives you a Certificate II level qualification, which you can earn in just three to six months, depending on the course. 

If you decide to continue on to an apprenticeship, your Certificate II can give you credit towards that – so you won’t be doubling up on time. 

Boost your chances of getting a great apprenticeship

Your Certificate II qualification shows you’ve got the necessary skills and preparation for an apprenticeship – and that makes you attractive to employers choosing who to hire. 

Studying at VU Polytechnic also gives you the benefit of learning from industry-connected teachers, and opportunities to develop networks through site visits, industry projects and industry-endorsed workshops and simulations.

VU Polytechnic offers the following pre-apprenticeship courses:

• civil construction – Certificate II in Civil Construction RII20720
• electrotechnology – Certificate II in Electrotechnology (Pre-vocational) 22499VIC
• engineering – Certificate II in Engineering Studies 22632VIC
• plumbing – Certificate II in Plumbing (Pre-apprenticeship) 22569VIC

Each trade at VU Polytechnic has a different delivery timetable. Depending on the course, you’ll generally need to attend classes three to four days per week for 10 to 20 weeks.

Get started on a career that really sparks your passion with a pre-apprenticeship course at VU Polytechnic.

Find a trades course now.